My Summer of ‘75

Tilda Cobham-Hersey as Helen Reddy

It’s no secret that music has been a great influence in my life. In college (1965-68) I was a member of The Januaries, a folk trio (“two guitars, two guys and a gal”) in Los Angeles. Why I mention this is because of an experience I had in Las Vegas.

In June 1975, at the start of my term as president of the Honolulu Jaycees, I joined the Hawaii State Jaycees delegation to the Jaycees National Convention in Miami.

When the convention ended, two of my Jaycee friends and I met up with in Las Vegas. We stayed at Caesar’s Palace (no skimping, just first-class enjoyment). We also attended one of my more memorable dinner shows at the casino-hotel.

A nice $25 tip (that was big money those days) got us front row seats at a stage-side table. I forget what I ordered, but it was probably prime rib. What I do remember was the name of the expensive wine we ordered — Piesporter Goldtropfchen Reisling Spatlese (can’t recall the winery). It was so good that I searched it out when we returned home to Hawaii.

Around that time, Australian-American singer Helen Reddy was a huge success in the U.S. and after dinner, there she was, singing her hits on stage, only a few yards away from us. Comedian Ruth Buzzi opened the show. She wasn’t particularly special, but I did chuckle a lot, anxious to hear Reddy sing.

Her recording, “I Am Woman,” of course, was very popular and had soared up the charts. Up until the Vegas show, I had no idea what a powerful impact it had on women. Okay, I thought, here’s another woman trying to make it in a man’s world.

Maybe, I wondered, maybe I can learn something about her when she performed live.

I wasn’t disappointed. When she sang her anthem, “I Am Woman,” and the women in the audience joined in with great volume, enthusiasm, and power, it floored me. I got it. I became so emotional, felt a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. She received a standing ovation from all the women, and a helluva lotta men (me included).

This memory manifested recently when I watched her bio-pic, “I Am Woman,” on Netflix. It was so enjoyable! I learned a lot about the personal problems she had to bear, and sang along with her concerts, cementing in my heart how women had struggled for equality during my lifetime.

The closing scene, when she sang “I Am Woman” before thousands at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1989 “Mobilize for Women's Lives Rally” in Washington, D.C., was so emotionally powerful. Great cinematography, thousands — men included, me too — joined her in singing.

I Lost My What?

It was either my 2017 Hyundai Accent rental car ... or my mind.

Thank God it was my rental car.

It happened at the Primm Valley Outlet Mall, about 45 minutes north of Las Vegas.

You know how malls have several entrances that look similar? That messed me up. I parked in a convenient spot next to an entrance where a guy had flag barriers up and was painting the exterior.

After spending an hour inside, I went back out to find my car. Nowhere to be seen. Damn, did someone swipe the car? Did I even lock it? Rental car, y’know, so I wasn’t sure.

I walked around for 20 minutes searching. I was sure I was near the right entrance because I saw “Wet Paint” signs on the wall. Made another round of the area, then gave up and went inside to sit down because my aging legs and back were aching.

I called the police and they told me to check with mall security. So I called security and the nice guy said to come to the office, just about 100 feet from where I was.

When I got there, he directed me back outside to a security car and a nice mall security officer who drove me around for 15 minutes looking for my car (“just to make sure”). Then, he decided to try around the entrance I’d come out of to join him.

And … there it was. I simultaneously felt overjoyed and stupid. He refused a tip, saying it happened all the time.

All the way back on the long drive into Las Vegas, all I could do was shake my head and mumble: “Craig, you’re so stupid. So stupid.”

I kid you not.

Bellagio Valet Parking Fee

Well, okay, I learned something quite rudely when I stopped over in February at the Bellagio to gaze in awe at their seasonal Conservatory floral display.

They charged me a valet parking fee, the first I ever had to pay at a Las Vegas hotel or casino.

Thirteen bucks. Thirteen bucks that I could have spent on a light lunch in their hotel.

Instituted in January 2016, valet parking charges are collected at the Aria, Bellagio, Circus Circus, Delano, Excalibur, Luxon, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York New York, and Vdara. Even overnight guests have to ante-up. Even self-parkers.

I didn't find out until this February's Super Bowl vacation because I didn't get to Las Vegas in 2016.

*Mumble grumble*

Palazzo Lunar New Year

Whenever I visit Las Vegas, I head on over to the Bellagio Conservatory to take pictures of its seasonal floral garden.

The very next thing I do is jump in my rental car, or a taxi, and motor over to the Palazzo Hotel & Casino, connected to the Venetian just down the street on the Las Vegas Strip.

Their atrium and lobby displays usually echo the Bellagio's in their theme, but they definitely are not copies in any way. All of their displays have their own special beauty and charm.

And so it was, that I visited them for the first time in three years during the recent Super Bowl weekend in February.

Enjoy! I did.

Here's wishing you a very

Happy Lunar New Year!

Bellagio Lunar New Year

Every year, I try to get to Las Vegas during Super Bowl weekend so I can bet on the game (it's a lot more fun watching the gridiron spectacle when you have a stake on the outcome).

Unfortunately, I had to skip two years due to family circumstances. However, I was able to wrangle a trip this year for the Feb. 5, 2017, game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots.

As usual, my first outing when I got there was the Bellagio Conservatry. During Super Bowl weekend, the theme is usually the Lunar New Year, and this year was no different--the Year of the Rooster.

Lately, I've been taking most of my pictures on my iPhone, but when it comes to blog article pix, I always fall back on my Sony cam. It's just more versatile and easier that way.

Hope you enjoy these:

Have a Belated

Kung Yee Fat Choy!

Staring Eyes

 

As I was walking from the Las Vegas Monorail into the SLS Hotel and Casino (see my Feb. 11 post), I became uncomfortably aware that I was being watched.

Passing a huge wall covered by what looked like little teeny green plants, I saw two eyes peering at me. I unconsciously drew back, stopped, then moved in for a closer look.

They weren't eyes. They were round rivet thingies inserted into the wall, creepily framed by washers.

What the heck were they doing there? What was their purpose? Who put them there? And why? Why? Curious minds want to know.

Ahhhh, sweet mysteries of life.

Phone Pix 63: Las Vegas

Since I'm on a Las Vegas kick, here are some phone pix taken during trips to Las Vegas during the past 2-3 years. No casino pictures this time, just interesting scenes encountered during my holidays.

Enjoy!

Wall Painting, March 13, 2013, Las Vegas Museum of Natural
History, Las Vegas, NV

 

Wall Painting, March 13, 2013, Las Vegas Museum of Natural
History, Las Vegas, NV

 

Waterfall, Sept. 6, 2013, Mirage Hotel Foyer, Las Vegas, NV

 

The Bellagio, May 20, 2014, seen from Mon Ami Gabi,
Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

 

Red Rock Canyon Plains, March 11, 2013,
Red Rock State Preserve, Las Vegas, NV

 

Egyptian Obelisk, March 11, 2015, Luxor Hotel,
Las Vegas, NV

 

The Venetian and Harrah's, Dec. 15, 2014, seen from the Mirage Hotel
Volcano" Attraction, Las Vegas, NV

 

Door Pulls, March 10, 2015, Luxor Hotel,
Las Vegas, NV

 

Eiffel Tower and Montgolfier's Balloon at the Paris Hotel, March 11, 2015,
Seen from Mon Ami Gabi, also at Paris Hotel Las Vegas, NV

The Luxor Sphinx

When I was in Las Vegas this past December, I spent some time at the Luxor, where I'd stayed earlier in the year. While there, I took a few pictures of the huge sphinx that's part of the architecture. So before it gets up and walks away, I thought I'd share a couple of pictures with you:

By the way, that beacon that lasers upward at night ... they say it can be seen from Los Angeles when the sky is clear and there's no LA smog messing up the air.

SLS: End of the Line

 

At the north terminus of the Las Vegas Strip monorail sits SLS, fka The Sahara, one of the legendary Rat-Pack hotels, that shut down in 2011. It's been the SLS since August 2014.

I heard that SLS Hotel & Casino President and COO Rob Oseland said "SLS" stands for "Style, Luxury and Service." It was actually inspired by the Mercedes SL500. Who knew? And now that I know, who cares what it means? Just call it SLS and leave it at that.

However, in retrospect, I should have done some Internet research before taking the monorail there during my recent December Vegas holiday.

 

Then I would have paid more attention to the 3D video hanging over the Center Bar. Or ordered the not-on-the-menu tater tots at Umami Burger. Or placed a bet on the tiny sports book situated in Umami. Or taken a picture of the Sahara door-handles chandelier.

Instead, I wandered around in an uneducated daze, signed up to be a member of their slot club, The Code, and pressed buttons on slot machines. Good thing I did too. I won some dinner money:

 

It's a classy place. I should (and likely will) go back there.

 

Riding the Rail

Every now and then, I eschew renting a car when I visit Las Vegas. When I do that, my inter-hotel/casino and restaurant transportation is accomplished by taxi.

Or, if I stay on the east (Flamingo, Harrah's, MGM Grand) side of the Strip, I occasionally go via the Las Vegas monorail. Usually, I buy single-ride tickets @ $5, unless I plan three or more rides in a single day ($12/day). I'm cheap; I like to save the $2 and give it to the room maid as a tip.

By the way, if your party is three or more, it's a little cheaper to get into a cab.

A small bonus: An event/attraction discount coupon booklet is available at each station. I almost always pick one up ... I just never use it.

The only problem is that although the monorail stations are attached to the various casinos, the walk from the station into the casino is pretty long. And if you want to visit a casino on the other side of the Strip, the walk is even longer. When I have to do that, I just hail a taxi instead because the old people in our party can't handle the walk.

'Bo-o-o-oard!

What the Hexx Going On?

The Sugar Factory at the Paris Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip has always been calling my name, but thinking it was just a dessert place, I never took the time to try it out. And then, when I finally did, it was too late.

In March 2015, it was renamed and re-conceptualized. It's now called "Hexx Kitchen + Bar."

The View from My Table

"Hex," of course, means a whole bunch of things, including a black magic spell. I always thought it also meant "jinx." Maybe that's not what the Hexx owners meant, but they may have accidentally hexed Hexx.

I had breakfast there in December, and a couple of little things went wrong.

First of all, the chair in the outside patio dining area was butt bone bruising uncomfortable because of the vinyl-coated metal-wire weave design. Uh huh ...

Then, my waitress Julia, a lovely, personable young lady, was late with my coffee and apple juice. She said she was clumsily delayed because she knocked them off her tray. Her self-admonition: "I am anything but graceful." Uh huh ...

Then, halfway through my banana-nut French toast, I had to remind her about my side order of sausage. She went to check and when upon returning with them, apologized before saying, "The "kitchen read the order wrong." Uh huh ...
 

The French toast with bananas and berries was not bad, but although the sausages were tasty, they were dry (not juicy inside in the least). Uh huh ...
 

There was a couple seated next to me who wanted lunch. Unfortunately for them, lunch started at 11 a.m. and they were 12 minutes early. So they just sat there and had to talk to each other.

They looked mighty uncomfortable (must have married for a few years and were all talked out), so he whipped out his mobile phone to kill time.

She, on the other hand, occupied herself with a minute-by-minute, then a final 10-second countdown, to 11 o'clock. Then, she announced "Bingo! It's eleven!" before lapsing into silence. And him? He grunted.

Twelve minutes later, Julia finally brought them menus and was advised, "We're starving." Uh huh ...

Definitely "Hexxed."

Breakfast Beppo-ing at the Buca

With 92 restaurants (five in the United Kingdom), chances are there's a Buca dI Beppo Italian Ristorante somewhere you. Did you know that Buca, Inc., is owned by Planet Hollywood?

There are four Buca di Beppos in Las Vegas — one near the Atomic Testing Museum on Flamingo, one in Summerlin, and one at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino. Since summer 2014, there's also a hybrid Buca Cafè Italiano in the Bally's Hotel where I stayed recently.

(Stupid question here: If they're owned by Planet Hollywood, how come there isn't one at the Planet Hollywood Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip?)

Anyway ... The Bally's location has a simple all-day buffet, or one can order separate breakfast or lunch dishes for singles. The dinner entrees are sized to feed two. Since I was staying at Bally's, I went there for breakfast one day and discovered that they have a pretty basic breakfast menu, nothing very fancy or innovative.

I had New York steak and eggs. Unfortunately, although nicely medium rare, parts of the steak were a bit on the tough side. I should have ordered ham and eggs. It's too bad Buca Cafè Italiano is the only restaurant serving sit-down breakfasts at Bally's.

By the way, "Buca dI Beppo" loosely translates as "Joe's Basement" — "Buca" is a Tuscan slang word for "basement," and  "Beppo" is a nickname for "Giuseppe" ("Joseph" in Italian).

Taxi Touch ‘n’ Pay

Las Vegas taxi companies are now trying to make it easier for you to pay your fare these days with talking touch screens on the back of the front passenger seat headrest.

A friendly voice advises: "If you can't see the screen, just touch the middle of the screen."

Wait ... what? If I can't see the screen. How can I aim my fingertip to its middle?

I suppose it's helpful if you want to charge the ride to a credit or debit card (the wife would have a total technophobic meltdown, however), but you have to proceed in an orderly fashion.

Nah. I'd rather just pay cash and ask for a receipt if I need one.

Besides, think of all the exotic worldwide germs thriving on the screen that came from passengers who didn't wash their hands. You're going to touch your finger to that?

Yummy Greasy Burger

Hamburger sandwiches always taste best when they're dripping greasy and falling apart while you're eating them.

I remember when I had my first In-N-Out burger in Rosemead, CA, back in the’70s before the corporation got ahold of it and caved in to appeal to the "eat more healthy" crowd.

Same thing with Fatburger's sandwich — it used to be so delicious until it too was changed to appease the "eat healthy" critics.

Not that they aren't delicious today, it's just that they were infinitely more delicious when I used to have the real thing.

So what's with all this reflective nostalgia? It's because I recently had my first Johnny Rockets burger in Las Vegas for the first time since the one at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf in (I believe) 2005. I had my mouth set for either a hamburger sandwich or a prime rib. None of the restaurants in Bally's or Paris offered prime rib, so I went for the burger.

My cute little Johnny Rockets counter waitress Andrea took good care of me, showing me all the attention and friendly service one would expect from a Johnny Rockets. As soon as my order was ready, she brought me a Bacon Cheese Burger, a half-onions-half-fries side order, and a huge refillable glass of Pepsi (wish they had Coca~Cola).

The burger was just as I remembered it — moist and coming apart in the bun. I swear it was drippy juicy, almost greasy in a way.

Now, that was an old-fashioned burger like I remember.

Did I make you hungry?

A Tasty Mistake

 

Until my recent trip to Las Vegas, I'd never had a Nathan's hot dog before. Wait, let me clarify. I have bought their packaged hot dogs from the sausage cooler at the supermarket; I just haven't had one form their hot dog stand.

Finally got a chance and had one for dinner. I walked up to their counter and ordered their Chili Cheese Dog with Sauerkraut, anticipating it so much that my mouth began watering.

A couple of minutes later, they called my number and handed me my dog. I found a seat in the Bally's food court and began munching.

 

Ooo, the pop when I bit into it released a flood of favor.

 

It wasn't until my second bite that I realized there was no chili. Checked my receipt, and there it was: "Cheese Dog with Sauerkraut." No chili. Damn. Just a large Pepsi.

Not only that, in my excitement, I forgot to order the Crinkle Cut Cheese Fries I'd been coveting — the ones with the Bacon and Ranch Dressing on top.

Ah well. It still tasted great, and just gave me an excuse (as if I needed one) to go back again.

 

 

Bally's Grand Bazaar Shops

 

When I stayed at Bally's Hotel & Casino in 2014, the hotel was in the midst of constructing their Grand Bazaar Shops at the Las Vegas Strip entrance.

 

 

The artist's concept drawings looked so exciting that I decided to take advantage of a free-room offer this past December so I could check it out. 

 

 

You know what? Maybe it's because I went during the daytime, but it's no big deal; it hasn't got anything special that would classify it as an attraction. The little shops are the usual small mall shops, nothing that would draw me in. Plus the storefront designs are pretty sterile with hardly any character.

 

When I was in the Honolulu Jaycees and we put on the annual 50th State Fair, E.K. Fernandez Shows president Kane (KAH-nay) Fernandez explained the difference between "entertainment" and an "attraction." The first keeps attendees occupied while at the fair, the other actually draws people to the fair.

 

Sad to say, the Grand Bazaar Shops are entertainment, not an attraction. And not great entertainment either. People were just walking past the shops; I never saw anyone actually buying anything.

 

Take a look for yourself and see how empty the area is: