This was our fifth trip in as many years, and the longest we've stayed there (5 nights). It was also our first late-summer visit. Temperatures ran in the triple digits the entire time we were there, which didn't bother us at all.
Day 1: Sunday, August 17th.
Our flight was at 10:20. We always fly Alaska to Vegas, though flights are often delayed/cancelled. After a quick cab ride from Beacon Hill, in which we had to instruct the cab driver how to get to the airport from our house (cab drivers are so confused by Beacon Hill!) we arrived at Sea-Tac around 8:15 or so. After checking in, we learned that the flight was oversold and seats would be assigned at the gate. This was a little concerning, but we arrived early and at the gate we got our seats without any problem.
We landed in Vegas around 12:45 and at the baggage claim I ran into an old co-worker. Pleasantly random! The taxi line at the Vegas airport was unbelievable, but we were impressed by how quickly it moved. Checking into Planet Hollywood was a bit of a disappointment. Even though it was close to the check-in time of 3pm, only a smoking room was available.
So we opted to wait for a non-smoking room and walked around the attached Miracle Miles Shops. We were excited to try the Hawaiian Tropic Zone restaurant, new since our last trip, so we stopped in there for our first Vegas cocktails. A guy handed us a few coupons on the way in so we were able to get 4 drinks for the price of two. I had mojitos, while Dan opted for a classic margarita.
The drinks were smooth and refreshing, but the atmosphere was less Hawaiian than we expected. It was afternoon so we couldn't really get a sense of what the "scene" was like, but there was a platform above the bar that is apparently where women dance. It had a pretty sleek interior with some outside seating with covered cabanas also available.
After checking back for a room once with no luck, we decided to head back into the mall for dinner. We opted for Chesseburger Las Vegas, one of the newer locations in the expanding franchise that began with Cheeseburger Waikiki. Two surfer girls from California started the company after realizing there was no place in Hawai`i to get a mai tai and a cheeseburger.
The interior of this place was definitely Hawaiian! We felt right at home.
Dan tried their mai tai, which was reportedly very good while I couldn't resist a Kona Fire Rock Ale on tap. We split the "It's all Good" burger with some onion rings. Mmmm...heaven in a bun.
Feeling satiated by food and drink, we were finally ready for room 3217. The hotel used to be the Aladdin, but the new owners are slowly making updates to reflect the new image. The room itself was a little on the small side, but the bathroom was awesome. It must have been recently remodeled: double doors, separate deep tub from the walk-in shower, toilet room with door, plenty of space.
Our view wasn't so bad, either.
We took a nap on the comfy bed.
Then it was off to the monorail for a quick ride over to the Las Vegas Hilton.
The monorail is an easy way to get from South to North strip. It costs $5 per ride, or you can buy unlimited 3-day passes for $28. I've never had to wait long, and they are nice and cool inside.
After being dumped off at the Hilton, we cruised right into Quark's bar. As mentioned in previous post, the Star Trek Experience is closing on September 1st so this would be our last trip to enjoy it. We pushed our way in, grabbed two seats at the bar and began sharing a Warped Core Beach.
It is less scary than it looks, and actually tastes pretty good. It contains five types of rum, and plenty of raspberry flavorings. We normally only share one, but we got caught up in the nostalgia of the impending closure and ordered a second one! Uh-oh.
Apparently on our way back to our hotel, this 15 year old Elvis impersonator talked us into posing with him.
Also, I found my fashion twin!
The rest if somewhat blurry, but the night ended in alka seltzer and proved to be the only night we attempted to drink like twenty year olds.
More to come....
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