Dinner and A Show

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 by Dusty Roads

OK , I messed up. I’ve already told you about the Brazilian Steak house. We actually went to a terrific seafood restaurant before the Jersey Boys and to Pampas before Vegas The Show. But no worries I can tell you that the seafood was good too.

We were in the Miracle Mile Shops. There were 2 seafood restaurants and Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse all in the same corner of the mall. It’s kind of funny when you think about it. Here we are in the middle of a desert and we’re going to eat seafood.

We debated between Ocean One Bar and Grill and The Oyster Bay Seafood and Wine Bar. I’ll probably get it backward but I think we settled The Oyster Bay Seafood and Wine Bar. The service was excellent, the wine was delicate and smooth and my scallops were exquisite. It was an excellent choice. I think Sandy was pleased with her meal as well.

The show, Vegas the Show, was at the Saxe Theatre which wasn’t far away. The Miracle Mile Shops is laid out in a big circle.

Miracle Mile

When we finished dinner we headed to our right and the theater just past the Hilton Grand Vacations, still on our end of the circle.

Las vegas

Vegas the show is the story of Las Vegas from it’s early years, through the Rat Pack, Elvis and Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton. There are traditional showgirls and comedy skits. It ends with newsreels of the changes that have taken place over the years, the destruction of the old casinos to make way for the new.

I’d seen the show with Joe and thought it was worth seeing it again.

JR fremont

Las vegas the show

With our canes Sandy and I were allowed to go to our seats in the elevator instead of up the long flight of stairs. As expected I enjoyed the show, especially the magician/ comedian skit. I don’t remember that from last year.

Like the Jersey Boys, no photography was allowed so I just had to sit back and enjoy the show. Sandy said it was good but not as good as Jersey Boys.

Jersey Boys

Posted on March 23, 2016March 23, 2016 by Dusty Roads

What’s Las Vegas without the shows?

There weren’t any headliners Like Elton John there but there were loads of tribute artists like Michael Jackson, The Beatles and the Jersey Boys.

MJ and me

Sandy is Old School and so am I even if her school is a little older than mine so Michael got scratched off the list and we’d seen Beatles Tribute Bands before, especially “RAIN”. so Jersey Boys became the choice.

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We got our tickets through the time share so they were Dinner and a Show. Dinner was the Brazilian Steak House, Pampas and what an experience. The food was amazing. We had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert and we should have taken a picture because it was beautiful, rich and creamy. Even splitting it we couldn’t finish it.

mousse

Then we wandered over to the theater in the Paris Hotel. Had to walk off the chocolate!

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Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

“They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story”

I remember the songs, all of them from Sherry to Can’t take my Eyes Off You and many, many, more. Guess that’s dating me but I loved the show. I didn’t know all the things that happened, some very sad, until the show. I won’t give the story line away in case you get to go but I did a fact check and found they were true.

I lugged my camera over prepared to grab few shots but that idea was quickly shut down when they announced no photos or recording devices of any kind. I had my expensive camera so I wasn’t going to risk having it confiscated if I got caught sneaking a picture so back in the case it went.

Frankie

All I can say is that its a great show. There are several casts touring, not just Las Vegas, so it could be coming to a theater near you. If it does, don’t miss it!

Las Vegas the Show

Posted on January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 by Dusty Roads

Even if it isn’t a Headliner this is a great show. We really lucked out for seating too. Apparently they forgot to advertise the 9:30 show so they weren’t even close to selling out. This worked in our favor when they moved everyone up in seating. We ended up with great seats facing center stage.

The show opens in the Neon Graveyard, a collection of the most iconic signs of old Las Vegas. This was on our list of things to do right along with a visit to the Gold and Silver Pawn shop where Pawn Stars is filmed. It turns out that the props for the show was as close as we came to the real Neon Boneyard.

Anyway, Ernie, the protector of Las Vegas past , emerges from the shadows to lead the audience on a tour through the years.

The journey begins with the dawn of the “Nightclub Acts” of the ’40’s and ’50’s. Extravagant costumes characterized an era of beauty and romance. This was time of the feathered showgirls in scandalous skimpy costumes and rhinestones.

The term “Lounge Lizard” was born while young people flocked the little casino town in the desert. Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton, started in one of the little lounges. By the time I made my first visit in the ’70’s Wayne Newton was a headliner but the little lounges still surrounded the casino floor and offered excellent entertainment for the cost of a drink.

The show was a series of celebrity impersonators from Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy David Jr (the Rat Pack) to Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Sonny and Cher and soul sensation Gladys Knight and the Pips.

Can Can girls and a Wedding Chapel medley captured the essence of the Old Las Vegas.

As the show reached its conclusion we watched the implosion of the famous landmarks that marked the original strip; the Landmark, the Sands, the Aladdin, the Stardust and the Frontier.

The impersonations were great, the music outstanding and the costumes breathtaking. Watching the demolition of Old Las Vegas was sad but the show isn’t intended to let you feel down. It is a tribute to the true spirit of Las Vegas. The talents and personalities who built this mile stretch of desert into the “entertainment capital of the world” are showcased and immortalized in “Las Vegas the Show”!

Sunday in Vegas

Posted on January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 by Dusty Roads

Sunday morning rolled around. We decided to try the Hash House a Go Go for breakfast. It was right there in the hotel so easy to get to. The menu was well rounded. You could add a huge pancake to one of their breakfasts so we had to try. I made mine cinnamon apple.

It was huge all right. No way was I going to be able to make much of a dent and between you and me, my apple pancakes are better anyway. Then it was back to the room to await my call for the sales presentation.

You may wonder why I bother with it but there were some really good perks to make it worthwhile. After a little back and forth the cab ride was arranged. The presentation was for a Vacation Club which was a little bit different from the time share and less expensive annually. It was very intriguing. I hadn’t heard of them before so I said no to the offer even though they offered me a $6000 credit for my time share. I wanted to do some checking. The club is “World Wide Vacation” and the comments online were a mixed bag. Any of you had any experience with them?

Anyway I left with a handful of vouchers for dinners and shows and the promise of a week long vacation at an RCI resort of my choice. (that voucher to be emailed separately).

Back at the room I hooked up with JR and we looked over the promotions.

We picked Vegas the Show for tonight and Divas for Monday night.

We’d be gone on Tuesday. There were so many shows in town (as always). Elton John was playing, Olivia Newton John, Donny and Marie to name just a few. They weren’t part of the promotion (of course) There were several Beatles themed offerings. We needed more time and more money! 🙂

Once that big decision was made it was off to the monorail.

We decided to ride it to the end and then explore stop by stop back up the line. At the SLS station we walked past a huge souvenir shop, the kind that sells tacky T-shirts 3 for $10.00. We didn’t stop as I was finding that the walking/ standing was still difficult from my never going away shingles. Instead we made our way to the Stratosphere.

The Stratosphere reminded me of the Space Needle in Seattle.

One big difference was that you could bungee jump or take a thrill ride here in Vegas but not in Seattle.

While I’m thinking of similar structures we can’t forget that even Gatlinburg, TN has a space needle.

We spent a lot more time here than either of us expected. The views were awesome.

By the time we were finished with all the sights it was time for lunch.

We had a coupon for a slice of Pizza and a beer at the Stratosphere so that was our lunch.

We had wanted to get to the Freemont Street experience which was a bus ride away from this stop on the mono rail but time was passing and we needed to get back to the hotel to change for the show. Joe did eventually find his was to Freemont Street which is the old Las Vegas. He said he wanted to see Feathers!

It was near the bus station so he got to go there on Tuesday after I left for the airport.