Coming from Palm Springs California into Las Vegas Nevada was a bad experience for me. I had enjoyed every minute in Palm Springs of friendly service, fresh air, mountains close up, and numerous outdooon dining places including Mexican food which I love. Also, most of all the peace and quiet. You could walk or run for an hour or two in Palm Springs, not much traffic, not many traffic lights. I arrived into Las Vegas and had no hotel. The plan was to get a car and drive to Grand Canyon for a couple of days, but I changed last minute. Don’t like driving a car, don’t like to spend extra money on sights when I already spend a lot of money on Stones touring. So I booked two nights at the Tropicana…
I did not like the Tropicana Hotel and Casino at all. It was frezing cold inside, almost no places to eat, and the food they had was bad quality. I am not picky, but paying fifty dollars for a industrial meal that could have been made by a machine, is out of my preferences. I spend the two days at the Tropicana looking for other places to dine and relax in Las Vegas. I found a few places, like a Sportsbar outdoor in the sun (until 3pm that is), and most of all the Toms Urban right outside the New York New York hotel and casino. When I booked the rest of my stay in Las Vegas I went for New York New York. It was close to the T-Mobile Arena, where The Rolling Stones would play, and it had plenty of dining places, including the great outdoor Toms Urban. What was the best part, the food was high standard, and it was right on the Strip, so I could see and meet many friends as they went by.
After a few days I got used to the music, rush and 24/7 life in Las Vegas. I walked up and down the Strip a few times, visited the “Las Vegas Welcome Sign”, were into several hotels meeting friends and other fans, and after a week or so you have places you may call your own even in Las Vegas. For a while I looked into going for a trip outside the Strip, but with all the things that happened regarding the Stones concerts, there was no time. Also, I worked 8-12 hours every day in my “hotel room office”, it is hard to take a day off…
I have been to Las Vegas many times, mostly for the Stones, but also for conferences. I don’t think I will return to Las Vegas for pleasure, but may be for music, still I am not sure. It would have to be the Stones…
More about The Rolling Stones in Las Vegas in a separate story…
