Forgetting Las Vegas

I have been to Las Vegas three times. The first two were in 1994-95 and I loved it. Couldn't wait to go back. So, Kell, Al, Jay and I went back a few years later and it didn't look the same and didn't even feel the same.

The first two trips were so much fun! Jay and I wandered the Strip and watched all the free shows in front of the hotels. We saw the wizard slay the dragon in front of the Ex Caliber, watched the pirates sink the British ship outside Treasure Island and stood in the cooling spray from the volcano in front of the Mirage. We browsed through the toney shops in Caesar's Palace, and watched the statues come to life and the ceiling change from night to day. If you don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about, it is all pretty hard to explain.

Back then, when you went to Las Vegas you entered a kind of alternate universe. It was a place where everyone was treated the same, no matter what his income level. Or, at least it felt that way. Of course, I realized that the high rollers were catered to, but it everyone was so friendly and helpful, you couldn't help but feel special yourself. And, they added to that feeling when, upon checking in, they usually informed you that you had been "upgraded" to the tower rooms, instead of the cheaper rooms you asked for, and you weren't going to have to pay more for the privilege.

There were no clocks or windows in the casinos. Women in skimpy costumes came around every few minutes, offering you free drinks. I decided that when I grew up, I wanted to be one of the little old ladies who pushed carts up and down the casine aisles, making change, so the gamblers didn't have to leave the slots except for potty breaks.

Rooms were relatively cheap and the buffets were cheap, too. When you drove from one hotel casino to another, there was a valet there to whisk your car away to a parking lot so you wouldn't have to do it yourself. It cost you about a $2.00 tip to get the car returned to you, and the valet gave you a big smile when you handed it to him - the same smile he gave the guy with the snazzy sports car who undoubtedly tipped him ten times that amount.

The third time we went, we felt a subtle change. There were a lot more hotels, and they were bigger. The rooms cost more and so did the buffets. They were beginning to tear down all the older casinos, such as the Riviera and the Stardust, which was my favorite. People were still friendly, but it just FELT different. This time, we stayed downtown, Glitter Gulch, the call it, at the Golden Nugget, which was certainly a beautiful hotel/casino.

We spent some time on the Strip, checking out the new hotels - I discovered that New York New York HUMS and there is a vibration that caused me to have something like sea sickness. I spent most of my time playing slots at the Nugget. It felt more familiar down there.

But, no matter how we tried to capture that original feeling of fun, it just wasn't the same. After we got home and started talking about it, I realized what was wrong. It was the Corporate Culture that had taken over the town. The first time we were there, it wasn't as noticeable, except that the owners and the town fathers were trying to convince people that Las Vegas had become "family friendly". Ridiculous, of course. There were kids everywhere, except in the casinos. But, I guess there must have been an uproar, because, suddenly, they were advertising the place as "adult entertainment" again. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

The Corporations have raised all the prices, built huge new hotels aimed at the rich and the "common man" is finding that he doesn't really have a place there. Now, they're wondering why people aren't coming to Vegas in the numbers they used to, even during hard times. I can tell them why. They've lost their "base", all those "little people" who could go to Vegas, without the kids, and feel important and have the most inexpensive vacation they could find, anywhere.

I won't be going back.