For those of you who have been waiting "on pins and needless" for the next installment of my Las Vegas trip, I do apologize. I've been busy developing things on the business end but I promise to post more frequently...especially as my trip reviews tend to be a bit wordy, if you hadn't noticed.
Still Sunday (Day One):
After a bit of relaxing in my room, I went out to the bus stop in front of Paris to catch a ride up to the Downtown Meet-n-Greet some fellow members of an internet forum had set up that night. I found the new sidewalk ticket machine to be convenient. Now, one could buy a pass for two hours ($5) or 24 hours ($7) instead of queueing up to pay on the bus. As it was, the bus driver was seated inside a barrier with an accompanying security guard checking passes, so buying tickets on-board was no longer an options. It was a little odd, but I suppose that kept the drunken tourists from causing too much mayhem.
I took the Strip/Downtown Express - or SDX, as all the cool kids say – which definitely cut down on the time I used to spend on the Deuce bus, which still exists as a primarily Strip-only route stopping at virtually "every" casino. Besides the fewer stops, it probably helps that the SDX not only went off the Strip north of the Wynn but also had its own dedicated lane somewhere north of the Stratosphere. In all, think it only took me a half hour to get from Paris to the Golden Nugget.
If you have a bit of patience, the SDX and Deuce buses are an inexpensive option to get around. For a newcomer, these buses can also serve as a sort of unguided tour of Vegas. When not crowded, the seats are ample enough for a person of size.
Stepping off the SDX on Fremont Street, I walked under the electronic canopy pitching advertisements and past and approached the Plaza casino thinking how sad it was that the place that once defined Vegas as seen through the eyes of Puff Daddy, Mase and Monster Magnet was now a hotel “in transition”. Nonetheless, I had heard good things about the tapas bar Firefly where I was to meet my internet acquaintances and was looking forward to the experience. Since this would be the first time I had met everyone, I didn’t really know who to look for not to mention I was a bit nervous. But when I spotted a bunch of people standing around in elf hats, I took a chance that they were who I was looking for…and I was right!
I really couldn’t have met a friendlier bunch of people. In the holiday spirit, I accepted my own elf hat and wore it with pride! Firefly itself was a great choice for a Meet-n-Greet. While I was still full from fine French cuisine – see Le Burger Brasserie from my previous post – I thought that Happy Hour selections were reasonable and everyone seemed to enjoy them. The view looking out onto Fremont Street was awesome. I could see coming back with friends or even a casually romantic date with my lady.
While it was only 7:00pm or so when the Happy Hour broke up, it may as well had been 3:00am for this East Coaster who hadn’t slept much the previous night. it may as well have been three in the morning. So I caught the Deuce back this time, which was a little slower than the SDX but probably not more than 45 minutes. If it were a Friday night instead of Sunday, I’m sure either bus route would have been a longer ride. I should note here that the Deuce is named for its double-decker dimensions. The winding steps leading to the second deck are rather narrow.
When I arrived back at Paris, I decided to call it an early night.
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