Bright Light City

We've been itching to get out of town for awhile now, but I am sure we had some of the same conversations that have been going on in many household around the country (and the world for that matter)... what can we afford and/or how much do we feel comfortable laying out for a getaway? 

First off, I will say that we are very fortunate that the conversation is not *if* we will go away... and likewise, at the present we are in good shape to be able to afford to do something nice... but there is that nagging thought of how long all this will last?  Are we willing to take a fancy vacation now when it could possibly be needed (god forbid!) for a month or two of living expenses a few years down the road?

Having really just got out into the world just year, I was eager to keep it going... so I am a bit frustrated that that is on hold for the foreseeable future.  But again, it's this kind of conservative (one of the few times that word about me!) financial thinking of saving and staying out of debt that has allowed us to be in the position to ride things for a while.  And while we've both taken double-digit % pay cuts - mine just a straight pay cut, Todd with "unpaid" "vacation" (and yes, both of them deserve quotes around them) - we know it could be worse (a lot worse)... and like I said, thankfully, we are prepared for it... though I'll admit, it wasn't something *I* did consciously, but more of a result/effect of getting out of heavy debt about a decade ago (though news stories I hear, $25K of debt doesn't sound like a lot anymore).

Anyhow, we decided to go to Las Vegas for a few days.  Ha!  Now I know on the surface that doesn't seem to make any sense!   Here I am just talking about being conservative with the financial end of my life and worried about the economic future... and here I am going to the gambling mecca of the world, a city where excess is the norm.

But when weighing our options, even factoring in some gambling... other locales just could not compete on cost.  For starters, we are getting 3 free nights at Caesars Palace.  This is largely thanks to my Harrahs player's card (the Harrahs Corp pretty much owns 40% of the Strip these days)... and we've been getting offers out that wazoo for a few months now.  Basically, it seems like Vegas is desperate for warm bodies.  For the first time EVER, I received offers for free rooms over New Year's and Super Bowl weekend... in the past, even with my comp rate a hotel would cost $200/$300 for New Year's.  

Now this is where I have to also explain that I am not a compulsive gambler.  I am honestly surprised I am still getting these offers.  I'll admit a few years back, I was going to the local Indian casino (where I get most of my Vegas offers, again thanks to the Harrahs connection) a lot more... and even going to Vegas at least once a year.  These days, I am basically going to the Indian casino 2-3x a year (you have to go every 6 months to retain your comp balance) and we haven't been to Vegas since October 2007!  So again, I am a bit surprised that I still get offers... let alone these quite good ones!

Granted these 3 free nights are mid-week, but this will be our first time at Caesars... a hotel that was always more difficult to get this "free" comp rate in the past.  So not having to pay for a hotel is something that other places weren't exactly offering... and even though gas prices have spiked a bit in the last few weeks, it's still cheaper than flying.  Also, I have coupons for 2-for-1 buffets and I have that comp credit to easily get a few more free meals... so again... oddly enough, Vegas made made financial sense.

All that said, we are allowing ourselves one big indulgence.  The Caesars Palace Colosseum is pretty ground zero of divas... Celine is long gone, Elton is leaving in a couple of weeks... but Cher and Bette Midler are still holding court.  Looking at the March performance schedule, we were on the cusp of Cher finishing and Bette starting their latest runs (each play about a month at a time)... so it was pretty much a gay man's Sophie's Choice: Cher or Bette?  Looking at it another way, it really was a "no lose" proposition, which is pretty rare in Vegas!   Since later in the month worked out better for us... the decision was... (like you haven't already seen the picture on the left)... Bette!   We (well, Todd!) got us some good seats last night (again, mid-week definitely helps!).

This will be our 3rd go-around with the Divine Miss M, but we have enjoyed her each and every time, so we knew we had to see her big Vegas show, The Showgirl Must Go On, at some point.  And choosing Bette over Cher made a bit more strategic sense as Bette's Caesars contract ends a year before Cher's... so hopefully we still have time to catch Cher before she retires... again!

We are also contemplating a day trip out to Valley of Fire State Park (I comically told Todd it was "Ring of Fire")... "located only 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old"... so something different (and non-gambling!) from our previous dozen+ visits to Sin City!   Definitely looking forward to getting away!

Comments

[Jeff]

Yay, fun! I haven't seen Bette live before and am hoping to see her in Vegas sooner or later!

[Joanna]

Hey Ed,

I have been to LV several times myself and am really not much of a gambler at all. Surprisingly - or maybe not - the only show I have seen there is Jimmy Buffett.

I'll be heading back to Sin City in April for a work conference. We are staying at Red Rocks so I am kind of excited about that. Hope it's as good as the website looks!

Joanna