I’m going to try to write a series of trip reports for my past trips to Vegas. Some of these will be more complete than others based on the length of time that has passed, the amount of alcohol that had been consumed, and the sheer number of nights that have been spent in Vegas. Luckily this first one is pretty complete.
Vegas I
Dates: August 13th - August 15th 2011
Hotel(s): Rivera Parking Garage, Golden Nugget
Cast: Max (22), Nikki (21), Trixie (22) [Names changed]
Background: This was part of a 7 day road trip from a northern California college town down HW 1 to LA and then over to Las Vegas, and up the California/Nevada border and back to home. I’m a relatively average guy, my girlfriend is the beautiful Nikki, and my best friend is Trixie, who just recently came out as a lesbian to herself and her friends. Trixie had been to Vegas with family before she was 21, while both Nikki and I had never been.
Day 1
We arrived in Vegas in a rented Nissan Versa that had literally every square inch of space packed with camping supplies, food, and clothing for 3 people that needed to last 7 days. We had already been camping at beaches for the days going along the coast so we are definitely not rested or prepared at all for what is to come. Luckily we had spent the previous two days sleeping on the floor of our friend’s parent’s home in LA so we had freshly showered (thanks Brittney, she becomes a Vegas regular in future trips). Being cheap, young people, fresh out of college, we decided that for our first night in Vegas instead of renting a hotel room we would stay with friends far out in the middle of the Vegas suburbs. We parked in the Riviera parking garage because, at least during 2011, they gave a free buffet when you signed up for their player’s card.
The buffet at the Riviera was so horrible all of us decided that had we paid the $20 this buffet was charging to eat there, we would have demanded our money back. Every single item was overcooked, cold, or both. We began drinking by our car in the parking lot (classy) and then drank some more, and before we knew it we had figured out that none of us were going to be capable of driving if we really partied through the night. We then made the decision that we should just keep partying until we could check into our hotel room the next day. Worst Vegas mistake ever.
Since I’m a planner, I had already set us up with a promoter for the two days we would be in Vegas and we were on the guestlist for Rain our first day. We were all total newbies when it came to the club scene, only being familiar with house parties and smaller town bars. We decided that since we were going to be drinking, taking the bus to the Palms would be the right call because cabs were for suckers with too much money (feel free to laugh at our stupidity). We arrived somewhat late, around 11:30pm, since we had to change in the Riviera bathrooms and then walk to Caesars and then take the 202 line to the Palms (efficient, right?).
When we arrived, Rain had a giant mob of people standing near the entrance. No line, much less a guestlist line, and absolutely no staff controlling the crowd. After a while of standing in the mob, I luckily ran into our promoter, Chris Hornak, who was visibly stressed out. He had a bunch of other groups he was supposed to be getting in and was working on getting the groups who had arrived early in as soon as possible. At one point he said he could get the 2 girls from our party in but I would have to wait back. We weren’t exactly comfortable with this, but in this horrific chaos he was pretty much the only way we were ever doing anything. They went in and I was placed in a line with other guys he was supposed to be getting in. The waiting had begun.
He was getting more and more girls in and I was getting more and more worried that I had been totally screwed over. Eventually he started to get guys in and after an hour and a half I was in. As not-smoothly as this went, I’m still amazed any of us got in since the mob outside the club was probably 200-300 deep, with absolutely no organization and almost no movement.
Rain was great, and after 7 more trips to Vegas there definitely was a magic that night that has rarely been surpassed. We danced for hours in the middle of the dance floor right under the awesome pyrotechnics. This was back when Rain might not have been the best club on the strip but it still had some impressive showmanship with acrobats on hoops hanging from the ceiling, bubbles, and the massive amount of fire. It’s sad that none of the larger clubs have invested in pyrotechnics since that was a really unique experience, but I think I’ve heard LiFE at SLS has some so maybe that’s already changed. The DJ that night was DJ Pauly D, who none of us at the time had any knowledge of as we weren’t exactly the Jersey Shore watching type. We actually saw him walk toward the entrance during our previous time as part of the mob and the whole crowd went wild while we did not even know what there was to be excited about.
He was horrifically obnoxious, saying his own name over and over in case we had forgotten who was in charge of the music. Now talking to the crowd and doing some basic hype work is one thing, but to repeatedly totally cut the music to say “This is DJ Pauly D!” over and over was more than annoying. They threw giant foam fists into the crowd so you could fist pump with even more vigor and Trixie amazingly caught one. Fantastic times, especially after his obnoxiousness became more of a joke than a nuisance. I think I ended up snagging a torn fist that someone in the crowd had dropped, and we just kept dancing eventually realizing how much value a place to sit has.
Around 4AM we decided our feet hurt and we were done for the night. We went outside to the bus stop and waited for a bus. We seemed to have just missed one and decided that we could walk to the strip faster than waiting for the next one. Did I say worst Vegas mistake ever already? Nope this was definitely worse. We walk toward the strip and for some drunk reason (involving a lack of sidewalks?) we decide that cutting through the Rio was a good idea. We get lost in Rio’s casino, and walk in circles and circles until we finally get outside of the casino building, but we seem to be in some sort of industrial area near the pool complex. We continue to roam in this area that we obviously shouldn’t be in and get more and more lost, with our feet hurting more and more. I’m pretty sure we’re actually in an area that should have had “Do Not Enter. Employees Only.” Eventually we find our way back into the casino and the location of the free shuttle service to the strip but it doesn’t run for a least a couple hours more. The girls decide to call a cab while I’m still drunkenly thinking walking is the best plan ever. The cab comes and I get in reluctantly, but thank God since I have no idea how we could have walked that at this point.
Vegas I
Dates: August 13th - August 15th 2011
Hotel(s): Rivera Parking Garage, Golden Nugget
Cast: Max (22), Nikki (21), Trixie (22) [Names changed]
Background: This was part of a 7 day road trip from a northern California college town down HW 1 to LA and then over to Las Vegas, and up the California/Nevada border and back to home. I’m a relatively average guy, my girlfriend is the beautiful Nikki, and my best friend is Trixie, who just recently came out as a lesbian to herself and her friends. Trixie had been to Vegas with family before she was 21, while both Nikki and I had never been.
Day 1
We arrived in Vegas in a rented Nissan Versa that had literally every square inch of space packed with camping supplies, food, and clothing for 3 people that needed to last 7 days. We had already been camping at beaches for the days going along the coast so we are definitely not rested or prepared at all for what is to come. Luckily we had spent the previous two days sleeping on the floor of our friend’s parent’s home in LA so we had freshly showered (thanks Brittney, she becomes a Vegas regular in future trips). Being cheap, young people, fresh out of college, we decided that for our first night in Vegas instead of renting a hotel room we would stay with friends far out in the middle of the Vegas suburbs. We parked in the Riviera parking garage because, at least during 2011, they gave a free buffet when you signed up for their player’s card.
The buffet at the Riviera was so horrible all of us decided that had we paid the $20 this buffet was charging to eat there, we would have demanded our money back. Every single item was overcooked, cold, or both. We began drinking by our car in the parking lot (classy) and then drank some more, and before we knew it we had figured out that none of us were going to be capable of driving if we really partied through the night. We then made the decision that we should just keep partying until we could check into our hotel room the next day. Worst Vegas mistake ever.
Since I’m a planner, I had already set us up with a promoter for the two days we would be in Vegas and we were on the guestlist for Rain our first day. We were all total newbies when it came to the club scene, only being familiar with house parties and smaller town bars. We decided that since we were going to be drinking, taking the bus to the Palms would be the right call because cabs were for suckers with too much money (feel free to laugh at our stupidity). We arrived somewhat late, around 11:30pm, since we had to change in the Riviera bathrooms and then walk to Caesars and then take the 202 line to the Palms (efficient, right?).
When we arrived, Rain had a giant mob of people standing near the entrance. No line, much less a guestlist line, and absolutely no staff controlling the crowd. After a while of standing in the mob, I luckily ran into our promoter, Chris Hornak, who was visibly stressed out. He had a bunch of other groups he was supposed to be getting in and was working on getting the groups who had arrived early in as soon as possible. At one point he said he could get the 2 girls from our party in but I would have to wait back. We weren’t exactly comfortable with this, but in this horrific chaos he was pretty much the only way we were ever doing anything. They went in and I was placed in a line with other guys he was supposed to be getting in. The waiting had begun.
He was getting more and more girls in and I was getting more and more worried that I had been totally screwed over. Eventually he started to get guys in and after an hour and a half I was in. As not-smoothly as this went, I’m still amazed any of us got in since the mob outside the club was probably 200-300 deep, with absolutely no organization and almost no movement.
Rain was great, and after 7 more trips to Vegas there definitely was a magic that night that has rarely been surpassed. We danced for hours in the middle of the dance floor right under the awesome pyrotechnics. This was back when Rain might not have been the best club on the strip but it still had some impressive showmanship with acrobats on hoops hanging from the ceiling, bubbles, and the massive amount of fire. It’s sad that none of the larger clubs have invested in pyrotechnics since that was a really unique experience, but I think I’ve heard LiFE at SLS has some so maybe that’s already changed. The DJ that night was DJ Pauly D, who none of us at the time had any knowledge of as we weren’t exactly the Jersey Shore watching type. We actually saw him walk toward the entrance during our previous time as part of the mob and the whole crowd went wild while we did not even know what there was to be excited about.
He was horrifically obnoxious, saying his own name over and over in case we had forgotten who was in charge of the music. Now talking to the crowd and doing some basic hype work is one thing, but to repeatedly totally cut the music to say “This is DJ Pauly D!” over and over was more than annoying. They threw giant foam fists into the crowd so you could fist pump with even more vigor and Trixie amazingly caught one. Fantastic times, especially after his obnoxiousness became more of a joke than a nuisance. I think I ended up snagging a torn fist that someone in the crowd had dropped, and we just kept dancing eventually realizing how much value a place to sit has.
Around 4AM we decided our feet hurt and we were done for the night. We went outside to the bus stop and waited for a bus. We seemed to have just missed one and decided that we could walk to the strip faster than waiting for the next one. Did I say worst Vegas mistake ever already? Nope this was definitely worse. We walk toward the strip and for some drunk reason (involving a lack of sidewalks?) we decide that cutting through the Rio was a good idea. We get lost in Rio’s casino, and walk in circles and circles until we finally get outside of the casino building, but we seem to be in some sort of industrial area near the pool complex. We continue to roam in this area that we obviously shouldn’t be in and get more and more lost, with our feet hurting more and more. I’m pretty sure we’re actually in an area that should have had “Do Not Enter. Employees Only.” Eventually we find our way back into the casino and the location of the free shuttle service to the strip but it doesn’t run for a least a couple hours more. The girls decide to call a cab while I’m still drunkenly thinking walking is the best plan ever. The cab comes and I get in reluctantly, but thank God since I have no idea how we could have walked that at this point.
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