Las Vegas through the Pandemic! October 2020 March and June 2021
I know you’ve been following this as best you can. Any suggestions on how to overcome writer’s block would be wonderful in the comment section.
Back in October I spent a long weekend at Caesars Palace, not long after Las Vegas reopened. Things I will never see again. $49.00 a night in an upgraded room at Caesars. Empty restaurants, shops closed. The big and little shows closed. The Casino closed at 10 pm, no sitting at the bars and no nightclubs open. The pictures below saw a Vegas where the restaurants were happy to see you, the pools were empty. The drinks at the Caesars pool were still $30 apiece but they actually seemed sorry about it. You could dance on Las Vegas Blvd on a Friday Afternoon. The pictures below are an accurate representation. We reserved a helicopter flight over the strip the day we took it the flight.
One exception was Freemont Street on Halloween, see me above hiding from the crowd. The strangest costume were the folks dressed as Covid bumping into people on the street. That got me to Liquor Up the rotating circle bar.
From October to June the world and Vegas sure have changed. Now there are no dividers and no masks anywhere. Even in March, you could not have 2 different parties sit at the same table and no more than 6 people at a table. In June Joe’s Stone Crab was packed with reservations needed weeks in advance. In March we walked in the Steak House at Circus Circus, now they also have a week or more wait. In March there were no large events and the few shows that had opened Piff and Absinthe were at 25% capacity.
in June we went to the Pro Rodeo Bull Riders (PBR) at MGM with no capacity limit and sat right next to people we didn’t know and when we talked we could see each other’s teeth (no masks) My wife went to Game 1 of the Golden Nights vs The Canadians hockey game and it was sold out to 18K people who were actually high fiving each other.
Here comes my Review of Vegas Now. You will see people’s teeth and be up close with a lot of people. The strip is packed, the hotels are at 100% on weekends. Nobody feels bad about charging you $30 for a Gin and Tonic. It has been said that the casinos are running on the phrase keep charging until they stop coming. It doesn’t look like they are going to stop for a while.
If you are ready to travel like it’s 1999 Vegas is for you. If you are hesitant or worried about others stay away. This is not the place for you to put a toe in the water (it was in March) now you are doing a cannonball from the high dive right back into humanity. It ain’t always pretty either.
You have to plan for Vegas now. If there is a restaurant you want to eat at you will need a reservation. New Restaurant Bobby Flay’s new spot takes the place of Mesa Grill in Ceasers, Amalfi an Italian seafood restaurant. A portion of the restaurant is viewable from the casino so you do have the opportunity to see someone who has a very positive (and incorrect) self-image in a Metallica tank top sucking from a slush drink in a volcano cup playing slots while you are enjoying dinner. It can get smokey as well. The food is wonderful and the service outstanding. The room is very light and feels like the Amalfi Coast. If you want to know the prices you probably should not eat there. I would highly recommend it and take some chances with the menu, the waitstaff is excellent with their recommendations as well.
To wrap up Vegas in summer is interesting but very hot, it hit 118 this week which is a record high. Speaking of record high’s if the smell of Marijuana bothers you will need to stay off the Strip, The public consumption is getting equal to public drinking. A word of caution, Tried the monorail which just reopened and that is still a fun way to get around, it goes from the MGM to past the new convention center all the way to the Sahara which is past the Strat. It was a hot but wonderful trip, It was amazing to be out with people again and a little overwhelming. To see Vegas where I was the only one at the Fountains to seeing folks shoulder to shoulder watching let me know for sure things are changing fast!
A note , Please use me for your travel needs. I never charge for my service and I’m always happy to help.
