Time is going by very quickly and we are rapidly approaching the halfway point for the year. It seems like there is so much happening that we don’t have time to even think about our plans for the rest of the year as we are continuously caught up in the moment at hand. We just returned from another trip to Las Vegas, which we used for relaxation as opposed to seeing shows or gambling. It was our sincere intention to stay up with sharing posts while we were there, but we were so relaxed that we ended up not opening up our devices. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Evanescent, which is a fleeting moment in time. At this point, every day seems to fit this definition. Here are a few photos of our quick flight from Denver to Las Vegas, which is already becoming just a memory as daily life takes over once again.
We’re going to break the rules about what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, at least a little bit. Our first real visit to Las Vegas was back in 2009 and it was somewhat of a whirlwind trip, which is what every trip to Vegas should be. It was on this trip that we discovered the Carnival Court Bar outside of Harrah’s Casino, which has become a nostalgic memory for us and we try to stop there every time we’re in Vegas. The bar itself isn’t much to speak of, but it is all about the bartenders and the free live music.
Officially, we first visited Las Vegas back in 1993 when we were driving from Colorado to Disneyland. It really doesn’t count, though, because we were only there for a night and didn’t get into to town until late in the evening. Additionally, we were on our way to Disneyland with three young children, so there wasn’t anything happening in Vegas other than trying to get a good night’s sleep before heading to California. Anyways, the point is that on our first real visit to Las Vegas we found the Carnival Court Bar and have made a point of trying to stop by there on each of our subsequent visits. It is a great spot to get out of the heat without having to go inside the casinos and listen to the incessant ringing of bells from the slot machines.
The bartenders are known for doing what is called “flair bartending”, which is making a comeback after being somewhat romanticized in the 1980’s in movies such as Cocktail starring Tom Cruise. The bartenders toss bottles back and forth, twirl them around their necks, spew fire, and basically entertain the crowd. At the time of our first visit, stacking bottles and balancing on their heads while walking around the bar was apparently the rage and they claimed to have taken first prize in bartending competitions for such a skill. When a bartender feels like, which seemed pretty often, they would stand on the bar, blow a whistle, and then walk around the bar and pour shots of some unknown concoction into the mouths of those who were willing to give it a try. We wouldn’t make a habit of it, but it was worth giving it a shot (pun intended), at least once.
Craft bartending is definitely on the rise due to the shows on the various travel and cooking channels. We wouldn’t consider the Carnival Court Bar to offer craft bartending, but it is refreshing to see different bars starting to bring passion about their craft into the business. The bartenders at the Carnival Court Bar definitely had passion for what they were doing. They were closed for two weeks during our last trip to Las Vegas, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Since they were closed, we crossed the street to Caesar’s to get a drink at Gordon Ramsey’s and while we were there we saw live news reports of a car driving on the sidewalk in front of Harrah’s and running over pedestrians. We might have been on the sidewalk had the bar been open that day.
Whether you ever get a chance to go to Las Vegas and visit the Carnival Court Bar, look for bars in your area that have a genuine love of what they are doing. You will find creative drinks, bartenders who understand what things work together, how the alcohol is produced, and will bring in the freshest ingredients and ideas. They don’t have to throw bottles or balance them on their head, but a good bartender knows how to put on a little bit of a show.
Politics aside, we’re not touching that topic with a hundred foot pole, we stayed at the Trump Tower during our recent visit to Las Vegas and thought we’d share our thoughts about the hotel. Because of our timeshare, we’ve stayed here a few times now and really enjoy it. It feels really opulent, but at the same time is extremely comfortable and relaxing. It has all of the amenities that you would want and all of the little touches that makes you feel as though you’re being pampered and treated like you’re rich, which we are definitely not.
One of the nicest things about the hotel is that it doesn’t have a casino on the property. The staff is extremely friendly and willing to take care of any needs that we might have had. The rooms are spacious and very well decorated. The restaurant and bar have excellent food and a wonderful atmosphere. Because they have the restaurant on site, there are many options for room service dining, which is also very good as well. On one of our trips, Trump visited the hotel and instead of dining in the formal dining room, he actually ate in the lounge area, which is also where they serve breakfast in the morning.
The suites have huge bathrooms with deep jetted tubs that are large enough to accommodate two people. It might sound silly, but the television embedded in the mirror of the bathroom was really nice, allowing us to catch up on the news while we got ready in the morning. There is also a full kitchen with large refrigerators, dishes, glassware, etc., so that you could cook your own meals and save on money if you prefer.
There is a spa with a variety of services as well, although we did not take advantage of the spa on this trip. In addition to the spa, there is a large pool and deck area as well as a fitness center. If you didn’t want to go to any casinos, you could stay at the hotel and relax in comfort. If you do want to go to the casinos, the hotel offers shuttles to the Wynn Casino and Hotel and Caesar’s Palace that run about every 15 minutes until midnight.
If your travel plans take you to Las Vegas, we’d highly recommend staying at the Trump Tower. It is associated with the Hilton Hotel brand, which one of our favorite hotel brands to utilize when we travel. Regardless of what you think of the man, his hotels are very elegant, comfortable, and friendly.