I had a blast researching that mystery -- there are Elvis(es) lots of Elvis(es) in the plot. And while I was there this time, I was doing more research for yet another book, but I can't share any details about that just yet.
Instead, I'll share some of the high points:
I attended a concert by the Gin Blossoms: This is crazy to me because some of the GBs have become personal friends and they were HUGE when I first moved to AZ. In fact, my boyfriend at the time worked for a guy named Forrest who nicknamed me "Gin Blossom" - no idea why. Tangentially, his daughter, a baby back then (obvi) grew up to be Haley Lu Richardson (White Lotus, season 2). Life just keeps on keeping on, doesn't it? Anyway, the concert was fabulous and I had a blast.
Because that wasn't enough fun, the next day I decided it would be a hoot to go ziplining over Freemont Street. Because...why not? I do not have any pictures because we were going 35 mph and Hub couldn't snap a pic from below (five stories down) fast enough. Probably just as well. Having my lips and eyelids peeled back from my face is not my best look. But my partner in crime and I did pose for some ridiculous pre-ride pics, because of course we did.
Hub and I went thrifting on Main Street, even popping into the famous Gold and Silver pawn shop from Pawn Stars. I can not confirm nor deny whether this was research but we didn't buy anything despite being dazzled by the riches within.
We also managed a pool day with our friends who flew in from CT -- they wore swimsuits while Hub and I were in hoodies -- and the resort had Dole Whip, which makes everything better. LOL.
Love it or hate it, there really isn't any place quite like Vegas. It's not where I would choose to spend vacation time as I'm more of a beach gal, and I don't think I can be there for longer than a weekend (too many people) but whenever I'm there, I have to say I'm never bored and the people watching is always spectacular.
How about you, Reds and Readers, are you a Vegas person? If not, where's a place you discovered to be surprisingly entertaining?
It's been many years since we've been to Las Vegas . . . fun to visit, but definitely not my idea of a place to vacation. [However, you're absolutely right about the people-watching, Jenn.] Earlier this year, we were in New York City for several days . . . very entertaining [and we had a great time] but, much like Las Vegas, it's too frenetic and too crowded. I guess my idea of a perfect vacation place is wherever family might be [but I'm definitely putting in a vote for Hawaii as one of the best vacation/entertaining spots . . . we spent a few days there several years ago; perfect vacation] . . . .
ReplyDeleteOh, Hawaii is the best. In fact, I think I'm overdue for a return visit.
DeleteDiana here: not a Vegas person. For me, I prefer Edinburgh, Scotland.
ReplyDeleteFor people watching, it is more fun people watching at airports and train stations. For me, historical cities like Edinburgh and London are more entertaining than all that glitz in Las Vegas. Prefer clean air to putrid air. There are many places in the USA and Canada that are more entertaining than LV.
DeleteDiana
Shockingly, I haven't been to Edinburgh...yet. I'm trying to sell a book set in Scotland to my publisher :)
DeleteVegas is too people-y for me; I'm more of a secluded beach kinda gal. Live music is a definite win, though, and Gin Blossoms? YES!
ReplyDeleteToo peopley - lol! Yes, the GB's crushed it.
DeleteI've never been to Vegas but would love to go some time even if just for a long weekend. Would like to see like to see a concert there and check out some of the casinos and restaurants. I live near the beach so it would be a bit of a change for me.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have time to see more shows. *sigh*
DeleteI have never been to Vegas, and my husband wouldn't be caught dead there. I'm more of a Durango, Colorado kind of gal where vacations are concerned.
ReplyDeleteOMG, Annette, Irwin and I had the BEST dude ranch vacation about an hour outside of Durango. Best week ever! All adults! Special chef! Great ranglers! What a fun time!
DeleteDurango - I've never been adding it to my list.
DeleteJenn, I can't think of anyone else who would even go ziplining in Vegas! There was a Bouchercon back in the old days in Vegas. Hallie and I shared a room--the lights were so dim that you couldn't read at night, which I suppose was the point. You were supposed to be gambling! Not yearning to return!
ReplyDeleteThat was the Bouchercon from hell! Nowhere to sit. Book room so small you couldn’t walk between stalls. And smoke everywhere
DeleteThere is a weird sense of not being able to tell what time it is in Vegas. It's disconcerting.
DeleteIrwin's nephew lives in Las Vegas and we visited him there a couple of times. The last time there, we did stay on The Strip and we saw Elton John's show. The music was fabulous the "show," not so much. Weird and disturbing images flashed on giant screens behind the entertainer.
ReplyDeleteOne of our most interesting discoveries was a book shop specializing in first editions. Some books were priced at thousands of dollars. The food we ate was mediocre compared to the restaurants around us here. I think that for overpriced, overcrowded destinations, with mediocre food, we'd choose any Disney over Las Vegas. (OH, I zip-lined in Alaska several years ago. Exhilarating!)
I love ziplining! The first time I saw Vegas, the Mirage had recently opened. It has changed A LOT since then!
DeleteI have been to Vegas only once. I enjoyed wandering along the Strip. I am not a gambler and did not like that the casino floors still allowed people to smoke. I forgot how much cigarette/cigar smells lingers while indoors. I remember going to Fremont Street & seeing the zipline but that was not for me.
ReplyDeleteThe nighttime sound/light show at the Bellagio fountains was fun to watch. Another big highlight was touring the MOB MUSEUM. Well worth the admission price.
https://themobmuseum.org/
The last time we were there, about six years ago, the deeply imbedded stale cigarette smell in one of the casinos was utterly putrid.
DeleteThank you for reminding me about the smoking. Yikes! I remember changing planes in Las Vegas and the smell was putrid!
DeleteDiana
Yes! We were right around the corner from the Mob Museum. It was on our list but we ran out of time.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have not been to Vegas, but would gladly experience it for a weekend if I could wave a wand to ge there. I imagine it's like nowhere else. But for a genuine vacation, give me New York or London for things to see and do -- or our cottage on Lake Winnipeg for peace and quiet.
ReplyDeleteAll three of those sound lovely.
DeleteOh, Jenn, I laughed at your description of ziplining. You are a far braver woman than I. I wouldn't do that, nor would I enjoy the contraption that hangs over the city holding diners with feet dangling. Shudder.
ReplyDeleteVegas is a crazy place. Steve and I got married in a wedding chapel there in 1982--who said it wouldn't last? But back then Reno was the wild town, and Vegas was just glittery. On our first road trip across country in 1979 we stopped in Reno overnight and did a little gambling. Our motel gave us each a roll of nickels for the machines, and the casino we went to served free drinks to the slot patrons. We saw a lot of people gathering, so we wandered over. I asked a waitress what was going on and she said it was the "live revue". Just then a curtain opened over a huge glass wall, behind which were dancers in chaps, boots, cowgirl hats, bandanas, and holsters. And nothing else. Our jaws dropped. Hayseeds in the audience--us! That is a far cry from Vegas's simulation of the elegance of Paris and Venice's canals now.
I used to go to Vegas for business in the 1990-early 2000s, and always had a great time, getting massages and eating cheap and plentiful buffet food. But it's all changed. My sister and an aunt lived there, and my sister's whole family worked in the casinos, and some of them still do elsewhere. My oldest daughter and her three best friends were just there to celebrate their joint 50th birthdays, which had been put on hold during the pandemic, and to see the U2 extravaganza in the new Sphere. Talk about disconcerting light shows, JUDY. The videos made me nauseous on my tiny phone screen.
Wow! Look at you married in Vegas! I love it. We renewed our vows there in 2014 (book research) and it was a hoot. I've never been to Reno but now I'm curious.
DeleteReno is not interesting, just another tired Nevada town. Lake Tahoe is beautiful though.
DeleteBUT WHAT DID YOU EAT???
ReplyDeleteI am so NOT a Vegas person, but I'd go with you in a heartbeat, Jenn! The buffets alone are worth the trip. Are there still quarter slots? That's my speed.
There are, but no actual quarters are involved. Everything is digital now, where you load money onto a plastic card and insert it into the machine. Which means it's oh-so-much-easier to gamble more. I hate that. On the plus side, it's way quieter in the slot rooms, without all those coins or tokens crashing into metal bins.
DeleteHallie, Irwin and I are not the type of people who benefit from buffets, no matter how lush. We eat like sparrows rather than vultures. I used to eat even less over the course of the day before I retired but could eat much more at a buffet back then than I can now. Go figure! In any case, we always joke that we are the two people the restaurant makes money on.
DeleteWe treated ourselves to a fancy dinner and I had a filet mignon with crab oscar that was to die for...seriously, sooooo good.
DeleteI am not a Vegas person. But I absolutely love New Orleans, and often think that my feelings about New Orleans seem very parallel to what I hear others say about Vegas. Both represent an adult playland, just with different vibes.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love NOLA. I will go there any day any time. Love, love, love it.
DeleteI have been to Vegas twice. The first time I was 12 and my family was on the way to California. Played pinball at Circus Circus. The second time was a surprise trip for my birthday in 1988. We stayed in a Fremont Street hotel. We saw David Brenner’s show. We walked from one end of The Strip to the other, popping into various casinos for free beverages along the way. Food was cheap and plentiful with buffets back then. Not so much anymore. It was fun, but we’ve never had a huge desire to go back. The biggest winner on our flight won a grand playing slots….at the airport.
ReplyDeleteHa! Our friends won the slots the night before we left. We joke that it was because my husband left - we call him "the cooler". Everyone's luck runs dry when Hub appears. LOL.
DeleteBrenda, you sound like me! I went with my family when I was 9. This was years before Circus Circus so absolutely nothing for a kid to enjoy. I went again in 1988 with my future husband and friends. Haven’t been back since, though he went for work (honestly! He worked for someone who designed software for the gaming industry) about ten years ago. He told me it’s completely different and that we should go. Ten years have passed and we still haven’t gone…. Pat S
DeleteI was about the same age Brenda when our family took a road trip and we stopped at Las Vegas. We (kids) couldn't go into the casinos but we watched from the doorway. My dad said, kids I'm going to show you why you shouldn't gamble, you will lose all your money. He put in a few quarters or maybe nickles in those days, and won several dollars!
ReplyDeleteI don't like the frenetic pace of Las Vegas but like the shows.
The pace is bewildering. I can't imagine what it must have looked like during the pandemic.
DeleteJenn, did you hubby ever play with the Gin Blossoms?
ReplyDeleteNo, his band opened for them back in the day and he currently plays in another band (Honeygirl) with their guitarist Scotty Johnson.
DeleteHi Jenn, I haven't heard of the Honeygirl band, so I did what we all do nowadays ... I Goggled it of course. They are very, very good!!
DeleteWhat fun!!
ReplyDeleteIt really was.
DeleteWhile I have never been to Las Vegas, I really doubt that I would be a "Vegas person". Just buying a Powerball quick pick ticket is enough of a gamble for me (unless you count each time I have a bacon cheeseburger a gamble).
ReplyDeletePlus whenever I hear Vegas, I think of the following things: gambling, mobsters, annoying bright lights, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels (and their legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian) and two things better to not mention on a blog made up of a mostly female audience (HA!).
Since I don't travel all that much, I haven't been to any one place that made me wish for the chance to go back repeatedly. I mean, the most I saw of Philadelphia when I was there in 2005 was the airport and the convention center where the Comic Con was being held. I haven't been to Vermont since I was a kid so I don't remember much about anything I saw there.
And since Georgia and Alabama are both too frelling hot and too freaking "red", I'm not in a hurry to go back there. (Unless I could fly in for some barbecue and a Crimson Tide game and then fly right back out). Actually, I was really only in Alabama because the route we took while I was in Georgia crossed briefly into Alabama and back again so I'm not sure that really counts.
Places that I would like to visit the once would be Ireland, Hawaii and both England and Scotland. Of course, there are other places too but most of those would be for specific events with me having no other interest in whatever else might be around to do. I mean, why would I want to do anything else in Germany when I could be at the Wacken Open Air Festival singing along with 74,999 other metal maniacs as Blind Guardian performs "The Bard's Song"?
Hell, I don't even like to go into Boston for cryin' out loud, do I sound like I really would relish being a globe-trotter? Oh, I would make an exception for Boston if they ever got Bouchercon to come back to the city.
Oh, man, I would love to have Bouchercon in Boston! I have World Con in Glasgow on my list of possibles for next year. We'll see.
DeleteSurprisingly entertaining places?
ReplyDeleteLondon for sure. It has some of the best shows, not to mention historical places -- Tower of London, the Crown Jewels, the Old Bailey, Buckingham Palace, the wonderful parks, great Indian food, and I love their Underground. Getting back to entertainment - the Royal Shakespeare Co does the famous Shakespeare plays (featuring some of the world's best actors) in Stratford-Upon-Avon. So great. We once saw three different plays in one weekend. Brilliant!!
Oh, I would love to attend the Shakespeare shows. I do love London - it's magical.
DeleteI'm glad you had a good time. I can't abide Las Vegas. I was here two or three times for work events. It is lovely to get outside the city into the desert hills, but the glitz and and everything else is not for me.
ReplyDeleteOh yes. The red rock area is stunning. I’d forgotten that
DeleteThe surrounding desert is spectacular.
DeleteI’ve never been to Las Vegas, and I have no plans to go there.
ReplyDeleteMy nephews snd his wife lived in Las Vegas for several years when they were first married, and their oldest child was born there. They’re happy to be away from the place! Now they live out in the country in a small town in Connecticut, and their whole family loves it.
We have casinos here in Connecticut, but I’ve never been to them and I don’t have any desire to go.
If I had the money I would go to England, Scotland, Wales, and/or Ireland.
DebRo
I think your selection is perfect, DebRo.
DeleteNever been to Vegas so it's on my bucket list. Main goal, to see Cirque du Soleil. I lived in the Caribbean for a while so gambling has little to no attraction. I never graduated from the nickel slots, and I bet those don't exist anymore. I've always managed to find unexpected pleasures no matter where I've wandered. Sometimes it takes a bit of poking around, but surprises and magic abide.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a gambler either - I find it stressful. There is a Cirque du Soleil Beatles show that is supposed to be phenomenal. I would like to see that.
DeleteWe saw the GB last summer at the Greek, it was fun!
ReplyDeleteWe used to go to Vegas a lot in the 90s when we first moved to SoCal. The drive was more reasonable then. We really miss the 24-hour coffee shops that used to be in all of the casinos. They have been replaced with celebrity chef experiences with 2 hour waits. But the people watching is unmatched!
I am currently in SW Michigan for a wedding and am pleasantly surprised by the area. Lots of breweries, bakeries, and coffee shops. The small towns here are really bouncing back. And the fall colors are divine.
I think I am becoming a small town gal. Even my area has become a bit too peopley with the sudeen boom in townhouse building. *sigh* And I do miss old Vegas.
DeleteI've only been to Vegas once, and I was fascinated and appalled. The best part of being there was seeing my now-husband, who was then in his twenties and on his first trip to the US, experience it in all its weird, tawdry glory; he went around with a gob-smacked look on his face the whole time. We only spent two days there and were ready to go, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. That was over 35 years ago; the vibe must be different now. No more slot machines taking in endless quarters? I would miss those.
ReplyDeleteEverything is video now. No more filthy change cups, however, people sill smoke which was gross. It's still seedy but with a glamorous wrapper on it.
DeleteWhile I love the shows I am not a Vegas person. Having traveled a lot in real life I don’t appreciate a fake Venice or New York. And when I’m there it’s always unbearably hot
ReplyDeleteIt was actually in the 40's one day when we were there - I've never been cold in Vegas. I think I prefer the heat. LOL.
DeleteYes the desert areas can get very cold especially once the sun goes down in the wintertime.
DeleteIn an absolute clash of cultures, I went to Las Vegas for several days for the American Librarians Association convention. I laughed the entire time. It’s like Disneyland for adults, with absolutely everything you could ever imagine or want, all there, and in extreme excess. From the most incredibly expensive thing you could possibly imagine to the least expensive, it’s just… All out in the open and crazy. The idea that little families in striped T-shirts and jeans were on the same sidewalk as flamboyant show girls with marabou feathers and little else, the whole thing was hilarious. I remember having to pay $7.49 to get my boarding pass printed at the hotel. And losing $20 in about 10 seconds playing something or other. But it was certainly memorable.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you absolutely had a fantastic time!
Nailed it! Vegas is exactly what you described - in other words - glitttery chaos. LOL.
DeleteGin Blossoms! Oh, Jealousy. I've been to Vegas once. Our family was passing through and I was 11 years old. I was fascinated by all the one-armed bandits everywhere. Of course we kids couldn't go to the casinos so our big deal was the smorgasbord (new word for us) at the Ruby Slipper. At least I thought it was the Ruby Slipper. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteJust returned from a weekend there with our son and grandson. Pinball HOF, O, Blue Man Group, and visits to Hershey Store, M&M, and Pinkbox Donuts made it a hit!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to Vegas yet. Friends go often and love it - at least pre-Covid. I love Maine and New Hampshire type of trips instead. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDelete