Saturday, March 23, 2024

Vegas Overview

This is my second-to-last post about our trip to Las Vegas, because I want to end on a high note, but I do need to also speak honestly overall...

It wasn't that great.

We did some things that we really enjoyed, but those were all things that we could do other places, as was pointed out specifically in some of the posts.

One of the good things about Vegas has been that you can find a lot of those things close together, but one thing that also worked in the city's favor was that the Strip had so much to look at, and everything has become more crowded.

This is partly infill, as new buildings have been crowded in, but the addition of Formula 1 has been worse.

That has led to the construction of bleachers all over the place, and then they started doing weird things to the overpasses. It was ostensibly to prevent busking, but the real reason seems to be to prevent anyone from being able to watch the race without purchasing tickets.

I understand that even the things we enjoy most exist for the purpose of making money, but it feels like the balance has gone. We were not even able to view the Bellagio Fountains, which I believe was the last of the free shows left.

I understand that the real money is in the gambling and drinking and debauchery, but I was never into those things, so it was everything else that appealed to me. That is slowly being stripped away.

I don't know if I will ever go back, and that's okay.


However, there was one thing that I was thrilled to see and that is uniquely Las Vegas. 

That will be the topic of next Saturday's post.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Las Vegas Strip -- Showcase Mall

Las Vegas has a plethora of restaurants. There are elegant restaurants and trendy spots and a lot of it is really expensive. Sometimes it can be nice to get a break from that. 

That is why were were excited to discover that there was a food court in the midst of the strip, right next to some of our activities.

The food court gave us seating, air conditioning, bathrooms, and a fair variety of food choices, including one that made the very logical pairing of bubble tea and bubble waffles.

Most of the offerings were pretty familiar.

There were two that surprised me. 

Dirt Dog is the official hot dog of Los Angeles, but they have a location in Las Vegas, and a Snoop's Dogg on the menu. 

Then there was Rock N Potato, with a wide selection of baked potatoes.

These are fancy. You can get one with a lobster tail on top.

I will note that you are still paying more than you would at the local mall. For example, the Sbarro did not have any of the special deals you get at Washington Square.

It was still less than even casual dining in a nearby casino.

There was also an appealing gelato place right when you entered on street level.

COVID: It was not too crowded, so we were able to keep some space. That is especially helpful as you have to take your mask off to eat.

Accessibility: There was an elevator and navigation on the top floor was decent. Bathrooms seemed pretty accessible as well.

It's not a reason to visit the strip, but it is handy that it's there.


https://www.vegas.com/shopping/showcase-mall-las-vegas/

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Las Vegas -- Hershey's Chocolate World

How many brand-named food.drink places did we visit in Las Vegas? Just the three.

Now, there is no ride with singing cows and a free piece of candy at the end, so it's still worth going to the one in Hershey, Pennsylvania if you can make it. 

If you can't, the Las Vegas location still offers you three primary things.

You will find adorable merch. Of course there were clothes, but they also had a wider plush selection, as well as things like lanyards and glasses and banks that looked like giant bottles of chocolate syrup.

As expected, you will find lots of options for dispensing your favorite Hershey's treats, getting custom mixes and bulk options.

While it does not have a museum setup, you will find the occasional fun fact.

Finally, there is the Bake Shoppe.

You just can't imagine how far those display cases stretch, and the vast quantity of chocolate and sugar contained therein.

There is ice cream too, so you can use that chocolate syrup.

This had been one of the most impressive parts of our time in Pennsylvania. I admit I am not as into it as I could be, but it's still nice to have options.

All in all, it was still a fun part of our visit.
COVID: Obviously it is important to mask inside, but it is helpful that you have easy access to the outside. You can eat your treats in the fresh air, or at least as fresh as you get on the Strip.

Accessibility: Overall it was pretty navigable. This one is also two stories, but there is elevator access.


It's worth checking out.



https://hersheyschocolateworldlasvegas.com/

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Coca-Cola Store Las Vegas

Not far from M & M's World in Las Vegas is what I had been thinking of as Coca-Cola World, but apparently that is just in Atlanta. This is a Coca-Cola retail store. (There is another one in Orlando and one in Atlanta, at the World of Coca-Cola.)

It certainly is a retail space. In addition to various flavors of Coke -- some of which are hard to find at your local grocery -- there was merchandising.

Sure, the various beverage containers made sense, but there was probably more clothing, much of it featuring the iconic polar bear.

Not all of it had the bear...
.. but a lot of it did.

I had noticed a lot of Halloween-themed M&M's merchandise there in October, but the Coke selection seemed to trend more toward Christmas.

I am not as into shopping as my sisters, but I did enjoy looking around.

I wanted an experience beyond shopping, though, so that is why I decided to go for the Taste of the World beverage tray at the Coca-Cola Fountain. Look at the colors!

Each cup is on the appropriate number, and the sheet on each tray tells you what you are drinking.

My personal favorites were Peru's Inca Kola and Fanta Kolita from Costa Rica. However, seeing names like "sour plum" and "melon", I did not like many of them, and that was not completely unpredictable.

Taste preferences do have a lot to do with what you are used to; I don't regret the experience. However, if I end up back at the Fountain, I will probably just get a Coke float.

COVID: There was a fair amount of people, and I do recommend masking.

Accessibility: The aisles do not seem quite as roomy here, which could cause navigation issues. There are two levels, but there is an elevator. 

That reminds me...

One of the most striking features of the building when I first visited in 2000 was the giant Coke bottle containing the elevator. The space has been reconfigured. You use a different elevator for the store, and the one in the bottle only takes you to Outback Steakhouse.

There's a sign forbidding beverages, so they are like "Don't even think about having a Coke inside this GIANT COKE BOTTLE ELEVATOR!

I mean, if we don't respect trademarking and commercialization in Las Vegas, exactly where are we going to respect it?


Regardless, it was a fun visit. I can't guarantee that I will return to Las Vegas anytime soon, but if it does happen, I would return to the store. I would also go to Atlanta.

https://www.coca-colastore.com/retail/las-vegas