Leaguefest: Let’s Talk About What’s Really Important

Burt Likko says:

I’ve not given a whole lot of thought to activities other than meeting for drinks Friday night and dinner Saturday night. It’s possible to overplan, after all, and other things will happen or not, organically. I see some concern about what spouses might do as we blather about our geeky interests. I’m less worried about that because really, I think that there will be little need for spouses to separate from the rest of us. With a group our size, it’s entirely probable that we simply won’t have the ability to hold a seminar or anything like that.

One sort of cool thing is down the street from the LVH: a shave shop. Gentlemen can get a professional, straight-razor shave from a barber. I’ve had one of these, at an Art of Shaving salon at the Planet Hollywood mall, and it’s a treat. Haven’t had it at this place which looks a little less polished than the Art of Shaving.

Shopping at the LVH is a bit limited. There’s some stores and boutiques, but it’s nothing like the Forum Shops or the Venetian/Palazzo or the Planet Hollywood stores, which are all overwhelming in their retailosity. There’s outlook malls on the south strip and the LV Fashion Center next to the Mirage, also. The spa and salon at the LVH did look pretty good; at least there was the full range of massages and treatments on offer.

The LVH is right next to the Las Vegas Country Club so if you want to golf, the concierge can get you hooked up. I’ve no idea what greensfees and club rentals would be.

The pool and sun deck at the LVH are pretty good. It was a bit cool for that sort of thing when I did my recon trip earlier this month (technically still February as I write) but there’s bound to be an outdoor bar by the pool so you can lounge in the sun, have someone bring you alcoholic beverages and maybe little snackies that you charge to your room while you are thus lazing about, and dip in the pool to cool off when you feel like it. There’s also tennis courts and a fitness center that looked pretty good for the health-minded.

I took my mother-in-law and her friend, and my wife, to Hoover Dam a few weeks ago. It’s about an hour’s drive there, an hour for the basic tour, however much time you want to spend taking pictures and drinking in the remarkable sight of the thing, and if you want to get lunch (that’s a dam pricey cheeseburger, by the way) that’s some time too. Maybe a half day, four to five hours. Since I did it once, frankly I’ve little desire to do it again. Hey, if you want to, you can arrange for a helicopter or small airplane tour of the Grand Canyon.

Of course, there’s shows. Lots of shows. About six Cirque du Soleil shows at various casinos, Phantom at the Venetian, Celene Dion at Caesar’s, Garth Brooks at the Encore, Absinthe also at Caesar’s, Penn & Teller at the Rio, about half the time there’s someone not bad playing at the Hard Rock. The house acts at the LVH are an impressionist and an Elvis “tribute” singer, which frankly didn’t look all that impressive although I didn’t actually see their shows so maybe they are good.

Dueling piano bars. Ice bars — everything made of ice, including the glasses; you get a fur coat to wear while you’re there. The dancing water fountains and art exhibits at the Bellagio. Jousting shows at the Excalibur. Gondola rides at the Venetian. Classic video arcades at Circus Circus. The Big Shot and upper-deck roller coaster at the Stratosphere, or the roller coaster at New York New York. Comedy clubs. Magic clubs. Dance clubs (typically only open quite late). All within an easy monorail ride from our hotel.

And then there’s always, you know, gambling. If you like that sort of thing.

Point is, there will be things you and your spouse can do together. There will be things your spouse can do if he or she gets bored with us geeks talking about geeky stuff. No one should be bored, at least not for very long.

But since I’m the Cruise Director, it falls to me to ask if there are any things that we ought to plan other than meeting for a dinner, or whether I might find some things that have Spouse Appeal. I don’t know your spouses so I’d keep these things pretty generic.Report