Las Vegas Trip Report: Downtown Vegas, a Secret Bar, and More

​Las Vegas is a magical place. I mean where else do you throw $20s, $50s, and $100s away like they grow on trees? I was rudely reminded of that during my last trip to Vegas a few weeks ago.

Before my trip in April, it had been a few years since I visited the Strip, but not too much had changed. Imperial Palace was no longer there, and it was replaced by The LINQ (like I said, it’s been a while). But that was probably the most obvious difference.


What did I do?

I don’t remember.

No, actually, I do. That was my attempt at humor today, and boy was I successful!

My girlfriend and I stayed for 4 days, 3 nights (which, in my humble opinion, is the perfect amount of days/nights to stay in Sin City) at Paris Las Vegas. Our trip took place during the middle of the week, which is one way to save a little money. That’s because everything seems to be a bit more expensive during the weekend (go figure).


Day one

We got to Vegas around 5:30-6:00 in the evening. The first night was spent downtown. We went to a great pizza place about a block from Fremont called Pizza Rock. I’d highly recommend it. Great service, and the pizza was delicious. After dinner, we went to The Laundry Room (no that link is not a mistake...hint, hint), a legit speakeasy behind a real bar. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. But be forewarned if you want to go: they have some strict house rules, like no texting, no pictures, no PDA, and no loud talking.

Upon leaving The Laundry Room, we walked up and down Fremont for a little while, smoked a cigar at Chicago Brewing Co. inside Four Queens, and then headed back to the Paris. All in all a great first night.

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Day two

The day started with brunch at the Flamingo, which is a great brunch place. I mean, you can’t beat endless mimosas and/or bloody marys (especially in Las Vegas).

After that, Crystal and I made our way to the Titanic exhibit at the Luxor. For me, this was a great experience. I am fascinated with everything to do with the Titanic (except, really, the late ‘90s movie).

That night we ate dinner at Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan before heading over to see Anthony Cools hypnotize audience members at Paris. Great show! I've seen it a few times. Trust me, if you go see him, you will laugh.

After that, my group took a ride on the High Roller. We found a deal on TravelZoo for Happy Hour tickets. I recommend you do something similar. There didn’t seem to be a shortage of deals on sites like that.

Day three

We got our room upgraded in the Paris to a massive suite (more on that in a later post).

We also went to brunch at Wicked Spoon at the Cosmo. None of the alcohol was free, but it was still a massive buffet with great food. If you’re staying nearby, I’d recommend eating there.

Right after that we made our way to The Chandelier Lounge where we had one of their off menu drinks called the Verbena cocktail, which is served with a Sichuan flower. The combination is a tingly, numb sensation that I’ve never felt before. Kinda like when an arm or leg falls asleep... except this is your mouth! Very strange feeling. And yes, the drink is still good. 

That night we went to the Wynn to see ShowStoppers. It is an absolutely amazing show. Imagine all the best songs in about a dozen broadway musicals, and you’ve got ShowStoppers.


Day four

It was a short day considering our flight was in the early evening. But it started with brunch at The Buffet at the Wynn. I don’t know the look Mr. Steve Wynn was going for, but with all the flowers it kinda reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. After brunch we walked back to Paris, packed up, and caught a ride to the airport for our flight home.


Our stay at Paris

I’m working on a full review for a later post, and that is going to be an interesting read, including why we got upgraded to a suite, and more. But, overall, I wasn’t too impressed with the stay.

Part of the reason why I wanted to stay there is because I love the casino in the Paris. I’ve had pretty good luck there too. All I’m gonna say right now: the casino is head and shoulders better than the resort.


​Betting

We did our fair share of betting throughout the stay. Overall, I walked away about even, maybe a little less than what I came to town with, but that’s all part of the fun.

The LINQ has a casino I’d recommend. My group went there one night and ended up staying until about 3:00am. Crystal had some luck there playing the Britney Spears slots (go ahead, insert inappropriate jokes here).


Getting around

The easiest way to get around is to walk. But that can get old. Plus, sometimes you may want to go somewhere that’s quite the hike (for example, you would be a fool to try and walk from downtown Las Vegas to the Strip). Uber and Lyft are becoming a big part of that city. The casinos have special places (away from the cabs) where the on-demand services pick you up. For the most part, taking an Uber or Lyft is cheaper than a taxi. Uber gets more expensive when there is surge pricing going on. That’s really the only thing you need to look out for. Otherwise I'd highly recommend using Uber or Lyft over a taxi.


Bottom line

I always enjoy my trips to Sin City. There is so much to do and see!  I wouldn’t mind staying downtown during upcoming trips. I’ve never done that before, and podcasts like Five Hundy by Midnight have convinced me to try it. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend going. You won’t be able to see everything, though, in one trip. So be prepared to go back over and over.


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