It has been requested that I get all the Vegas reviews out of the way, much like in the past it was requested that I no longer blog about hockey. Ever the populist I will do my best to deliver. My review of James Darren however will receive it’s own separate entry in the days ahead because he was simply so fantastic I’m not about to let him get lost in the shuffle. I was originally going to call this post ‘Review Orgy’ but in retrospect that’s not so G-rated so let the Bonanza begin!
Las Vegas Premium Outlets: Great But Can Be A Time Sinkhole
I really like the company that runs these outlets, there’s a very similar one in Seattle run by the same group that I frequent several times a year when possible. I always gravitate towards the Kenneth Cole store personally and I have yet to go to an outlet run by this group and not buy something from Kenneth Cole and I never regret my purchase for a moment.
If you’re in Vegas and forgot to pack something nice or realize what you brought doesn’t look as good in Vegas as it did in your closet back home this is a great place to go to but beware of losing too much time walking around and being suckered into things like the Bose presentation – it’s not like you’re likely to buy a TV or surround sound system on vacation anyways so despite the draw of the Sony Store, etc resist! Plus all the walking around can get tiring, save that energy for the strip! I recommend going with a plan, have a half dozen or fewer stores you want to go to and then be efficient and try not to lose half a day which is very easy to do. And if you have a car driving is the way to go, the queuing for taxis is pretty painful even during the slow times and their free parking is just fine.
Overall the service was great, particularly in the Kenneth Cole and toy store outlets however we did receive some rather rude service at one of the shoe stores but we weren’t about to let one little jerk ruin our day, we just didn’t buy from that store.
Wayne Brady Show: Never The Same, Not To Be Missed
I’ll admit there was more music than I expected and I would have preferred a bit more comedy in it’s place but that is about the only critical thing I can say about this show. I laughed so hard I cried…repeatedly. Seriously, I almost choked to death several times I was laughing so hard – my life flashed before my eyes and it annoyed me because it got in the way of me enjoying the show! This guy pushes the limits of how much comedy the human body can handle.
I recommend getting up early one day and getting discount tickets from one of the half-priced vendors on the strip; in our case a friend of ours got up early and got the tickets himself so we could sleep in, we’re working on his nomination for sainthood.
This show was responsible for one of the best and funniest moments of the trip, one of my fondest Vegas memories in fact: when someone in the audience said something vaguely racist less than a week after Obama won the presidency Wayne didn’t even blink when he responded with “yea, that stuff’s going to end in January, you know” – my friends and I cheered, no one else did but we didn’t mind. Personally I thought it was a great line – he completely turned around what otherwise would have been an awkward moment.
As an impressionist and musician, but most notably a comedic performer, Wayne Brady delivers. His is one Vegas show almost worth making the entire trip for.
Planet Hollywood: Not At Planet Hollywood, Not Very Remarkable Either
Honestly this Planet Hollywood wasn’t particularly remarkable from any other Planet Hollywood except for the counterintuitive fact that it is not located IN Planet Hollywood the hotel – it’s in Caesar’s Palace. We knew this from our pre-trip research and I understand why this is, but its abject defiance of common sense and logic are worth remarking on.
The drinks were great, the food was fine, and the service was good for the most part although a couple requests were either ignored or forgotten but nothing to taint the experience. Much of the décor looked like it hadn’t been updated since the late 90s – I mean who would have expected a cardboard cutout of Tom Arnold staring at us while we ate? Bill and Ted were nice to see though.
Overall this was a fine place to eat and I had no serious complaints but with so many more vibrant, current, and unique alternatives in Vegas your time and money might be better spent elsewhere.
The Cheesecake Factory Caesar’s Palace: Same Great Food, A Little Cramped
We only stopped in for dessert but the food and drinks were top-notch as always. The one small criticism I could make is the ambience wasn’t quite what I had come to expect from a Cheesecake Factory – it felt a little cramped and our waitress wasn’t very attentive. Given the logistics of it being in Caesar’s Palace I can easily see why this would be, plus what kind of ambiance could you create with the Atlantis show going on out front? So if you just want the great food but aren’t out to impress anyone with service or setting then this is the place to go – I think for many the convenience of their location more than makes up for any issues with space or service.
Tournament Of Kings: Leave Your Manners At The Door And Have Fun!
We left this for our last night in Vegas and it was great fun. To truly enjoy it you have to be in the right frame of mind; leave your manners, hang-ups, and inhibitions at the door and let your inner 12-year-old out to play and you’ll have a great time.
The food was, frankly, subpar but that feeds into the realism of the whole experience – there was no Wolfgang Puck in the days of knights so accept it as a part of the experience. This is not a dinner that happens to include a show; this is a show that happens to include a dinner. This is another attraction worth visiting the half priced vendors in advance for though.
This kind of show does not seem to fit with my usual interests (Star Trek: The Experience is gone and we need to accept that until its new home is ready) but I had a great time anyways. You don’t need to be a D&D geek or historian to truly enjoy the interactive fun of this show. You shout, you cheer, you boo and they ride horses and engage in period tests of strength and skill very convincingly – beyond that I’m not going to ruin it for you. If there’s any life left in your inner child, go check this dinner show out – how much you enjoy it is entirely up to you but there’s some great fun to be had if you give it a chance.
Steve Wyrick: Fun With Magic
I had no idea who this guy was, Josh wanted to go and we were more than willing to trust his judgment. In the end it paid out, we had a pretty good time despite a delayed beginning. Apparently he’s a famous magician but not famous enough to warrant his own Trip Advisor page it would seem. I was able to figure out most of his tricks, the motorcycle one was particularly fun to figure out, but about a quarter of what he did I have absolutely no clue how he pulled it off. There was a overarching theme of familial over-sentimentality that was at times cloying, touching, and painful – and touching was in the vast minority let me tell you. I don’t want to ruin too much but what does it take to cast someone as your dead grandmother just to score some sap points?
Overall the magic was great, the entertainment value was huge, and I had a great time. As a magician and semi-comedic entertainer Wyrick is great, as a dramatist and actor he needs work. Putting aside the high-school-play-with-daddy-issues aspect this is a great show if you want to see a little magic and have your mind a bit while in Vegas (don’t try to figure EVERY trick out, it’ll really bake your noodle).
For all my travel reviews, including previous trips like Europe in 2005, check out my reviews on TripAdvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/cow_manx
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