I guess I have been going to this little city in the dessert for years, at least from the Seventies.  In the old days there were plenty of “junket flights” which were basically free transportation.  I think the casinos underwrote these flights and they were fun, you could feel the energy on the plane as people were geeked up to go and donate their money to a worthy cause.  Men wore suits and women had dresses as they boarded the plane.  There really wasn’t any food on the four-hour flight from Detroit, but the booze flowed easily, back then, I don’t recall if wine was even an option.  Everyone had haircuts, manicures and shoes were polished; and at least two suitcases were in the cargo hold for the trip, because everyone dressed up to go gambling, unless you were going to the old downtown district.  Nowadays, I am about the only man that has a sport coat and a pair of dress shoes on; as I figure it is a couple of bulky items that I don’t have to pack.

The Strip has changed from the days of Ocean’s 11 to Ocean’s Eleven.  It costs a small fortune to take a cab from the airport to The Strip and they are basically abutting each other, so unless you are getting limo service, you have to rent a car, and especially for us, as we no longer stay on The Strip, as we want to be close to our children and grandchildren.  Only a few of the Old Guard are still standing and some are truncated.  The Aladdin with its old ties to Detroit is gone and replaced by a Planet Hollywood.  The Dunes has been replaced by the Bellagio.  The Sands is now the Venetian.  The Stardust has been replaced by Resorts World.  The Dessert Inn has been taken over by the Wynn and the Encore, though the golf course remains.  The Hacienda gave way to Mandalay Bay, and the Riviera has become part of the Las Vegas Global Business District. The beat goes on.

The city went from Family owned to Corporate and it just doesn’t have the same glamour.  It’s expensive on your own dime, as in the old days the casino at each hotel underwrote the entire entity.  Now the hotels, and the restaurants have to carry their own freight, and I think that there are probably still some buffets around, but I can’t tell you, as I never went to them, and I am not going to start now.  I also haven’t walked on The Strip, as the last time we were there, the streets were littered with advertising papers for hookers.  Also the shows are different, while there are  still some headliners, the town now lives on dazzling productions with cast members that can be changed without anyone being the wiser; would you know if it was a new crew of “blue men?”  This year, we got lucky as we don’t have any grandchildren graduating, but next year we may have three to regale with special dinners.  Though this will be a unique trip, as we may not be able to have everyone at every dinner, as the grandchildren have extracurricular activities from school, and they all have part-time jobs.  And by the time you read this, we will be back home, as I never have understood the concept of telling the world that your house is empty.