Why was Vegas important on March Break?

After 13 straight trips to the Las Vegas strip, I've only been to Downtown
Vegas (the Fremont Street Experience) for the past two visits in September
and November. So I'm still exploring it all. Lots of cool stuff in all of the
casinos-resorts so far but none moreso than the Golden Gate Hotel and
Casino. The history alone at this particular establishment is so amazing.

(This is the blog that has literally nothing to do with beer and everything to do with the people, places and things in my life. Does beer ever enter the picture in this space? Well, yeah, it's still me, after all...)

I literally had my finger on the button ready to push it back in December.

A mid-January 2020 Las Vegas week-long vacation, flight out of Toronto and back, one week at Hotel Apache attached to the back of Binion's Casino all set up through an online travel website. The cost? It was $611, all-in. I mean, how do you say no to that?

But I hesitated. I figured it would be best to first bounce it off the senior full-timer, who does all the scheduling. We're in retail where January is notoriously slow so I knew that wouldn't be an issue. But it's best to make sure he doesn't also have plans because one of us should really be there. That said, I suspect you could plunk down a traffic pylon to replace me. Unlike me, at least you could shift it out of the way.

So I simply left the tab open, knowing that if I wanted, I could simply refresh it later and carry on. This was, I think, mid-December or so, meaning I still have plenty of time left. Looking back, I'm seriously glad I had the moment of hesitation.

Hog has left me with very explicit instructions for my
February trip. Find this water fountain, built in 1906,
somewhere in Downtown Vegas. The date alone tells
me it's gotta be at the Golden Gate. But I still have to
find it! This would be 2cent classing up the picture...

You see, by the time I returned to my laptop, good friends that I haven't met yet are Vegas vloggers and they were mulling over a Sin City vacation during a different time period. March Break. I'll explain why in a minute. Okay, whole new ball game. You see, I already have my annual Birthday Week in Vegas booked - seven days at the Downtown Grand for February 9 to 16.

I don't get fresh vacation days until May 1st but after the birthday booking, that still left me with eight or so days of play-time before then. I mean, I've already booked the Plaza for May 3 to 10. (I'm obviously quick to dip into a fresh batch of vakay!) So do I take January trip at $611, the cheapest week I've ever seen? Or do I go March Break for about a grand so I can finally meet these Vegas Twitter folks who I watch regularly on their You-Tube vlogs? Cash-wise, the January option would seem to be the gimme, the smarter choice. Because, well, $400 cheaper. That's more than a few 32-ounce plastic pails of Stone Brewing IPAs, my traditional beverage of choice in Downtown Las Vegas on Fremont Street. But no one has ever accused me of being smart. (Seriously? Not one person? Come on!) I deleted the January trip tab and started hunting for March. Found one quickly and I was thrilled to see the Golden Gate was the cheapest.

Ah, the Million Dollar Pile at Binion's Casino on Fremont
Street in Las Vegas. Here, Hog and 2cent pose for their free
picture with the pile of dough. Originally created in the late
1950s, the first pile included very rare $10,000 bills. But
that display disappeared in 2000. However, it returned as
an attraction in February 2008 and here's the break-down
of that $1 million pile: $270,000 in $100 bills, $688,000 in
$20 bills and $42,000 in $1 bills. Hey, I'd pose with the $1's.

You see, when I was in Downtown Vegas back in November, I really loved staying at The D Hotel and Casino. Believe me, in the wee hours when I didn't want to wander too far from my room, the Longbar saw a lot of me and I would say it's easily - and I mean, hands-down - the best casino bar downtown. But the place I explored the most was the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino. Tons of history here and I'm a pretty curious guy when it comes to history. I have no idea where this interest was during high school. But since that was the late 1970s, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume the devil's lettuce came into play.

So why my sudden eagerness to visit on March Break? Well, some of the vloggers I follow are teachers or within the education system and that's the week they have off. Oddly, Canada's March Break coincides with America's, which honestly surprised me. I mean, our Thanksgivings are a frikkin month apart. And I wants to meet these people because when I get home after work, it's not unusual for me to tumble down the Vegas Vlogger Rabbit Hole. Seriously, I'll sit down at my laptop at 5:30 pm and next thing I know, it's well past midnight and I haven't accomplished a single thing. Other than really enjoy a crap-ton of Vegas vlogs.

This would be Mike Palm (@mikepalmcirca) doing his college football
predictions when I stayed at The D in November. Normally, his usual
partner on this show is Derek Stevens, the owner of The D, the Golden
Gate and the opening-in-2020 Circa Hotel and Casino on Fremont St.
The new one is going to tower over the Fremont Street Experience and
long-time Vegas lovers are already salivating. It was about five floors
when I visited in September. It more than doubled that by November.

But I feel like I somehow know these people well after watching so much of their You-Tube footage. Let's start with Hog and 2cent, the crazy-fun couple from cozy, heavily Spanish-influenced El Paso, Texas. They were the first Vegas vlog I started watching and this was when they had maybe 300 subscribers. I knew both were teachers but I had no idea at what level. I started watching them last Summer and now just months later, they're closing in on 1,500.

Well, turns out Hog is a high school Science teacher. And 2cent, who I had pegged as a History teacher, is, in fact, a Special Education teacher. As the father of a Special Needs son, without even knowing that, I had a feeling there was something about her that, well, set her apart in a great way. And there it was. Blackjack, Jackpot, All-In... call it what you will.

And Hog, well, he just plain cracks me up because, well, he reminds me of someone.

A friend of Mark's drew this caricature of him for his
website and actually captured him very well. But I had to
laugh when one friend looked at it and said, "You look
like you're on a mission from God," a reference to the film
The Blues Brothers. Actually, yeah, I can kinda see that...

Can't remember who. (*Looks in mirror*) Oh right, THAT idiot. But one time, a bunch of us were bantering away on Twitter and I reminded him, "Don't forget to get 2cent (such-and-such) because she likes it." Can't remember what. It was a small thing I'd picked up from one of their videos. With that, Hog replied that he was going to make me his "marriage coach." I laughed and suggested, as a twice-divorced man, I might not be ideal. But he countered quickly, "Between the two of us, we could maybe make one good husband!" It's funny because both of us have the attention spans of gnats ("Squirrel!") but perhaps he's right. If he remembers some stuff and I remember some other stuff - together, we might just be enough to make ONE decent guy. (Poor 2cent.)

Now when you're watching You-Tube, to the right, they suggest other videos "recommended for you" that are similar in scope and subject matter. Hog and 2cent videos then led me to fellow Canadian Mark Anderson's Vegas vlog called Penny4Vegas. Interestingly enough, it was originally called Vegas4Pennys but either Twitter or You-Tube made him change it.

Okay, I am seriously pumped to meet Mark Anderson this
weekend because I'll be joining him on tours of the local
craft beer scene on Fremont Street in Downtown Vegas. We
have plans to visit Banger Brewing, shown here, Chicago
Brewing in Binion's Casino and the Triple-7 Microbrew in
Main Street Hotel and Casino. Actually, knowing I love my
craft beer, Hog and 2cent directed me to the Triple-7 on my
last visit and man, that place is fantastic! Great call there!

No matter. But Mark was also planning a March Break visit because his wife, Liz, (@buffetprincess) gets the week off as she is in Early Childhood Education. While that trip is still in the maybe-maybe not zone, I am pumped because I will be meeting Mark in Downtown Vegas in a couple of days. So Mark's deal is he visits Vegas as thriftily as possible, using coupons, Groupons, online apps and what-have-you. His low-roller ways, of course, leads to some good-natured teasing on the part of others (and, on occasion, nastier pointless comments from asshole trolls) but Mark shrugs it off because well, that's his jam. You dig it or you don't. No one is forcing people to watch anything. Thankfully so, because when I meet him, I wanna know every single cost-cutting measure he has. I'm that sucker paying full-freight every time I go to Vegas and man, I would love to save some money. Those 32-ounce plastic cups of Stone IPA I drink down there aren't cheap so I'd like to know how to shave off costs in other avenues - hotels, airfare, meals and the like. Because I'm sure not budging on my beer.

But one night when we were all - once again - yacking away on Twitter, Mark asked me what breweries I visited when I went to Fremont. Well, there's Banger Brewing right on Fremont and Triple 7 Microbrew in the Main Street Hotel and Casino, I told him. Why?

I seriously love this old-school shot of the Plaza Hotel and Casino. I'm
gonna guess, based on the cars, this photo was taken in the mid-1970s
but there's Vegas Vic on the left and a slightly-obscured Vegas Vickie on
the right. However, when I go in May, the Plaza will see this Canadian as
a guest for the first time. However, I'll be doing my first group pull here
this coming Monday. Not much of a gambler so I'll need help with that.

I mean, Mark's a two-for-one Bud drinker, not a craft beer guy. Well, then he starts posting all these coupons and deal he has for both places, as well as Chicago Brewing in Binion's Casino. I've never been to Chicago Brewing simply because each time I've passed it, there's been a line-up. Well, I wouldn't wait in a line-up to see that whackjob "Kick Me In The Nuts For $5" guy on Fremont take a steel-toed shot to the nards so I can guarantee you, I won't line up for beer.

But all of a sudden, Mark's posting all these "$50 off" and "Two For One" and other coupons for these breweries that I love down there. And I got like seriously excited. I mean, these were discounts on my beloved craft beers. And I was even more excited that Bud-swilling Mark was willing to go to these places and vlog on them.

I think that these upcoming craft brewery vlogs could prove to be big hits for Mark because you're combined two different elements - craft breweries specifically and Downtown Vegas in general. Both subjects have a huge core audience. Of course, Mark is hoping that I'll take lead on these to a certain degree because it is unfamiliar turf for him. So, hopefully I'll be there to identify the difference in beer styles, the actual brewing process and any other general beer elements a viewing audience might like to know.

I think the backdrop of these front-lit vats at Triple 7 Microbrew at the
Main Street Hotel and Casino would make an excellent visual for a vlog
but hey, maybe my bias is showing. Ooops, I said that wrong. Mark and I
are Canadian so lemme try again. Maybe my bias is showing, EH? Good.

But the thing is, when Mark and I were discussing these various craft brewery coupons on Twitter, other Vegas travelers who love their craft brews were jumping into the conversation, offering up the beers they had enjoyed, asking about other Vegas craft breweries, such as Sin City, Tenaya Creek and Able Baker Brewing, the latter two of which I hope to visit during one of these early 2020 trips to Downtown Vegas as I've had tons of Sin City beers over the years on the Vegas Strip. Great place!

Anyways, hanging with Mark for an afternoon of craft breweries and then catching with him and a huge crew on Monday night (I land Sunday at noon) for a group pull at Plaza Hotel and Casino. Pray for me. I'm not much of a gambler. That said, I can push a damn button.

Like I said, a recommendation from Hog and 2cent, who
know well my love of excellent craft beer. Their Carlsbad
IPA was a top-flight west coaster and I also tried their High
Roller Gold, a blonde ale, simply because Hog loved it. It
was bang-on for the style profile. But they have a Black IPA
there right now and I made them promise there would be
some left when I visit this Sunday. They told me I was good. 

It'd be great if we won some big cash on a slot machine called Sharknado but I'm not too concerned either way. Win or lose, I'm still way closer to being a millionaire than Bill Gates is.

Anyway, Mark's vlogs lead me to a trio of British Vegas vloggers - first, Ben Heath, then Nicky Furmage and finally Matt Bridger. I booked my room at the Downtown Grand this upcoming Birthday Week on the strength of one of Matt's vlogs some time back. I'll be looking at this British Power Trio soon enough in this space, as well as two more American couples, Dave and Michelle out of Ohio, better known as We Work To Visit Vegas and younger, newer vlogging couple, Sin City Nerds, aka Kaylene and Nick out of the Seattle area. Everyone gets their turn. They do it on video. I write because I'm too damn lazy to vlog. But before I go, both Mark and Hog and 2cent recently posted vlogs that kinda veered away from the usual slots fun of Vegas. Hog and 2cent interviewed the owner of the Speakeasy Barbership at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino while Mark was given a walk-through at Ellis Island Hotel and Casino by Christina Ellis herself! So here they are, first up is: Hog and 2cent's close shave! followed by Mark's adventure: Christina gives the big tour! Watch them, have a little Vegas fun and remember, we go to Vegas because when stacked next to Vegas, everywhere else sucks ass. Peace out, homeys!