Vegas. Sunday comforts and football

People-watching in Vegas gets especially interesting when you’re up and about early in Vegas.

Most people feel comfortable at Aria. Some people feel way too comfortable at Aria.

NFL football started at 6:30 AM on that Sunday morning (Oct. 29), thanks to the London game. I admit it. I will plan a trip to Vegas based on football match-ups on Sunday. Since I’d gone to bed so early the night before, I was up at 4 am.  Market Street cafe was hoppin'.

It's 4 am somewhere.  

If you’ve been to Vegas, you’ve no doubt played this fun people-watching game: Still up? Or Just up?  I also love to play How Do They Know Each Other? (I try to guess if they are a couple, father/daughter, stranger/new friend, escort/customer, etc.) I took my breakfast with a side of Korean short ribs to go.

Only in Vegas, can you start your running bar crawl at 5 am.

Second Sunset just getting started

The deep, desert dark set the perfect mood for a first stop at the Peppermill’s Fireside Lounge. A flame danced in the center of a round water feature, mesmerizing to behold. The hot pink neon lounge with its faux leather 1970’s circular booths made it more of a lady cave than a man cave.

Hmm.  Lady cave.  Perhaps I should rephrase that?

I played a little VP, lost $10, drank some water, and drank in even more atmosphere. All my pics inside came out as shiny pink blurs.  (#rookieblogger mistakes).  I left for an almost-dawn run down the strip. The Cosmopolitan beckoned me. I ran past it, off to the Aria. Time for a little Art Run.  Just past the Shops at Crystals, I headed took a right and headed west.  Fancy art galleries display their works in the windows.  I took a loop through Aria, and found their sports book.  Every seat said "reserved", even though only two people were in the place.

Everything said, Not for You, Joan.

I know where there’s a place for me.

Back at Chandelier bar at Cosmo, I ordered a Whisky Business off the special drink menu.  I paid with two drink tickets left over from the day.  A kind bartender here will occasionally alter one tiny ingredient, maybe a dash of magic dust or snivel of hogwater, to make you a drink off the special drink menu, and charge you just one ticket.  The tickets say they are good for two hours on the front, and for 180 days on the back.  On this trip, they were consistently good for 24 hours.

Watched a little Vikings vs Browns at Cosmo sports book, but the Whisky Business was a little much for 6:30 am.  Sure was pretty, though.

Vikings, top center.  Whisky Business, bottom right. 

I added it to some a cup of Starbucks coffee from Cosmo.

Ohhh, now you’re talkin’.

The Cosmo, beautiful and fabulous, decided to show a soccer game on their big screen at the sportsbook.  Freakin’ soccer.  If I wanted to watch soccer, I would’ve stayed home and driven my kids to some ubiquitous, suburban field in a mini-van.  Nothing against soccer, but c’mon.  This is ‘Merica.

Off I went to the best kept secret in football game watching in Vegas:

The Cromwell.

Brand spankin' new Cromwell sports book is in the back, next to Bound

Here, all the seats said reserved, but only a couple fans (or tired, random people) sat in the comfortable, leather seats.  The Cromwell is perfect.  Big seats.  A standing area with a drink shelf behind it.  Gigantic, floor to ceiling, vivid and crisp TVs.  It’s just like being at the game.  Well, without the far away, expensive parking, $19 generic beers in plastic cups, giant dudes cheering for the opposite team while spilling nacho juice on you, and hiking up a thousand stairs to watch little specs collide into each other.

Divine.

Still Up. At the Cromwell Sports Book, 7 am

The game ended, so I headed downtown to pack up my stuff.  I was moving to the Linq later that day on a free offer.  Total Rewards had not sent me any kind of notification.  I absently logged on to my account to find they offered a cornucopia of free rooms. I have 237 Total Rewards points.

Say what?

I watched the next set of games at the Long Bar at the D. As awesome as the D is, their sports book looks more like a poorly attended meeting in a church basement:

Bring your own folding chair to the D Sports Book

At the Long Bar downstairs,  I sipped a lovely IPA, drank copious rounds of water, and watched the flair bartender toss booze bottles and glassware in a dazzling display during commericals.

Gifted bartender at the D's Long Bar

Good beer + quarter VP + many TVs = football watching paradise.  

I ordered a coffee.  In front of me appeared a revelation:  Cinnamon Toast Crunch coffee. Sounds a little too precious, right? Turns Rumchata, Fireball and coffee mixed together is amazing.

Out the southwest backdoor of the D, Uncle Derek turned a city block into the Downtown Event Center.  The potential for this place inspires the imagination.

Unfortunately, it’s still just potential when it comes to hosting a big, outdoor football watch party.

Great venue, few viewers

I had checked out of the Hawaiian Senior Center, and had my small-ish backpack with me.  The kind that fits under a Frontier Airline seat.  The rent-a-security lady, Elaine, cleary had not attended Professor Derek’s School of Being Nice.  She tersely told me, no backpacks. OK, fine.  I crossed the street back over to the D, and a friendly D bag dude checked it for me.  Hmmm.  I mean, friendly D luggage dude.  Elaine from Sabre security would go on to show me who the D bag is later.

Tune in tomorrow for more Sunday in Vegas fun. Or first-hand photos of Koalas. Or both.