ONLINE GAMBLING AND CASINO GUIDE

March Madness is in full swing and the city of Las Vegas is downright overflowing.

Had I been in a coma for the past four years and awakened today, a recession would not have even entered my mind.  Hell, my pessimistic ass even muttered the phrase “Vegas is back” several times today.  Frankly, I doubt my saying is true, but for this weekend … it absolutely is.

From Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere, the Boulevard was packed, the sidewalks were packed, and the casinos were packed.  From my own personal observations, this is the finest non-holiday weekend we’ve had in recent memory.  I don’t know what exactly happened, but somebody opened the floodgates on Friday.

Not only have people shown up in numbers, but the mood is quite different from say, six months ago.

For one thing, the smiles are back, as is the playfulness.  I was on the receiving end of a couple of high-fives and thumbs-up from complete strangers, and at least half a dozen people aped it up for the camera when they saw me pointing it in their direction.  People just don’t seem depressed at the moment.  Maybe it’s fools gold, or maybe things really are looking up somewhat, but either way … it’s a nice break from the doom and gloom that has been a constant companion lately.

In addition to being in a good mood, people also seem to be in a spending mood.  Craps tables, Crapjack tables, Cabo Wabo, Mon Ami Gabi, full, full, full, and full.  Local businesses have to be starching their shorts, because the whole goddamn town seems to be on fire.

With one exception.

During a violent windstorm a few days ago, the Cloud Nine Balloon went down for the count.  I always wondered how the world’s largest helium balloon would fare in the world’s harshest climate, and the answer appears to be … not well.  Especially with the lackluster meteorologists we have working in the town.  Maybe I missed it, but I don’t remember anyone predicting the mini-hurricane that struck the Valley on Thursday afternoon.  The weather folks must have been passed out on Roofilyn after spiraling out of control.  Frankly, I wish they would all take up a Ritalin habit so they would f**king focus for once.

Given that the prime tourism season has begun kicking into gear, I stopped by Cloud Nine today to see if they would be able to take advantage of the crowds.  Unfortunately, they informed me that it will be grounded until further notice.  Despite the bad luck, they still expect to open a petting zoo on the balloon site next week while waiting for clearance to fly again.  It is my sincere hope that the venture gets back on its feet soon.  There is absolutely nothing of interest in that depressed section of the Boulevard, and goddammit, Cloud Nine is trying.  It takes balls to open a business in this town at this time, and they didn’t go with the same predictable cookie cutter “gee, let’s put a sports bar here” enterprise.  I have zero financial interest in the endeavor (the owners probably actively dislike me), but I hope it receives a great deal of both local and visitor support when it reopens.  I think it’s an important attraction.  It’s quite fun to ride, the view is second to none, and I would very much hate to see us lose it.  If you don’t ride it while you have the chance, you will have missed out on a unique Vegas opportunity.

Anyway, today is the first day that I have felt more or less back to normal, and I took advantage of it by cruising the length of The Strip several times, and then getting out and pounding the pavement on foot for about 6 miles round trip.  I’ll probably need a morphine drip for my knees, but screw it, I couldn’t pull myself out of the mosh pit today.  It’s going that well.

Fortunately, the weekend is still young.  I’ve got a couple of people staying in the Tropicana, and I am getting ready to head back over to get my gamble mojo flowing.  I remain a fan of the old joint, and I still think the upper floor tower rooms are some of the most underrated accommodations on Las Vegas Boulevard.

I’m aware that few things are as they seem, and I still think optimism is for idiots … but if Las Vegas gets a few more weekends like this … I just might become a believer that the worst is behind us.

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