David's December Report - Day 8
David Berman
Day 8, Wednesday, December 24 --
If not for 1993, when we visited in October to view the
implosion of the Dunes, this would be our eighth consecutive
Christmas Eve in Las Vegas to celebrate our wedding
anniversary.
The day started with a visit to an outstanding attraction,
Speedworld at Bill Bennett's remodeled Sahara Resort. You
have already heard from some experienced drivers who have
visited Speedworld and seemed pleased with it, so I'll give
you the perspective of one who knows next to nothing about
driving anything other than a normal passenger car, hasn't
operated a standard-transmission vehicle for more than 30
years, and wouldn't know a tachometer from an odometer. In
spite of all this, it was a total blast, an experience
anyone would enjoy if he has a tolerance for sitting confined in
a race-car cockpit while being jostled around.
Here's the setup: Speedworld cost $15 million to build.
Entering the ride area, you'll find yourself at the head of
a long corridor, lined with three-quarter-scale Formula One
cars on each side. Each vehicle is in its own "stall,"
facing its own curved, wrap-around screen upon which a
computer projection of the driver's progress around an
animated but lifelike race course is shown. Each race car is
mounted on a platform that shifts, leans, and jostles the
driver in accordance with what is happening during the race.
Prior to taking part in their races at Speedworld, participants
are ushered into a small room where they view a videotaped
presentation describing how the ride works and giving
instructions for operating the race cars. The presentation is
given by champion driver Danny Sullivan, an official spokesman
for Speedworld.
The race starts simultaneously for all drivers, who then
compete against each other for about eight minutes.
If you lose control and smash into a wall (on the screen, of
course), you feel it in the race car, as you do when another
driver comes up from behind and collides with you. In such
cases, a voice directs you to the pit area, where unseen
crew members "repair" your car so that you can go back onto
the track. For those electing to race in automatic drive
instead of semi-standard, all you have to worry about is the
brake pedal and the accelerator pedal. When the race is
over, all the contestants proceed to the front counter,
where they receive a customized printout of their
performance in the race.
There are two course layouts available at Speedworld. One,
duplicating the course at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, is a
high speed tri-oval and relatively easier than the other, a
race through the streets of Las Vegas, which was not
operating on the day of our visit. Each race costs $8,
though discount tickets are available from different
sources.
Randy Cowdery and his friend Keith Schoenheit were waiting
for us at Speedworld when we arrived at 11 a.m. Randy had
some $2 discount tickets, bringing the cost down to $6. Roz
didn't choose to race, no surprise there, but she was able
to read and watch my effort from a comfortable bench near my
racing stall.
What was it like to race at Speedworld for the first time?
For me, it was scary!! I lacked the courage to accelerate
too much and go very fast, because everything on the screen
became a dangerous blur when I'd depress the gas pedal. I
hit the wall once, and was hit by others twice, undoubtedly
because I got in their way. My jaws were clenched the entire
time, and I gripped the wheel tightly, as if to let go would
mean certain death.
In other words, it was fun!! Lots of fun! And I mean that!
After the race ended, we received a bonus. Due to a computer
malfunction, no printouts were produced, so we were allowed
to immediately have a repeat race free of charge.
Anyone who's already raced that day does not have to see the
tape again, so Randy, Keith and I, along with a couple of
others, headed right to our assigned cars to do battle.
I definitely benefited by getting a second chance to race so
soon after the first. Now I knew better what to expect, and
I'm sure that I improved considerably, even without a first-race
printout to use for comparison. I had better
control of the car, though my fingers were still sore after
the race from gripping the wheel so tightly, and I was
better at riding high up along the wall on the straightaways
and bringing my car down toward the inner part of the oval
on my turns. As a result, I consider it a moral victory to
have finished not last, but fourth among five competitors,
in a race that was won comfortably by Randy. To give you a
sense of the gap between Randy and me, Randy completed 16
laps at an average speed of 194.0, while I completed 10 laps
at an average speed of 124.4.
While Randy and Keith prepared for their third race of the
day, I decided to try the other attraction at Speedworld,
the 3-D motion simulator ride. The concept is similar to
other motion simulators, in that riders view a film in front
of them while being jostled about, and sometimes pounded, in
synchronization with the action depicted on the screen.
This was as good as any motion simulator I've tried, and
priced at a very reasonable $3. Because it was 3-D, with
an excellent screen image, the effects were terrific. The
film being shown when I tried it, of the several films
available, was an off-road truck race, and it was really
great! I was bounced around MUCH more than during the
Formula One races, and really felt like I was a passenger in
the truck that eventually wins the race. I'd recommend this
to anyone who enjoys such things and can tolerate the
physical workout the simulator will give you.
Meanwhile, back at the track, Randy and Keith had performed
well in their third race and were preparing to try it for
the fourth time. So at that point, we said our goodbyes and
headed out for a late lunch.
Before leaving this subject, however, a few words about The
Sahara. Compared to how we remembered it, The Sahara looks
much better these days. The casino is bright and cheery,
with much of its former luster restored. And the new front,
with its magnificent porte cochere, is lovely. Everyone is
still wondering what Bill Bennett will do with the large
piece of land he owns across the street, on the southwest
corner of Sahara and the Strip. A wise decision could do
much toward restoring the popularity of the north end of the
Strip, which has been so eclipsed by all the development to
the south.
At least six years ago, we came across a fast-food chicken
restaurant in an Atlantic City casino. The restaurant was
called Koo Koo Roo, and we liked it immediately due to its
healthy and delicious menu built around marinated, skinless,
flame-broiled chicken. I don't believe the Atlantic City Koo
Koo Roo outlet exists any more, and we were also
disappointed to learn that before we could try them several
years later, the two Las Vegas stores were shut down.
Lo and behold, Koo Koo Roo has just returned to Vegas
In fact, I expect most of our California readers are
familiar with Koo Koo Roo, as there are now about 45
locations concentrated mostly in southern California, with
additional rollouts underway primarily in Las Vegas, where
there are plans for at least five, Florida, and the Beltway
area of Washington, D.C.
All of this came about because an entrepreneur named Ken
Berg enjoyed eating at a Koo Koo Roo and bought what was
essentially a failing business from its two founding
brothers. Koo Koo Roo's menu includes not only its signature
skinless chicken, but also rotisserie chicken; fresh roasted
turkey carved while you wait; inventive salads such as
Chinese chicken and BBQ chicken. In addition, there are 24
side dishes to choose from, including such items as roasted
garlic potatoes, cucumber salad, baked yams, pesto pasta,
confetti rice, and fresh-cut fruit.
All Koo Koo Roos are company-owned, and the first Las Vegas
outlet is in the northwest, in Summerhill Plaza at Buffalo
and W. Lake Mead Blvd.
Though the company is growing rapidly, the stock
(KKRO-NASDAQ) languishes at less than $3 because it has yet
to make a profit. I regard this as an excellent investment
opportunity, and plan to pick up some shares very soon.
Our Koo Koo Roo meals of skinless chicken and side dishes
cost a total of $16, and were really delicious.
Next it was time to make our first visit to the new Las
Vegas Art Museum, way up on W. Sahara past Durango, at the
entrance to the Peccole Ranch residential community. The
museum, which opened in January 1997, occupies 30,000 square
feet in the magnificent new Sahara West Library building,
with the building itself encompassing 122,000 square feet.
The museum's growing permanent collection consists of more
than 175 works, with emphasis on modernists such as
Alexander Calder, Larry Rivers, etc. The admission fee is
only $3, $2 for seniors and $1 for students and children.
We were especially intrigued to go at this time because the
museum is housing three exhibits at once. Its major exhibit
is called "Las Vegas Collects," and consists of works
donated by local collectors. For this reason, it is
an unfocused exhibit, without a central theme other than the
fact that the art is owned by Las Vegans. Putting this fact
aside, it presented an unusual opportunity to see, in one
visit, works ranging from Frank Stella to Dali and Picasso;
from Toulouse-Lautrec to Rembrandt, and to Sung Dynasty
watercolors more than 1,000 years old.
The second attraction is an exhibit of works by noted
sculptor Essie Pinsker, whose pieces mostly in marble and
bronze have been acquired by more than 20 museums worldwide
during her 40-year career. Pinsker's style attempts to
reconcile human characters with the divine, and it is
interesting to study each work to pick out the semi-abstract
characters as they relate to the titles of the pieces. In
addition, this exhibit is significant in that it is the
first for which the museum has published a catalog that
visitors can purchase.
Finally, the museum is showing a collection of works by
younger contemporary artists under the titles, Art After
Post Modernism, I and II. There are some exciting works
here, many reminiscent of the bold, colorful, sem-primitive
styles of Gaguin and Modigliani.
Another reason to visit the Las Vegas Art Museum is its
superb side gallery presenting a revolving collection of
works from members of the Desert Sculptors' Association of
Nevada. Almost all the works are for sale to the public, and
this is a delightful collection. Not surprisingly, there is
great emphasis of works realting to nature, American
Indians, and the vastness of the desert, everything from
paintings to sculptures made from discarded pieces of metal,
works carved in native woods, and even an elaborate doll
house.
After our most enjoyable visit to the museum, we stepped
next door to see the library. It is an absolutely stunning
creation, and I urge locals and visitors who have any
interest in the arts to head up W. Sahara and spend part of
a day at this magnificent facility.
After, leaving the museum/library, we returned to The Rio to
change for our anniversary dinner at Rio's fine Fiore
Restaurant. Before dining, we picked up $135 at BJ, leaving
us ahead $430 and not knowing we'd never see another win for
the remainder of the trip.
Fiore remains one of our favorite dining experiences in all
of Las Vegas, and from start to finish, this visit was
perfect in every way, a great atmosphere in which to
celebrate our anniversary.
For those who haven't heard, Fiore starts its guests off
with an interesting touch, placing a small footstool beside
the table so that the lady's purse or pocketbook does not
sit on the floor. An additional touch is the offering of a
free bottle of mineral water from a San Pellegrino company.
I ordered my favorite cocktail, a Southern Comfort collins,
while Roz had a glass of white zinfandel. While we studied
the menu, a server brought a sterling-silver tray of breads
to the table, giving us slices of our choices, tomato-basil,
parmesan, and sweet onion breads, following up after a while
with generous wedges of foccacia. A waiter poured small
bowls of infused olive oil for dipping our breads into.
My appetizer selection was Roquefort-glazed fresh escargot
in a puff-pastry crust, almost resembling a small pot pie.
The snails were plump and moist, and I used my bread to
claim every delicious drop of the garlic butter they swam
in. Rosalyn's appetizer was a seared jumbo crab cake,
artfully arranged on the plate with crispy field greens and
a peppercorn-lime aoli.
After the Fiore signature salad, a pretty-as-a-picture
arrangement of mesclun greens with goat cheese, we were
served an intermezzo of raspberry champagne sorbet, sitting
in the hollow of a crystal flower.
Next came our entrees. Rosalyn's selection was roasted rack
of lamb with herbs de Provence, served with a medley of
vegetables including mashed potato, baby carrots and
asparagus, and okra. My choice was grilled Muscovy duck
breast with raspberry zinfandel sauce, accompanied by the
identical serving of vegetables.
At the conclusion of dinner, our waiter delivered to table a
generous slice of fruit-topped cheesecake, sitting on a
plate on which the words "Happy 31st Anniversary" had been
written in drizzled chocolate. Our coffees came with a
selection of nine condiments, such as cinnamon sticks,
chocolate shavings, etc., and we chose an ethereal creme
fraiche to flavor our coffees. All in all, a memorable
anniversary dinner, and at $134 with gratuity, a reasonable
and delightful way to end our anniversary and Day 8.
--Best wishes from David in MA
spencerdo...@usa.net
In article <686gft$2l10$1...@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>,
HSF...@prodigy.com (David Berman) wrote:
> clip clip clip
> At the conclusion of dinner, our waiter delivered to table a
> generous slice of fruit-topped cheesecake, sitting on a
> plate on which the words "Happy 31st Anniversary" had been
> written in drizzled chocolate.
clip clip clip
Hi david;
Had been curious as to what anniversary you were celebrating.
Anyway Not only are we neighbors but we were both married in
1996. We celebrated our 31st on Nov. 25. We didn't get to
celebrate it in LV but we did the previous 2 years.
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
co...@isn.net
>In article <686gft$2l10$1...@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>,
> HSF...@prodigy.com (David Berman) wrote:
>> clip clip clip
Hi David,
Thanks for the great series of reports.
One of the best things about your reports is that it
provides answers to the comments made by people
who don't think they would like play the slots or table
games is:
'What would we do in Vegas we don't gamble?"
Bill Cole
David Berman
alt.vacation.las-vegas
[2] David's December Report - Day 8
spencerdo...@usa.net
>Hi david;
>Had been curious as to what anniversary you were celebrating.
>Anyway Not only are we neighbors but we were both married in
>1996. We celebrated our 31st on Nov. 25. We didn't get to
>celebrate it in LV but we did the previous 2 years.
I guess it IS a small world, Don.
We two couples will have to get together over dinner some time, whether
locally or in Las Vegas.
These days, it's an accomplishment just to have a long-term marriage,
something I think about in recalling my days in private practice when I
handled the divorces of more than a few personal friends.
Anyway, belated congrats on YOUR 31st. May you have many more!!
David Berman
alt.vacation.las-vegas
[1] David's Reports
co...@isn.net
>Hi David,
>Thanks for the great series of reports.
>One of the best things about your reports is that it
>provides answers to the comments made by people
> who don't think they would like play the slots or table
>games is:
>Bill Cole
Thanks for the kind words, Bill.
I enjoy reading all the trip reports, and rarely fail to learn something
interesting and useful. Even a tongue-in-cheek laugher like Matt's is a
welcome addition, a reminder to those of us who sometimes take things too
seriously.
>"What would we do in Vegas we don't gamble."
We'd often be asked a variation of that question over the years: "What on
earth keeps you so busy in Las Vegas during such long trips?"
But our problem is the opposite: Trying to find enough time to do all the
things on our list, and we never succeed.
If all we wanted to do was gamble, I'd just stay home and make the 80-
minute trip to Foxwoods more often. But with all the wonderful things to
do in Las Vegas, I try to give readers enough details and related info to
help them appreciate the many delights that await them.
--Best New Year wishes from David in MA