Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Hey Tash Happy Anniversary Las Vegas is my new fun place too! Maybe you can post a trip report since it has "kidnapped" you away from automatic Disney return trips; as it has for me. I personally am amazed at the huge crowds on the Strip even on a Sunday night and lots of different age groups...In my opinion it is still the biggest competition for Disney on the West Coast. More than Harry Potter to fear!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Have you tried staying Downtown Vegas? After years of staying on the Strip I stayed at the Golden Nugget last visit and LOVED it! The atmosphere on Fremont Street at night is unbelievable and it is great having so many different casinos just a short walk away! From now on it is Downtown for me!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "What?? seriously? oh my!" Yes! It started a few years ago with a couple of oddball nudists and has now turned into one of those only-in-San Francisco things that embarrasses some locals but delights tourists who giggle and whisper. <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Castro-naked-guys-have-gone-too-far-3867094.php" target="_blank">http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/...7094.php</a> Have a good time in Vegas! "Just saw info online about the Tonga Room, an authentic Tiki Bar." The Tonga Room is fun and beyond kitschy. They have a cover band that plays on a raft on a pool and it also "rains" in there.
Originally Posted By tashajilek "Yes! It started a few years ago with a couple of oddball nudists and has now turned into one of those only-in-San Francisco things that embarrasses some locals but delights tourists who giggle and whisper." Where i am from that is illegal LOL. I would drive by and have a look hehe. "Hey Tash Happy Anniversary Las Vegas is my new fun place too! Maybe you can post a trip report since it has "kidnapped" you away from automatic Disney return trips; as it has for me. I personally am amazed at the huge crowds on the Strip even on a Sunday night and lots of different age groups...In my opinion it is still the biggest competition for Disney on the West Coast. More than Harry Potter to fear!" Thanks MMC! my Husband really wanted to visit the Flamingo gardens where we got married and i cant blame him. Yes Las Vegas has been getting all my Disney money now. I used to do 3 short Disney trips a year and maybe one Las Vegas and now it is the complete opposite. Everytime i visit i just seem to like the Place much more. "Have you tried staying Downtown Vegas? After years of staying on the Strip I stayed at the Golden Nugget last visit and LOVED it! The atmosphere on Fremont Street at night is unbelievable and it is great having so many different casinos just a short walk away! From now on it is Downtown for me!" We used to like Downtown, but since out last trip we may skip it. The people are a little sketchy and when a man keeps touching you while your Husband is in the washroom then it's not a good thing. My Husband was pretty angry the rest of the night lol.
Originally Posted By tashajilek Oh and there is a lot of fun Halloween stuff to do in Las Vegas this year! there is this new 3 floor Haunted house called the Goretorium by Eli Roth the guy who does the hostle movies. And we are going to Circus Circus for fright dome which is supposed to be good. Im a little sad not being in California for Halloween events, but oh well. Hey Hans, when i do go to SF where is a good area to stay? We will rent a car too, so not a huge deal where we would stay.
Originally Posted By Mickeysbestfan If you are still planning on the 5-9th you should know that is during Fleet Week so The City will be full of fun activities and the Blue Angels will be there.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Hey Tash if you see any Alice in Wonderland penny slot games be sure to play but be forewarned it is highly addictive fun...I know they have them in Paris and Caesar's casinos...let me know if you find them anywhere else for future gambling trips... Seriously I also discovered Alice in Oklahoma Indian casino during a bad thunderstorm on a recent trip to Texas. so I like to know where I can find Alice thru the looking glass slot machines. Wherever...! You never know where you might need to sit out a rainstorm.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Also want to let you know about a special limited engagement for DaVinci the Genius at the Venetian daily (10-9p.m.) I know you might not think Art exhibit in Las Vegas but it is really interesting and is only there for a limited time until Oct.15th. I have been twice this summer and would go again if I had a trip planned...
Originally Posted By Schmitty Good Vibes There are better Tiki Bars in SF than the Tonga Room. Maybe Hans knows of some, otherwise check out TikiCentral.com
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS My Tonga Room experience was a little strange. The atmosphere is ok, but very 1970s maybe? I don't know...kind of needed an update. Not a makeover, just an update.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<We used to like Downtown, but since out last trip we may skip it. The people are a little sketchy and when a man keeps touching you while your Husband is in the washroom then it's not a good thing. My Husband was pretty angry the rest of the night lol.>> Sadly I think you can occasionally run into that anywhere... especially where as much booze flows as in Las Vegas. At least Downtown has figured out a way to keep the porn-slappers out. Sure wish the Strip could do that... I don't know what is more irritating, constantly being approached by the time-share salespeople or having the porn-slappers try to hand you their cards.
Originally Posted By HRM The Tonga Room is more of an "over the top kitschy" experience only in San Francisco due to it's location in an upscale hotel versus a true Tiki Bar... luv the thunder and rain.... Very Rainforest Cafe, only for "big kids".
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Hey Hans, when i do go to SF where is a good area to stay? We will rent a car too, so not a huge deal where we would stay." I would recommend staying somewhere downtown near Union Square downtown because you'll be centrally located to just about everything via taxi or public transit. Unlike most American cities SF has fairly active downtown after dark, which is nice. My Tonga Room experience was a little strange." It is strange, very dated, and a bit of a tourist trap, however that's the whole point. It's very authentic (opened in 1945) as tiki bars go and I can't think of any experience in San Francisco that compares. SF is loaded with good bars and excellent mixologists. If you're from out of town and want a unique SF bar experience I suggest the Bourbon & Branch speakeasy. <a href="http://www.bourbonandbranch.com/" target="_blank">http://www.bourbonandbranch.com/</a>
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Tasha, if you can afford it here are couple of places that I like. Pricey, but certainly worth it: <a href="http://www.cavallopoint.com/limited-time-offers/?phonalytics=26s&gclid=CLX1udKS2bICFQfhQgodW3oArA" target="_blank">http://www.cavallopoint.com/li...odW3oArA</a> <a href="http://www.innatthepresidio.com/" target="_blank">http://www.innatthepresidio.com/</a>
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<There are better Tiki Bars in SF than the Tonga Room.>> Not anymore. Other than Tonga, only two decent tiki bars remain in SF proper. Actually, I think they're the only two tiki bars remaining besides Tonga. 'Smuggler's Cove' near City Hall, on Gough (rhymes with "cough") Street near McAllister: <a href="http://www.smugglerscovesf.com" target="_blank">http://www.smugglerscovesf.com</a>. Parking is problematic in this area, especially during concerts at Davies Symphony Hall and SF Opera House nearby. 'Trad'r Sam' out in the Richmond district ("The Avenues") on Geary Blvd near 26th Avenue (*not* street). This is mostly a locals hangout, because of its lack of accessibility for tourists. Again, parking can be a problem because Richmond is mostly a bedroom community with multiple unit buildings and limited garage space. I suspect this is why Tonga Room is popular. It's in the old pool basement of The Fairmont Hotel, which is a gorgeous hotel and historic landmark. (The original United Nations charter was drafted and signed there in 1945.) The hotel sits on the California St. cable car line, which makes it convenient for those who purchase a short-term MUNI Pass during their stay (highly recommended): <a href="http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/passports.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfare...orts.htm</a> Tonga Room has been dubbed an Enchanted Tiki Room for adults, and they are mostly correct. It is terribly kitschy. But on the plus side, if you go Mon - Fri during Happy Hour (5 - 7 PM), they have a pretty decent polynesian buffet for $8 (I think) which can do in a pinch for a light dinner if you're not starving hungry. This way, you get to enjoy the ambiance of the rainstorm while sipping on a Blue Hawaii and nibbing finger food, for far less $$$ than dining at dinner time. Tonga is one of the most expensive restaurants in SF without being worth the high cost. There are FAR BETTER restaurants for the money. It's definitely worth visiting, but don't blow a lot of your vacation dollars there for dinner.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Take the F car trolley to the Castro and count how many naked people you see on the corner of Castro and Market!>> I live in the Castro (I'm looking out the window and down the hill at the Castro Theatre sign right now), so feel free to ask me anything about my community. Ah yes, the nekkid guys. First off, this is pretty much a weekend thing, when the weather is nice or during community events like Leather Week at the end of September. Our district supervisor, Scott Wiener (yes, that's his name, you can't make this stuff up; very nice guy, I met him at Frameline two years ago) put through a regulation that requires the nekkid guys to sit on a towel in public places, which is just common sense but difficult to enforce. As for the guys who do this... ugh. They're all old farts whom I suspect did way too much acid during the Vietnam era. I doubt the young 'n' hunky local porn guys from the Armory (<a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/slideshow/a-tour-of-kinks-armory-1684631" target="_blank">http://www.sfweekly.com/slides...-1684631</a>) are going to strut their flesh for free. While I support the nekkid guys' right to congregate at 'Chevron Plaza' in their birthday suits, I really wish they'd keep the F out of the damned roadway! Trying to take a right turn off Castro onto Market seems like mission impossible when the nekkid crowd overflows the Plaza's botanical boundary. I feel sorry for the MUNI 24 line drivers who have to drive past them. Not a pretty sight, IMHO.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Sorry about the misinformation in post #36. Yeah, Tonga Room changed their Happy Hour from Mon-Fri to Wed-Fri, the jerks. I guess they're trying to force the 3-day business development crowds they typically book in their ballrooms early in the week to dine in their restaurants for more $$$. Sucks.
