i just got my tickets to the show. staying next door at the orleans. any suggestions for a first timer. i live in fla. so i wont have a car. feels a little wierd going to a car show without a car. i am bringing my wife and 15 year old son so the bars, bands and nudity is out of the question.
If this year was typical, you can use the antics in the car show to illustrate how not to act and how not to build cars for your kid. Too bad you can't make the music part, that's the real reason for the Viva deal. To be fair, Axle said he will address the problems with idiots and POS cars from last time. Please post your impressions when you get back home. I try to support Axle's and his club brother's gigs, but I just returned from the Mooneyes show and it looks like a bunch of goofballs built cars just to try and out-do the idiots that spoiled the Vegas deal for me. Of course, I'm going to turn 60 years old in a couple of months, so maybe I'm just a cranky ol' fart. But I've been involved with hot rods and drag racing since I was a bothersome lil kid. So I hold the traditional revivalists to pretty high standards. Many exceed them too. In the CD player: Road to Indio, Chris gaffney & The Cold Hard Facts.
You will have plenty to see & do in Vegas, the difference this year is the show is going to be a Saturday only deal, it was this year too, but there were cars up in the parking lot all weekend. This ones gonna be in its own ground level lot, and NO BOOZE which should make it a lot nicer. If you have the VLV wristbands, you will be able to go see the bands, just not your son, which will suck. But like I said, theres a lot ot do in Vegas. We are staying at the Orleans too.
Ooh a first timer! How fun! Like it has been said, this year the car show will be a little different, so I dont think any of us quite know what to expect. In the years before, the roof top has been the party hub all weekend. Not sure how it is going to be now that it is more policed...most of the rest of the show is for 21+. You said you got tickets, what tickets are you talking about? if you are talking about wristbands, that is only for the 21+ stuff. The bands, vendors, and most other activities are in the casino. There are always a few vendors ballrooms that you can get into without that wristbands. Most of the guys stay outside anyway... And there are people everywhere! Plus, you will be in Vegas! There is so much to do there. Just look up any of the bigger hotels (MGM Grand, Ceasars Palace, New York, New York) on the internet, and you should be able to find all sorts of kid friendly activities. We stay at the Orleans every year as well. And we always have such a blast. Hope you guys do as well! See you in Vegas!
hey whats wrong if he sees a few boobys? i was at a KISS concert and some jackass brought his 13 yr old son sure enough there were boobys on the BIG screen and a bit more action from the front row chicks.i looked at the kid`s face when that popped up and he never blinked it was funny as hell!!! i know your kid is still a minor.... good luck on the trip take tons of pics for us poor folks...
we stayed at the san remo, a bit further south. it was an okay experience, but not great. if you stay at any of the other "coast" hotels like the sun coast or the barbary coast, they provide a free shuttle to any of the other casino/hotels. Barbary was where we were planning on staying this year. I had some good luck there and looks kinda nice from the lobby, etc. i was hoping to go again this year but my plants outage is scheduled for the same freakin week.
Hey, Hey <----lookey here---> VLV virgin here also, I am on EXPEDIA.com right now getting my airline and hotel tickets, WELL actually pricing it out, If we can swing it we are going!!!! "WRISTBANDS" do I need to get a wristband??? For me and the wife? Holy crap!!! UNTIL right know I didn't even think about this until the MRS. just sprung it on me!!! We will be bringing our infant child with us!! Is this a problem, she (the baby) has already been to car shows so this is NOT out of the ordinary, but is VLV adult only, as in NO infants???? Hell our honeymoon was at a car show so it is a part of our lifestyle!!!
well once I find out about the infant thing, I will "click": PURCHASE!!! We will be at the El Cortez Hotel And Casino, I picked it because of price BUT also it said "VINTAGE"??? and it said this---Located downtown in the original Vegas that pre-dates the Strip, the El Cortez --- I hope the hell it is walking distance to the show!!!!!!!!!!!KEN
Speaking of VLV first-timers, us Pandraggers are aiming to road trip down there, looking really forward to it. Any HAMB parties planned, yet? heh heh
I've only been with no car, but I go for the music too. I don't think there'd be an issue bringing your kids. Especially with the changes. I'm not a parent though... so take that with a grain of salt.
man im from so fla as well ill be there with my chick the only advice i have for a first timer is drink all the cosmos and pink squirrels cause they are free and try to pick up a chick that has been with 15 other dudes all trought the weekend
You should have saw the cars that they turned away last year. it was funny working the gate with John Parker watching these old dudes with 100K cars get all mad and red in the face when they are turned away just as some shitbox is welcomed in... I would PAY Alex to do it again! You should have bleachers at the gate and sell tickets!
Well here are my other options, let me know if any are accesible. I know some of them are a few miles away but maybe the have shuttles from them to the Gold Coast??? I have emailed them all and am waiting, for the shuttle answer from them, but figured maybe you would have a better feel for the area!! I don't care about the "part of town" as I will only be sleeping there, I just want to be sure I can get back and forth to the "festivities".....thanks, ken they are in order of price, $650-$825 hotel and flight. -Gold Spike Hotel and Casino -Arizona Charlie's Boulder -Golden Gate Hotel and Casino -Wild Wild West Gambling Hall and Hotel -Arizona Charlie's Decatur -Howard Johnson Inn - Las Vegas Airport -Fitzgeralds Casino Las Vegas -Days Inn Las Vegas Downtown -Vegas Club -Terrible's Hotel & Casino -Somerset House Motel
Not sure about the hotels Impala...but I will brief you on wristbands... Buy a wristband only if you go kidless...otherwise it is a waste of money. Unless you and the wife plan to trade off kid duties. The wristbands allow you to get into all of the shows, ballroom events, and vintage clothing vendors. You have to be 21+ to buy a wristband. If you are just going for the car show, you dont need a wristband. Hope that helps!
Well hell I could actually finally get a great nights sleep!! It would be like when I was a kid growing up in Kearny Mesa, and Chula Vista, DAMN it's been a long time since I've been home!!!
the only hotels that are walking distance from the gold coast where VLV usually is are the rio hotel and the palms. as for 15 yr olds you can go to the mirages shark reef or game works on tropicana and the strip. there are tons of video games there. if ya have any questions about the town let me know im local so i can find out for you. and as for the person staying at the el cortez you better rent a car as it is far from where VLV is held at.
Wild Wild West is the closest hotel to the Gold Coast. You could hike up Tropicana a bit(about a mile) to get to the Orleans for the FREE shuttle to the Gold Coast. But the Wild Wild West is also a truck stop. So you can look at cool peterbilts and freightliners. Fitzgeralds is an ok place its downtown along with The Golden gate and Vegas Club. Not as many crack dealers and hookers in this part of freemont street as would be at the El Cortez or Gold spike. The other hotles you have are a good ways away(along with the downtown hotels) and cab rides in vegas are not cheap.... DO yourself a favor stay at the Orleans....They have a huge ass bowling alley and arcade your kid could hang out in..Its a clean place and free shuttle at the front door....
First off I don't think VLV is a family kind of vacation, there's a reason the wristbands are 21+.... I think the best place to stay are the Rio, Palms, and Gold Coast... This year it's going to be Wristband holders first for the car show then everyone else.... and how the hell did Vegas (Sin City) end up a family vacation spot, that's just screwy......
Well all THANKS for the advice!!! and yes I agree this type of 21 and older festival IS for that: 21 and OLDER, BUT our child (damn- the last one I hope!!!! ) is an INFANT still on mommy's --TA TA's-- (breast feeding for you youngsters out there) so she, the wife, is NOT about to let her little one stay with ANYONE except us!!So I am trying to make the best out of a situation!!! NOT a bad one mind you, I love child # 6!!!! but we had made plans looong ago LAST year and I vowed to myself I would be going this year!! our "accident" (and let that be a lesson to you all... "honey just this one time" doesn't --cut-- it in the world of conception!!!! our last child was 1 0 years ago) anyway I am just trying to get us too the SHOW, as I realize we can't enjoy the other fun, but the show (car show) is whats most important to me!! damn this was looong...sorry, Ken
im glad we have time share in vegas, locked it in right after we got back from driving away from this years. we will be there monday to wreak havoc in vegasall week till the show. this year will be interesting but its always a good show.
i am also a VLV first timer. we are stacking up some rods to caravan down from southern oregon. so far there is about 5 rods full of folks, myself included. i just found out the day after registering my car and buying the wristbands, i need to rebuild my newly purchased and running, used 390. i have no oil pressure. so in about an hour i get to go pull a motor and have it rebuilt and back in by april. pressure is good, no wonder i have had this migraine for 17 days!
My vote's for the Orleans. Free shuttle to the Goldcoast, fairly cheap, lotsa people will be there that are going to the show. Should be fun. See ya there! Ginger www.pistonpackinmamas.com
The Jalopy Journal
