The view from our hotel balcony was spectacular. We had just arrived at the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan, part of the Marriott chain of hotels, and were pleased to be given a suite on the fifty-first floor. It had a balcony with outdoor seating no less. As I said to Margo, we could live like this! Perhaps not; then again, maybe the Vegas strip might be a good alternative to winters in Colorado. This proved to be one of the highlights of our excursion to Las Vegas as it came down to business; all-business with few opportunities to step back and unwind.
The occasion was the annual HPE conference, the big tent-marketing
event that HPE branded as HPE Discover 2022. Margo and I were representing a
client and with that came the responsibility of holding down a speaker’s spot
on the agenda. Reminiscent of the many street-corner evangelists or
up-and-coming politicians you run across in big cities these days, I was to
give my presentation within a small theaterette that faced not just a busy
corridor but a patting pen set up to house a couple of canine friends. Talk
about competition but it was all in good fun and when it came my turn to
present, there were more than enough interested parties to make the occasion
worthwhile.
In our last post we wrote of how our decision over
which car to drive to Vegas led us to choose the new Corvette. This eighth
generation Vette deserved a good run on America’s interstate highways. Taking
the Jaguar F Type was always going to be an option but with a new car it came
down to being a simple decision. What better way to arrive in Vegas than in
America’s sports car and with this model, a new generation of Corvette that has
certainly defined just how good a sports car should be, Vette to Vegas seemed
appropriate.
Corvette C8 is a mid-engine car and it proved to be an entirely new experience for us both. You could argue that our former BMW i8 vehicles offered a similar experience as they too were partially mid-engine. However, when it came to the i8, they were nowhere near as serious a sports car as the Vette. There were times when we just let the Vette have its way and on each occasion the Vette handled such opportunities with a aplomb never giving rise to any concerns whatsoever.
At first glance, the Vette looks like it would be
somewhat cramped with little in the way of baggage compartments. However,
initial appearances can be misleading. Two large duffle bags disappeared into
the trunk as did a couple of heavier hoodies for when we overnighted in the
mountains. I can comprehend completely that some new Vette owners can drop into
this trunk a couple of golf bags.
The only real consideration given to what we dropped into the trunk was its proximity to the engine and heat is never a good thing if you have any items that might melt. The C8 Vette now has a forward trunk, or frunk, as GM calls it. For our computer bags and overnight kit, there was more than enough room to drop in a couple more soft bags, still with room to spare. Trunk, frunk, whatever; such versatility proved to be an unexpected surprise for both of us.
It wasn’t all highway travelling. The number of times
we have traversed the combination of interstates 70 and 15 isn’t worth
recounting as for nearly a decade, Margo and I commuted between Colorado and
California. These trips weren’t always work related but for the most part, it
was more a case of getting there than taking time to smell the roses. Or, with
this stretch of the interstate, the many national parks that dot the landscape.
This time and having given ourselves an extra day for the journey, the plan was
to cut through Capital Reef.
“Not a good idea,” came the waitress at the café where we ate breakfast burritos. “Flash flooding stranded several motorists a few days ago and even heavier rainfall with more flash flooding was about to happen in oh, 30 minutes or so!” This was in the small town of Hanksville where Utah highway 24 turns sharply west and heads up the Utah plateau on its way to Bryce and Zion national parks. So given these warnings and the potential to become stranded, we abandoned this detour forfeiting a few miles of forward progress in the name of safety.
As is common practice among auto manufacturers these
days, GM gives you many options to choose from when it comes to configuring
your dashboard. The snapshot of our chosen layout can be seen above. Before
there are any concerns arising over the indicated speed, Utah and Nevada post
80 mph limits on their major highways. That is, whenever the “track went green”
as for much of the stretch through Utah there were roadblocks causing stoppages
with considerable highway maintenance under way. However, in this case, this
isn’t the main story. Take a good look at what is tucked away on the lower
right hand side of the display.
For all those concerned about driving a big 6.2 liter V8 across the west, averaging a good 75.6 mph we were averaging 28.3 mpg where the gallons were the smaller US gallons. This is a better return than even the Jaguars deliver with the new F Pace SVR, a brute when it comes to fuel efficiency. So, imagine that. We chose the right car after all given how the price of gas has risen to heights not seen before. While initially we had given some thought to continuing on to California after the conference, with the gas prices there climbing even higher, we think we dodged a bullet on that score.
If you know your restaurants then from what you can see
behind Margo you will know we visited Mastro’s Ocean Club in Las Vegas. This is
a regular dining spot for us and we had the good fortune of visiting this venue
on two occasions. Once on business and then again, once just to relax. It isn’t
common knowledge these days but Vegas has gone through major transitions of
late. Long known for its discounted hotels, gambling tables and a lot more,
Vegas today is all about entertainment and fine dining. There appears to be
more three Michelin starred chefs in Vegas than nearby LA!
To think that just before our leaving for Vegas, Formula One chose Vegas for a race in 2023 and that would include a sizable run down the strip. Yes, get off the footpaths as Ferraris, McLarens, Red Bulls and the like accelerate hard down one of the most famous thoroughfares in the world? Will it match Monaco? Not likely! Then again, give it time and it might. Formula One management appears to think so as they put down a quarter billion dollars to buy a block of undeveloped land at one end of the proposed circuit on which to develop luxury boxes, media centers and yes, dedicated pit areas.
Crazy! But in reality just one more accomplishment for
Vegas as it now looks to add a baseball franchise to the city. Again, Las Vegas
turned to luckless Oakland, California and having already secured the presence
of the Raiders team the city appears to be closing in on Oakland’s baseball team. Vegas already has basketball
and ice hockey franchises in town – yes, a very good ice hockey team – so
adding F1 seems an obvious addition to the growing entertainment and sporting
portfolio. Will Indy follow suit, I wonder? Not going to count that out just
yet.
Then again, crazy or not it seems that the transformation of Las Vegas from a seedy gambling town to a full-on Disneyland for adults is now under way. If only someone could come up with a fully air-conditioned dome covering the entire strip that transformation would be complete. And let’s not forget, this is the scene for Elon Musk’s underground tunnel linking key venues that began trial operations only a short time ago. Then again, what dominated much of the conversation wasn’t the dome, the underground road or even F1 but rather the water situation. We had managed our way out of detours but a decline in water may prove to be the biggest roadblock of all, limiting Vegas and its plans for the future.
While we spent a lot of time catching up
with business friends and associates, the Cosmopolitan featured a variety of
artwork some of which we cannot display in a forum such as this. However, what
we can include is Margo becoming friendly with a dog she just could never pass
without giving it a hug. Or two! And perhaps that is another aspect of Vegas
that has changed. The city’s interest in art has grown considerably since we
first visited Vegas back in 2004.
And yes, back then we rode into town in
a fifth generation Corvette convertible. The addition of many more hotels
including numerous venues that now include residences along with arenas and
support from major entertainers has given us a much safer town. Yes, with the
declining water level at Lake Mead the occasional barrel is being discovered
containing human remains but the sense that this town is in the hands of
unsavory characters appears to be well and truly buried as deeply as that
barrel.
We can’t ignore that ultimately Vegas is
all about money and with as much money as there is flowing through this town,
there is bound to be unintended consequences for some. And yet, as we spent a
week traversing the strip from one venue to another, stopping in at one eatery
or another, ducking roadblocks and making detours, enjoying time with friends,
there is still a sense that the Wild West exists even today. Maybe not steeped
in the past but nevertheless, witnessing a duel wouldn’t seem entirely out of
place.
And with that, we can report that the trip home went to plan, as we skipped the interstate and headed up US Highway 89 as the July 4 weekend traffic began making its presence felt. Ending with one last photo from our time at Mastro’s seems more than appropriate even as it is a reminder to us that as of now, the benefits from time spent in Vegas outweigh any negative opinions you may have of the town. Will we be return same time next year? You can count on it and as for which vehicle we will take then you will just have to wait to find out! Cheers!
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