There's No Place Like Home

11:30AM PST
At Home In Scripps Ranch

I just got back from Caesar's Palace - Las Vegas at 10:30am this morning.   It was a grueling four and a half hour drive home,  as Nate and I decided to leave right after our last gig,  and we took turns driving while the other slept... 

The band had finished the last set this morning at 3:00am.   Nate and I went directly to our room after that and changed clothes.   We then went down to the Cafe Roma and ate "breakfast".    And then we got our bags,  packed up the drumset and loaded the rental car for the ride home to San Diego.   We left Las Vegas at around 5:30am,  and now here I am at home again,  very  tired but glad to be home!

In The Lap Of Luxury!

When we checked in at the registration desk of Caesar's Palace at 6PM on Tuesday,  January 19th,  we were told that there were no rooms available.   We told the clerk that we were entertainers,  and here to perform at The La Piazza Lounge.   With that,  we finally got a room.

When we finally made it to the 24th floor of the Palace Towers,  the newest wing of Caesar's Palace,  we noticed right away that our room had double doors and a door bell!    Opening the door,  we found ourselves in a foyer made of mosaic tile.   To the right was a corridor that led to a guest bathroom.   to the left was a hallway that led to the master bedroom.   Straight ahead was the main area,  a very large room where a long eight chair dining table was on the right,  and a sitting area to the left.   There were two large bay windows with a great view of the Bellagio Casino.   The sitting area was situated in front of the entertainment center,  which consisted of a 40" color TV,  a Sony stereo system with CD changer,  cassette and radio.   Around the perimeter of the ceiling were a series of recessed lighting,  which could be controlled on several panels and could be used to create various moods and ambiences by adjusting the intensity of much of the lighting,  most of it recessed in the ceiling and on the walls.   Expensive looking artwork was placed throughout the large living area.   Also to the right of the foyer was a walk-in wet bar with sink,  microwave,  and refrigerator.

Nate and I were "blown away" by this extravangance,  and realized that our accomodations were a fluke,  due to the fact that the front desk didn't know were to put us and decided to give us a master suite temporarily until a "regular" room was made available.

We walked through the hallway to check out the master bedroom.   On each side of the hallway were two walk-in closets.   The hallway made a sharp turn to the right which led to the bedroom.   There was a vanity area with lighting to the right just outside the bedroom.   To the left was the main bathroom with wash area and jacuzzi tub.   there was a walk-through shower (two doors) with two shower heads.   The three bathrooms were all done in marble!   The whole place was beautifully designed.   The suite was a study in elegance and interior design.

La Piazza Lounge ~ Caesar's Palace ~ Las Vegas

Our five-day stint at Caesar's Palace took place on the stage of the La Piazza Lounge in the large open gambling area.   The stage faced the lounge and bar and behind the stage was the main gambling area.

Overall,  the band did well.   However,  Jim,  Shannon and Tom became sick with congestion and flu symptoms,  and unfortunately it caused them a few problems onstage.   Myself,  I felt great throughout my entire stay at Caesar's.   But Nate and I DID have struggles with the air quality,  since smoking was allowed everywhere,  much different from California were smoking in public places isn't allowed.   On Friday and Saturday I struggled with my performance a bit,  simply because I played hard and the gig was very basically demanding both physically,  mentally and emotionally.

On each of the five nights,  we had great crowds,  especially during Friday and Saturday nights.   We performed each night from 10PM to 3AM,  taking one hour breaks in-between.   The last set from 2AM to 3AM was obviously the slowest with the smallest crowds.

We had quite a few dancers on each of those five nights,  and on the first night we had dancers from the Arizona Lindyhop Association.   On Friday and Saturday,  we had the famous Bernard Of Hollywood dancing to our music.   We had friends and family visit from San Diego,  Illinois,  Arizona,  and Los Angeles. 

On Thursday and Friday we were able to rehearse from 6PM to 7PM at Circus Maximus,  the famous, large theater where many great performers have graced the stage.

Our meals during our stay at Caesar's Palace were totally complimentary (free),  but we were limited to the Pallatium Buffet and the Cafe Roma,  both great places to eat,  if not a bit pricey.   Thank God we didn't have to pay for food!

Overall,  we were treated very well!   My only regret was that I didn't take pictures of the beautiful suite on the 24th floor,  and now no one will believe us when we say we truly lived like "emperors" during our first day at Caesar's Palace!
 

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