My Weekend and Lucky Streak in Vegas - Part I
Have you ever experienced one of those days where the stars align ever so perfectly, and everything falls into place? During a recent trip to Las Vegas, it happened to me, and I have to say, it was exhilarating! Queue “Luck be a lady tonight” by Frank Sinatra; go ahead, I’ll wait.
Las Vegas, Nevada. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit, heard unbelievable stories, seen the infamous and quite strategic commercial campaign “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” airing for almost two decades you probably won’t understand the allure.
Riddle me this; where else could you be a self-proclaimed foodie, party like a rock star poolside, eat like a king, be pampered at the spa, people watch without shying away (honestly most encourage the attention), stroll through the outdoor mall viewing shows on the ceiling, see any type of live show ever offered, gamble at any time of the day or night and have your impromptu wedding officiated by Elvis himself? The 1970’s version is most authentic in my opinion if you’re leaning towards that option…personally, I’m in no need of a wedding officiant, I had the best wedding earlier this year…it even had monkies! Yes, real live monkies…but thats a story for another time. I would ask who has been to “Vegas” and experienced, *ahem, a few of the attractions I mentioned above…but I won’t ask, because…What was that slogan again? “What happens in Vegas…
This particular excursion included my husband, mother-in-law, and I and it had a sole purpose. The PBR Team Finals (Professional Bull Riders). People ask… what’s the allure of guys riding bulls? The combination of incredible athleticism, raw sport is by far the best entertainment even for the whole family. It has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." All you have to do is attend one event and you will be hooked, I sure was! (No pun intended; I hope you literally do not get hooked by one of these bulls!) And as an added bonus you get to see Cowboys in Wranglers everywhere you turn. Lucky for me (here is some of my luck again) my husband fills out a pair of Wranglers quite NICE!
I digress, our first pitstop was to a fast favorite of mine, Herbs and Rye, where you can find an amazing craft cocktail and ½ off steaks during happy hour! The term “craft cocktail” is tossed around a little too freely these days, but few bars take the art of preparing the perfect drink AND can break down the history as well as Herb & Rye does. Hands down, this is my favorite steak house ever and not only due to the HH prices. Since I know they can fill quickly, as soon as we booked the trip to Vegas, the reservation was made, quite possibly before I received the email confirmation of our flight! It has a speakeasy style bar with dark decor and heavy oak bar top which is masculine but comfy. Check out the drink menu below, it is literally a curated breakdown of cocktails by era, full of flavor, history and authenticity the strip can sometimes lapse in. (My drink in the picture is Weekend at the Waldorf.) Don’t be surprised if you find yourself casually rubbing elbows with an industry local casually enjoying his/her day off. Yeah, it’s that good!
FULL DISCRETION: I wore my stretchy pants, take heed if you decide to venture here!
The next few days were outlined for the PBR Team Finals. Bull riding at night at the T-Mobile Arena and PBR related events during the day. Day 1 was Outside the Barrel with Flint Rasmussen, the infamous rodeo clown who had special guests Dalton Kasel, Ezekiel Mitchell, and the Austin Gamblers Coach Michael Gaffney on his show. I'll be honest, I geeked out a little with two of my favorite riders and one of the greats in the PBR! Day 2 was filled with up-close and personal greetings of 2000 lb. -sometimes-gentle giants at the Bucking Bull Tour. Our group was led by the Stock Contractor, Blake Sharp with Sharp Bucking Bulls. As he led us through the area that temporarily houses the bulls he shared personal stories, history and welcomed any and all questions. Did you know he brought 15 of his bulls to this event?!
Anyway, as we shuffled through the holding area, stirring dust and hay, I found myself shoulder to rail with a pen holding a shy 2000 lb. bull glaring right at me. As I cocked my head slightly, I beckoned him over gently with sweet toned niceties and kissing noises and waited to see what his reaction to me would be. You never know what you’re getting with the bulls, but I made a valiant attempt at petting one (okay damn near all of them). Several of them slowly approach and gently lean on the fence for some lovin’. However, on the flip side you may find yourself just a few feet from a feisty one ramming the pen in an attempt to hook you…so if you didn’t get the hint, these boys want to be left alone. Most of the Sharp Bucking Bulls wanted some attention and a good scratch. I have a few favorites that I got to see…Chiseled, who was #2 in the World Champion Bull Standings in 2020. Notorious bad ass, champion blood lines, and a sweet boy who loves to be scratched. Another one of my favs, Mike’s Motive, may very well be the sweetest of them all. Hard to believe this sweet soul bucks off riders left and right. All of the bulls are spectacular athletes, the shadowed heroes of the bull riding world, maybe they are just misunderstood and need a decent meal, a good night's rest and some lovin’. Who can relate? Need a reference? Check out the airtime from “Legend”, its jaw dropping!
Every time I see these amazing animals, I get inspired! I think I need to draw a few of these big boys….and I might just have to start with Mike’s Motive… what do you think??
Well, after all of the fun from the PBR and the events that went along with it…we had an extra day and a half to play in Vegas… and this is where the luck begins!
BUT…this is where I am going to have to say:
TO BE CONTINUED……
This trip had a lot more to talk about other than just all the winning….so I hope you have enjoyed the trip so far and I hope that you come back to check out Part II…
See you soon! Kris
