Short Vegas trip report

That Vegas was busy this last weekend isn't really any kind of indicator of a good economy. Vegas is ALWAYS jam-packed over Labor Day weekend.

That subgroup of Vegas visitors who are willing to pay the astronomical prices that Vegas charges on busy holidays weekends are largely immune to whatever happens to the economy. I've been in Vegas during economic slowdown times, and overall visitation went down, but the really busy weekends were just as frantic as ever. If you're price-sensitive, you won't come to Vegas when its prices at at a stratospheric peak; therefore, if you do come then, and pay $300+ a night for a room, etc. etc., price must not be a factor in your decision.

I am in Vegas now, and I'm paying $64 a night with a daily $40 food credit. The same room I'm sitting in now was $299 plus resort fee over the weekend.

I've got a pretty good handle on how crowded Vegas is over Labor Day Weekend as I've been organizing this group trip to Vegas this weekend since 1984 (one year we did Reno).  This was the busiest that I've seen downtown over Labor Day.  I booked our Carson Tower double rooms at the Golden Nugget for $396 total for the three nights ($198 per person).  This is far from an expensive trip.

The Spa Suite was pricy, at $2400 for the three nights.  Two guys crashed on large couches, and two guys slept in the king bed.  One of our California friends always mules in a full stock of beer, booze and munchies, so most of our drinking outside of the casino happens in the suite.

I did notice that the street performers are once again performing outside of the allocated "circles".  The freak show continues, but it seemed slightly less freaky than in past years.

I learned at the Mob Museum that Public Enemy #1, Baby Faced Nelson, was killed near my childhood home outside of Chicago.  He was enemy #1 for only a short time, as John Dillinger was killed 6 months earlier.  While I'm old, this all happened 25 years prior to my birth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Barrington