This weekend I learned that contrary to popular belief, Vegas is NOT a 24 -7 – 365 town!
Sunday Friend Lynn had a landmark birthday – one that ended in a 0 – and we went to downtown to celebrate. I checked websites and either I misread the details, or the sites were wrong, so our plans were foiled! The PLAN was to bowl at Drink & Drag at 4 and then eat and drink on Fremont Street. We arrived and found out that D & D (not Dungeons & Dragons) opened at 6…so we decided to eat first. Considering it was Pride Weekend, I thought they’d be open (Hello? Drag Queens and bowling?), and it never occurred to me that my fave places to eat downtown would be closed on a weekend…I was WRONG-O MaryLou!
Our merry little party went to La Comida and they were closed, then we went to Le Thai, also closed! So we ended up at Hennessey’s (the big pint glass?) and had a meal there before bowling. The cocktails were the highlight, the food nothing special. Well, because of the reversal of order, some of our friends couldn’t stay to bowl for various reasons (work the next day, parental duties, etc…) and so our smaller merry little band went to bowl afterwards. If you haven’t been to Drink & Drag, it is FUN, even early in the evening, but I will warn you – the lanes were STICKY. I am not sure if it was poor maintenance or humidity, but either way it made the games interesting and the birthday girl had the high score for the day!
So my question is this: Is the late opening and complete closures of some businesses on a weekend part of the Zapppos-ification of downtown or are these small Mom & Pop joints actually honoring their employees with a family day? Either is fine, I just wish I had been better prepared! I felt like I failed my best bud on her landmark birthday.
I love the fact that Zappos is taking over a goodish portion of downtown and making old, tired places so much better…mostly. I was thrilled with ALL of the work they were doing, right up until they bought The Bunkhouse and closed it. For those of you who don’t know, The Bunkhouse was one of the oldest continually operating bars in Vegas (opened in 1947 if memory serves) and it remained open and operational on its original site until Zappos bought it. Many of the people in my friend group have such great memories of that place. Friend Lillian’s dad used to go there in his heyday, and according to legend was 86ed from there as well. Two men I know proposed to their wives there between sets when the Yeller Bellies were playing. The Bunkhouse was a downtown institution. So, what happens to it now? Will it be cleaned up, Zappos-ified and reopened? Apparently it is under renovation. Will it face some terrible fate, like being turned into a yuppified version of itself? I wish I knew. I just know that it won’t be the same.
I am so glad such an eclectic group came and helped Lynn end her decade. Of course, as we are wont to do, there will be more celebratory events throughout Lynn-tember, including Back of the House Brawl this Saturday and concluding with a party at the end of the month (if we can get our shit together). Party on Wayne! Party on Garth! Here is a little nonsense to enjoy:
