The Western - 12-05 Trip Report part 1 of ?

Visted the Western a few times on a field trip from the Lady Luck. At the Western, you are not in Kansas any more Toto, nor are you we on the Fremont Street Experience and certainly not on the Strip.

Was lured from the Experience by the impossibly bad reviews here at TRIPADVISOR and my possibly misplaced sense of adventure. I admit the large $1.00 draft beer had a hand in the length of my visits and my return visit. I ventured there as a balance to the Strip scene, the Monte Carlo, etc. Boy, there is more than a few miles between those two.

Homework Assignment before you go: Listen to J. Tull%26#39;s ';Aqualung'; and the Grateful Dead%26#39;s ';Wharf Rat'; and G. Brooks ';Friends in Low Places'; maybe J. Buffet%26#39;s ';Let%26#39;s Get Drunk'; to prep.

The casino is a CICO (Coins In - Coins Out) place. No fancy paper tickets here. Remember that machine that you first played on 20 years ago, well it came to the Western withthe rest of the worn out stuff to die. No carpet either, just wood plank floors, but at least they are swept and may actually have been cleaner than some of the carpeted places nearby. Security was active but I was not bothered by anyone there.

Plenty is said about the clients and most is true, to be kind, they were in a lower tax bracket and some may not have paid taxes for quite a while or at all. One step above the street but at least most have a room somewhere. Generally a friendly place, buy someone a dollar draft and learn enough to write a book or at least a good blues song. How the guys make their money, I have no idea, getting diability, day labour or some menial job? Whatever it is, yu can be sure that it is someboby else%26#39;s fault they have to work that job. Generally the place and the patrons have a well worn look. How some of the ladies make their money, I can only guess, my sense of adventure has its limits. A guy actually told me he was drinking because he was on disability, to be polite I asked what the disability was and he said he was an alcoholic.

I had planned to go that far east on Fremont so I bought clothes to blend in, old jeans, a plaid shirt with a tee shirt and gymshoes are the norm. Leave the tux on the Strip. I brought a wad of singles and a few fives to spend. Big emergency bills stashed in my sock. I was not worried about the locals. They are more scavengers than predators. Not a place for a lady on her own though. Not a place to flash any bill over a five. Leave nothing at the bar when you go to pee because nothing will be there when you return. Leave the area before dark before it really gets strange, or not, your choice.

Also of interest is the Atomic Bar a few doors east. You have got to love a bar where you have to get buzzed in the door. The local source for vodka in small plastic bottles. If you go, be sure to ask if Michele is there at that time, she is a real hoot. The owner may even be there, he has been in Las Vegas since the atomic tests, hence the name. He plays impossibly old country music and talking to him is a real step back in time.

More to follow as the detox continues.

The Western - 12-05 Trip Report part 1 of ?

why 2 duplicate entries? Maybe the DTs

The Western - 12-05 Trip Report part 1 of ?

Way to go, chitowngambler. That was THE most interesting Trip Report I%26#39;ve read on this forum, SERIOUSLY.

You actually ventured out to a ';real'; Vegas casino with a bunch of locals to see how the economically and intellectually challenged degenerate gamblers hang in Vegas.

That Atomic Bar sounds like a place I MIGHT want to visit sometime. Sounds like I%26#39;ll have to pound a six pack or so before dropping by though.

On your next visit ot Vegas, please spend a night hangin around ';Naked City'; and get back to us with another TR. Thank you.

Out-standing. A jolly good read to boot.

That area is also likely to be renovated into condos soon. Some of the folks there work at the hotels, in menial jobs perhaps but someone has to empty the trash etc. where will those people go when the low cost housing is gone?

My friends find it strange that I would even go there but it was close to my hotel and I wanted to see what was going on in the “real” Las Vegas. Not concerned for safety, followed the rules, just went from here to there with no stops and no conversations etc. The folks I talked to were in the bar with mega security.

Perhaps summed up best by a perfectly ordinary looking lady, not that bad looking either, who told me that she works for the conventions when they are in town and makes pretty good money. That, is I think, working behind the scenes, cleaning up passing out materials, in food service etc. not I think, the “service industry” but she was short on her rent and needed to make up some cash fast, hence a “service” was offered, I declined, preferring to bring home other types of souvenirs. Was her story true or untrue, I have no idea but I think most likely true for someone living on the fringe where the lines get a little blurry.

Sad perhaps, but the truly scary part is that most of my friends do not realize is that many of them, and myself, are but a few missed paychecks away from the same environment. I have been there and done that and know how to survive. My friends lack those skills and would have a painful time learning them. This recent refresher reminded me of that and I am more inclined to put some distance between myself and that environment.

';she was short on her rent and needed to make up some cash fast, hence a “service” was offered, I declined, preferring to bring home other types of souvenirs';

';Brinh home other types of souvenirs';. That was NICE!

You sound like a good man, chitowngambler...

Is there another installment coming?

I have to agree. Great trip report. We often venture off the beaten path....not as much as you did, but i must give you credit for checking it out. Generally you meet the most interesting people when you do something like this and 90% of the time they are ok people, just ran into a string of bad luck. Like you said it is only a few paychecks away for most of us.

staunchsteve

Relax I brought home some of the the ';exotic dancer'; handouts from the strip to show the guys, postcards, tee shirts and a $.23 payout ticket from the Nuggett, I cashed in the larger ones. As wellas some dollar tokens from the Western and Gold Spike.

I would add the Dead%26#39;s Shakedown Street to the homework assignment as well as Wharf Rat.

Part 2 has been posted

Hi Chitown. This may sound crazy but was this girl%26#39;s name Tammy by any chance. If so she hit on me too !!!! Same m.o convention worker needed rent money. I was there late November. Sounds like a small world (after all) to me!!! Also like you I was drawn to the Western like a moth to a flame !!! What a place!!!! Wow what a culture shock!! Going from the Wynn to the Western but I had to do it. Curiosity killed the cat thank God it did not kill me !!!