DC VEGAS XIV: Just Another Ordinary Week in the Happy Place...

BY DC CUEVA 

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All Photos Courtesy: Me (!)

For a few times in the year's last two months, all of us get together all across this land to give thanks to one another, open our Christmas gifts and then ring in the new year in the company of family, friends, acquaintances and guests alike. In the case of 2025, that included me & my family as we once again welcomed our inner circle to our house for the holidays indulging in plenty of food and gifts, watched plenty of sports, parades and the final act in Hawkins, Indiana. We also stocked up on all those holiday gifts, and continued centuries-old traditions once the month of November comes around in the midst of the year's last stretch... spanning two seasons with the one with two names and then the coldest of those.

In what in many quarters is referred to as the "fourth quarter" of the calendar year, there's plenty of fall foliage and dustings of snow all over the country. There's the fall frenzy of football, the end of baseball season, the start of the basketball and hockey campaigns, and plenty of other things. We also have the year's busiest travel and shopping days as part of a packed stretch of festive holidays... and where my favorite one is parked smack dab in between trick or treats and turkeys, and before Santa & his squad begin making their plans for a global sleigh ride on that December 24th evening. And then in the midst of this magical time of year comes another fall tradition... and my favorite one of late.

Over the course of the past decade when autumn comes around, the one thing that I look forward to every year with so much great anticipation also takes place... and it's so very much the case, I treat it as my very own Super Bowl during World Series time. Usually one would go on a vacation to Southern Nevada during the midst of the summer travel season... but the scorching triple-digit heat has other ideas. Thus, it's been tradition of late to have my trips pushed back to when most of us are back in school and work... but when the weather is actually comfortable enough to still pack the shorts and tees into the luggage along with the long-sleeves and pants after dark.

The feeling of going to Las Vegas for myself is something that just never gets old or gets stale... and not even a supposed tourism slump and other goings-on in our world could put a damper on this sacred tradition... and just a mere trip here could take my mind off of everything else just for the thrill of living out this real-life fantasy for a few days -- the scarcity and rarity of these on my calendar always makes it that much more special. And this latest trip became just as memorable, as noteworthy, as big and as grand as the thirteen others that proceeded this 2025 edition of DC Vegas... for which it was a year ago tonight that I embarked on that latest journey.

The relationship Las Vegas and I have developed in what's now thirty-two years has grown from humble beginnings: it began with my family's panic when I got lost in that Circus Circus hotel as a 10-year-old that June of 1994. It wasn't until after I turned legal age and matured a bit that that I came back to Sin City when my sister & her newlywed husband invited me to tag along on that long 9-hour drive to a post-honeymoon trip to the desert in 2007. I have had an annual to bi-annual visit back ever since for the last two decades now... and the fact that YouTube has given me a daily virtual trip to this town has seen me strengthen that bond in between these vacations I actually take myself, which on my calendar only happens once a year -- and where the scarcity of these trips only elevates its stature in my world.

Yes, things have changed quite a bit in Sin City for reasons that this post would rather not want to bring up in the eleven months since trip thirteen... but that one thing is not something that popped into any sort of consideration when we booked trip #14 on September 16th of last year. That came thirty five days before we boarded that plane the next month, and exactly 341 days after I flew home from the thirteen Vegas trip just after I soaked in a midnight moment all to myself in front of the Bellagio fountains in the early hours of my 41st birthday the previous year. And to be really honest, I am one who is just plain tired of hearing about all that negative Vegas talk... one would only truly get to experience this city when they're actually in town instead of just watching it from afar online -- and just enjoying it for a change.

Vegas XIV got off to a rather painful start: the plans were that we would save $30 by just checking in early on the Southwest website and not have to check-in our suitcases at the airport... that meant having to roll them around San Jose Mineta International. When we got to the TSA check-in booth to go through security, I did not realize that my suitcase was in my mom's way... and she took a spill when she took her picture in front of the guard. Those in that area were panicking fearing something had happened and even to the point if she needed a wheelchair... but there were just a few cuts -- otherwise, she was fine other than her knees were hurt a little bit. Just another one of those DC Vegas moments that could have gotten worse - or even could have never happened at all, even before we began that hour & a half flight to the happy place... and one punctuated by a favorite tradition: ZZ Top's cover of "Viva Las Vegas" playing in my earplugs just as we touched down at Reid International (just as it has for all my trips).

And when we did arrive in Las Vegas just after 2PM in the afternoon on a Tuesday, I actually had to lose a few layers of clothing thanks to the change in temperature from somewhat cool in San Jose to still summer of sorts in the desert: 80s when we stepped outside to grab our taxi. So much so, when we gave our baggage to the bellman (it was still a little too early to check into our room) I had to do a pitstop of switching my jacket for a vest from my luggage before we took in a late lunch at the Denny's across the street from our hotel. For this trip, we had someone else join mom and I: the last time we had a third person come over, there was a falling out... for this one, it was one of mom's friends named Mildred, and she came with us for the fact that one of her relatives was celebrating a birthday just as I did thirteen months prior. And as it turned out, we saw a few of her friends quite a bit during this Vegas week -- a far cry from last time with my aunt who hasn't been heard from by us since that 2023 trip.

After that ill-fated Circus Circus stay, later Vegas trips saw me stay at a pre-renovated Imperial Palace and Bally's, Excalibur, New York New York, Wynn, my aunt's timeshares, and three stays at The Cosmo. This time saw a thirteenth different property become my temporary home: 1996 saw the Monte Carlo open during the midst of that themed resort era on the Strip, but was damaged by a devastating fire a decade later. That costly blaze, along with a changing environment and the building of a new sports arena sandwiched in between it and New York New York, led to Monte Carlo's eventual rebranding and widespread renovation as Park MGM just as the Golden Knights took to the ice for the first time. And when the city reemerged from that enforced shutdown, Park recognized that a growing segment of their clientele did not like the smell of cigarette puff... and it became the first Strip casino to outlaw smoking on the gaming floor once they unlocked the padlocks that autumn at the start of this decade.

Park has evolved from where it offered European luxury-style rooms without going across the Atlantic under the original ownership of Circus Circus, to one of those budget-friendly options offered by MGM Resorts located in a block occupied not only by NYNY but also Excalibur and Luxor down the way. We checked in after getting that bite at that diner, and took some time to take a rest after I could barely get a few hours of sleep after days of packing and getting my playlists and agendas set, as well as the jitters of having waited all summer, September and October's first few weeks for those four days in the desert. At the same time, we all wondered what it have been like had Daddy made the flight with us... after all, Vegas was the last vacation destination he ever went to in his lifetime, and I made sure that he was with us on the flight when I once again wore his favorite colored shirt: a pink polo shirt on the plane.

The last place in Vegas Dad ever visited in his lifetime was downtown and Fremont Street... and mom's friend wanted the chance to see what the heart of Vegas was like, just as I did when I visited there for the first time four years prior. That was where we spent night one of this trip at, and the last time I was inside the actual city limits of Las Vegas it was where I felt I had the best night of all my trips in. What the first visit in 2021 to Fremont might've lacked in both crowds and vibes being in the middle of the week and out of season in November that year, it more than made up for it the second time around when I came on the Friday before Halloween 2023 with costumes and fun aplenty. And for all the news about tourism the last several months, one would think it's just a blur when one actually goes there when the weather is still nice: both downtown and the Strip was still packed for this time of year.

Being the big sports fan that I am, we chose the right spot for Vegas XIV: all four men's major sports plus college football, Major League Soccer, the WNBA Finals and the NASCAR Cup Playoffs are all in action during the month of October. When we booked this trip, it came to light that the first day would coincide with the first two games of the NBA regular season... and the only clothing purchase I made for this trip was a good one: a Stephen Curry jersey, as the Warriors and Lakers got to play the back end of the opening night twin-bill. And I made sure to pack his jersey in my luggage so I can wear it when the opportunity arose with the warm weather, or if I went out on night #1 and wanted to see that game while in the casino. I did exactly that, and caught the finish of both that Warriors/Lakers game and the thrilling double OT Thunder-Rockets opener in the casinos -- the former while watching it from the mezzanine overlooking the large super screen at the Circa.

On the other side of the sporting spectrum, I have a place in my heart for niche events outside of the big spotlight: any kind of Olympic sport, emerging properties like pickleball and cricket, and international games that might feel obscure to us Americans. But for some strange reason, I have not been interested much in professional wrestling since I was a kid: even with getting to watch both nights of 2025's WWE WrestleMania in Vegas back in April or watching it occasionally on Peacock then, it still wasn't enough to move the needle and get me more invested in it. But on this first night, the emerging promotion WOW - Women of Wrestling began the second week of their two-week residency at Fremont Street, hosting live tapings of their weekly television program. And I got to experience what it's like to see this sport up close and personal... and with the ladies taking center stage.

The last time I was on Fremont, I also got the rare chance to also experience the thrill of live music... but it's something I got to warm up for just months earlier when I saw seven emerging artists perform at my hometown mall back in early August. But as good as it was, the intimacy of that quaint gathering at the Great Mall of the Bay Area in my hometown of Milpitas was different compared to having hundreds of people in the crowd, loud speakers and the sheer energy that only live concerts can offer -- even if the artists performing in this setting were just mere local cover bands compared to rising stars back during the summer. As it was the last time I was on Fremont, one stage had the Halloween side of rockers Alter Ego -- which when October comes around, Rich Embry and co. become Alter Igor. But another stage had a group I had become familiar with thanks to YouTube: country cover group The Tony Marques Band have been entertaining Fremont Street visitors for years, and this marked my first time seeing them in person.

Other than music and sports, it was just an ordinary Vegas night for me just roaming downtown with my cameras in hand, spending a few dollars on the slots, getting a slice of pizza for dinner, and just taking in the vibe of not only Night #1 of this fling but also what has become the heart of the desert -- but hardly the case when one comes to appreciate where it's been. Not long ago, Fremont Street had to live in the shadow of the bustling Strip and its many hotels along those three miles of real estate.... and those who believed in Fremont Street knew they had to come up with one bold idea to prove that it is really the soul of Sin City. The choice the powers that be in 1995 of shutting down automobile traffic along the street, building a pedestrian canopy above it replete with millions of flashing lights - later transforming into the world's largest high-definition screen - and putting a sea of humanity on the streets every day and night gave downtown a total 180 from where it was years ago to finally become the Strip's equal when it came to attracting the tourism dollars.

As much as I enjoy Vegas every year, it's also that one time of year that it also completely messes up my sleep schedule: since I quit my job I've settled into a daily rhythm of waking up at midday and going to bed in the wee hours of the morning after capping off my night on my desktop and watching Vegas live streams on YouTube while often editing content just like this blog. Just having to temporarily adjust those hours to accommodate a morning schedule for a few days was a challenge in itself... in all, I only got as much as five hours of nap time over the three nights I cuddled up in the Park MGM bed. And having to be awakened by wild weather outside our window on the morning of day 2 only piled things on a bit -- especially when it's the kind of weather we are just not used back home in the Bay: rain, thunder and lightning. Good thing I came prepared having a packable hoodie jacket just in case of a surprise storm at the tail end of monsoon season.

A must for anyone going here is the Bellagio: Steve Wynn nailed the target when he thought big in bringing visitors back to Vegas at the end of the '80s when he opened The Mirage, and then when he constructed a large man-made lake in the middle of the Strip and made them dance after dark. Going to this fabulous resort will, in all likelihood, be the closest I'll ever get to step foot to the actual Bellagio village in Northern Italy... but walking around this $1.6 billion treasure makes up for it -- just as it is when you can go all around the world in one afternoon or evening thanks to the many themed resorts lined up all up and down the Strip.

As we enjoy the quintessential holiday of autumn, we all can think of pumpkins, leaves, and everything that comes with the time of year when the days get darker, the weather starts to cool off and see sights of orange just about all over the place. The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens features a feast for the senses for everyone who gets to walk through 14,000 square feet of awe-inspiring displays, and which is periodically updated for the year's four seasons as well as the Lunar New Year. While we did pass into Bellagio a couple times last year, the gardens was going through its periodical transition as crews changed over the fall display in favor of that of the winter... so it wasn't until this time that we got to walk into the conservatory and take the opportunity to smell the roses and get out the camera to take plenty of pictures. And we did exactly that... just in time for me to finally lose my face mask for the first time in Las Vegas since having it on most of the time since that pandemic trip.

Anyone's best friend on these trips has been of any method of transportation, especially with the traffic the way it is... and while we did take taxis, we also had the pleasure of having a free Uber ride -- that is, having auntie's friend who lives in Vegas take us down the Strip and past the landmarks to our Day 2 lunch. And while I don't consider myself a foodie by any sense, it has been a tradition of mine during my trips to try out new food for the first time when I'm in Vegas: a few years back, I had my first taste of a Subway sandwich while I was at the Gold Coast and then at El Cortez. When the rest of my traveling party took up Filipino food for their lunch, I walked by myself up the way to what has become a must-eat for those who love chicken strips: Raising Cane's doesn't have a lot of locations as others in its category back home, but given its stature in having grown beyond its Louisiana roots I had to make sure to get a bite.

One of their Canes locations was conveniently located next to an outlet mall on the south of the Strip... but instead of taking advantage of early bird shopping before the adrenaline rush of Black Friday comes around, I found another option nearby. A place I loved going to on my around town adventures has been to the thrift shop and finding interesting things that are cheaper than going to the mall... and thanks to going to the local Goodwill store, I bought myself an NFL Draft shirt (from when it hosted in 2022 - the Brock Purdy draft for 49ers fans) and -- all the more fitting for it being the hometown to UFC -- an Ultimate Fighter jersey of Ronda Rousey. And conveniently located next to Goodwill was a Spirit Halloween store... and I window shopped around the store while playing at full blast on my phone the moment it was featured on Jean Smart's episode of Saturday Night Live season 50.

We then made our way to that aforementioned Wynn complex, where when one walks inside they are immediately spellbound by just opulent both the original and Encore still are two decades after it opened its doors for the first time. One can still remember the commercials that aired prior to its grand opening and can still feel just as scared as the namesake casino executive was when he sat on top of the two towers' marquees, all the way to the point that they didn't feel it was real when it was filmed well before artificial intelligence became part of our 2020's lifestyle. We were lucky enough to stay there in that first Vegas trip of this decade, and things really haven't changed all that much from the last visit as we spent our Wednesday afternoon inside Wynn -- from the indoor garden at its lobby entrance to the fountains and fountain show at the Strip side.

For the rest of Night #2, we went to the Showcase Mall across the street as, once again, I had the rare bite of a Subway sandwich -- which like it was for Cane's, I had it for the first time on a Vegas trip back in 2021 at its location at Gold Coast across from Rio and the Palms off-Strip. But while one would be bored having to stay back at the same location for the rest of evening, the YouTube creator side of me chose the right night to come out and play while the mom was stuck playing the slots for the rest of the evening, as she always does whenever she goes to any casino for that matter. For myself, I walked alone back towards Showcase... but to the Coca-Cola Store -- and given my soft drink obsession it was another item off of the Vegas bucket list. Other than that, just another night as I spent the rest of it at Park after getting to capture b-roll footage.

For Day #3 in the desert, it was just the two of us -- mom's friend went to her relative's to spend both the day and the rest of the trip for birthday festivities. We started our day with another hop to the same places: Park MGM, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio... and while she was gambling once again, I also decided to take for a little walk across the street after lunch. In this instance, it came to my attention of how special any view of the Strip is to anyone who comes here... and after I had a money view of the most famous body of water on Las Vegas Boulevard the previous year, I went to a place that has joined the many places that offer those: the third floor of the Brewdog Las Vegas brewery offers amazing views of the South Strip -- especially when it comes to the New Year's Eve fireworks. And after taking pictures and video from their vantage point, we later took for a walk down to New York-New York.

Then we switched it up a little bit to begin the last night by going to a place I have not visited in some time: growing up in this age and having my first trip to the desert being in 1994, Vegas enthusiasts now take themed resorts for granted. But that has existed for much longer thanks to Caesars Palace, and having the Roman Empire theme ever since it opened in the '60s it has been the site of so many famous moments: Evel Knievel's jump over the fountains, Fan Man crashing the Bowe-Holyfield rematch and The Hangover films. And my mom & I got to step inside Caesars for an hour at Vegas' original theme resort -- and it brought me back to all those years past while thinking about Doug and his entourage checking in just before that fateful night with too many twists & turns to elaborate on in this blog.

As I walked back to Bellagio, for myself a Vegas trip nowadays would not be complete without seeing one of those who has made a living for themselves on YouTube... and it's that site and me watching Vegas content every day dating back to 2019 that has a hand in accelerating Vegas into the stature it holds in my universe. The thirteenth trip in 2023 saw me meet Jaycation, Norma Geli and The Other Me in a 24-hours' span, while both that and the following year I met up with Sin City Angel (and let's not bring up his dad on here). When the next trip comes around, it will almost be inevitable that I will run into someone who plays the slots on YouTube for a living... and there was just one YouTuber who I got to see during this Vegas XV trip: Casino Jackpot 777.

The standout feature of Bellagio is, of course, the world-famous Fountains at the front of the property... and chances are you've seen video of it set to music from all eras and genres. Normally the streets in front of the Strip would be filled up for the many performances that take place each day, but the four-wheeled circus that is Formula 1 had other ideas. But later on in the trip, we got to once back again to Bellagio and watch the fountain show from almost where I had that midnight moment in front of the entrance... and when we got to watch that show on the Strip and heard the musical act on the speakers, I thought of another thing and of another member of my family: had things not transpired the way they did, then my niece would have fulfilled her dream to see her favorite musical act BTS perform when I heard "Dynamite" and "Butter." I had the niece in my mind in watching that BTS fountain show... not only did she get back the night she lost when the boys reunited this year to go on that U.S. tour, but also have her eighteenth birthday, high school graduation and a move to college all take place... and I dedicated my video of the fountain show to her.

Usually, blog posts on my trips goes out almost immediately after I get back from them once I recovered long enough from being on the ground for four days -- same also goes for those videos I record. For this Vegas XV recap, it comes a year after -- a few things called life, watching major sports events like the Olympics and World Cup, and editing those videos have seen me push back this retrospective to just before I embark on number fifteen. A lot of people might bemoan what has been happening in Vegas in the past year and in the leadup to last year's trip, but to me it's just another one of those: a mere vacation... and it's much more than that. It's a state of mind, an adventure, an escape from real life, a work assignment, and it's just not your ordinary little tradition that comes towards the end of the year that coincides with the flurry of holidays to mark both fall and winter... not to mention, my birthday. And as I close the book on fourteen and just another one of those unordinary trips, soon it'll be time again.

DC VEGAS XV kicks off in nineteen days from now with content to be posted all week across the DC Social Network -- that is, all my social media platforms from live YouTube hits to constantly-updated stories and beyond. And while the flagship offerings in my annual Sin City adventures comes in the vlog series that make its traditional debut over Thanksgiving on DC YouTube... there is a blog post to go up here during that special week starting November 9th -- and like this one it's a late-comer. Stay tuned for that...

- I AM DC

@dc408dxtr

#DCVegas