[40k] Ben Jurek’s Road to LVO, Part 9: Your Las Vegas Insider

In our Road to LVO series, we’re following several different players and hobbyists as they prepare to play in one of the largest wargaming conventions on the planet. This year’s Road to LVO series is sponsored by Frontline Gaming.

So you’ve decided to travel to Las Vegas.

Presumably for LVO if you’re reading this, but even if you’re just going to have a good time doing non-Warhammer activities, there’s a lot to think about for your trip in addition to planning for the largest 40k event in the world. Vegas, a city I call home, is one of the premier tourist destinations in the world. The city sees something like 40 million tourists every year, so there’s no shortage of things to see and do. It can be pretty daunting if you’ve never attended, and if all you know about the city is “casinos” and gambling isn’t your thing, it can seem like a place that might not be for you.

Well, good news – you’ve got a Vegas resident right here and in this article I’ll be lending a bit of my insider perspective on the city to tell you what you need to know both about traveling to Vegas generally and also what to do that isn’t just the glitz, glam, and big shows on the main strip. And there’s enough to do in Vegas that multiple multi-day trips still won’t cover it all, so whether you’re a veteran LVOer or new to the event, there’s bound to be something new for you to do. While you can certainly do the “fly in, game for three days, fly out” grind, my advice is to play as many days before and after the event as you can get away with to explore the city and get a feel for what it’s about.

Rob: In this article, Ben will be referring to “The Strip” fairly often. For those unfamiliar with Las Vegas, this refers to a four-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that is actually outside of the Las Vegas city limits and houses a lot of casinos, including the largest and most famous of the bunch, e.g. the Bellagio, the Aria, MGM Grand, etc.

Fremont Street

Let’s start with the big part of Vegas that all the locals know about and is still a pretty common tourist spot. Just north of the strip is an area which is often referred to as “Fremont.” This is the true downtown Las Vegas; the historic entertainment district which is home to some of the older casinos and attractions in the city.

The World Market Center – this year’s LVO venue – is located near Fremont, and the Golden Nugget (the weekend’s host hotel), is located on Fremont street itself. If you’ve attended LVO in the past, you’ll immediately notice that this year’s hotel is in a much more pedestrian-friendly part of town compared to the Rio. 

The area in and around Fremont is full of casinos, bars, dining, and attractions of all sorts – from free live music to ziplines, light shows, and even a huge chunk of the Berlin Wall located in a men’s room, if that’s your thing. It’s also quite a bit cheaper to have a night out in this part of town than most anywhere else in Vegas, with drinks easily costing you about a third what you’d pay on the strip and your food tab likely to cost half as much. The street itself has a massive overhead screen display (see above), which shows all different displays and will sometimes be sync’d up to entertainment or concerts on the street. The street itself has dozens of street performers at any hour and yeah, there’s a large zipline that runs the entire length of the street called Slotzilla.

I consider myself a foodie so trust me when I tell you that the downtown area has some of the city’s best restaurants and some solid fine dining options. My favorite Italian restaurant in the city is Esther’s Kitchen, located on S Main Street and W California and it’s both immensely popular and kind on wallets. That said, it’s a busy destination so if you’re planning to check it out, you should consider making a reservation now. Le Thai, one of my favorite Thai spots, is also just to the west of N Main Street and I’m already dying thinking about their waterfall beef. If you’re looking for fine dining, Hugo’s Cellar (located in the middle of the Fremont Street area) is a classic, and Barry’s Downtown Prime at the new Circa location on Fremont Street is quickly becoming a must-visit.

If you’re looking for something faster, there are also dozens of quick bites and eats, including a walk-up window at the famous Pizza Rock and good eats out of Evel Pie. These two stops are also conveniently located near the bar and club part of downtown, putting them near a few of my favorite bars and making them wonderful stops when you’re halfway through a night out. While we’re here, I want to highlight the Gold Spike as another fun hangout to hit up. 

My favorite speakeasy in town, The Laundry Room, can be found behind a secret door in the Commonwealth. It’s a very intimate 1920s-styled speakeasy with a mixologist and a maximum seating of 22 people, making it another location where you will want to make reservations ahead of time. And further south toward Charleston Boulevard is my favorite nerd theme bar, the Millennium Fandom, home to nerds of all walks and styles. They often host themed and cosplay nights and have a d20 shots menu where if you roll a crit the drink is free.

For the gamblers, pool enjoyers, and sports fans reading: Circa is my first choice. They have a rooftop stadium swim with a giant rooftop pool, sportsbook, and ways to watch the games. The pool is heated and the deals on their hotel room packages are pretty solid compared to the rest of the area. 

I could keep going but the key takeaway is this: I’m very excited the event has moved to the Fremont/downtown area. There’s a ton to do and see in this area and it’s just a much better location than in years past.

Chinatown

Chinatown is a wonderful hidden gem – something which every local knows about but which most tourists never see. It’s in an area west of the Strip off Spring Mountain Road and it’s home to some of the best dining in the city, plus some great bars and karaoke.

The highlight here is the food: There are a number of restaurants here staffed by high-end restaurants who have chosen to move off the strip and make their home here. Two key places I want to highlight here are:

• Partage, a French restaurant with a 5-9 course tasting menu that rotates seasonally. The food there is fantastic and it will also cost you half of what it could cost to eat on the strip. It’s great if you enjoy French cuisine and you want that “wow” factor to your meal.
• Sparrow and Wolf, an American style restaurant which offers a tasting menu at a similar price point as well as a rotating season menu, though they tend to be a bit more adventurous with their flavors and style (though still using the highest-end ingredients possible). They’re also famous for having some amazing cocktails, and the chefs and mixologists there really know their stuff. I’ve been there many times.

While cheaper than the strip, those are both more expensive options but there’s plenty in the area that won’t set you back a ton. Here’s a quick rundown of my top picks:

• Ramen: Monta Ramen
• Sushi: Sushi Neko
• Chinese: China Mama
• Dumplings: Xia Long Bao
• Tacos: Mas Por Favor
• Steak: Herbs and Rye
• Japanese BBQ: Chubby Cattle

That’s not a complete list, but it’s a quick summary of some of my favorites. In fact, as I write this I should note that I just went to Chubby Cattle last night with Steven Salazar, a mutual friend of mine and Rob’s and my final round opponent at the GW US Open Tacoma event. They offer AYCE Wagyu and it’s truly a decadent experience.

Rob: Steven owns his own bar+restaurant in Katy and, in addition to being a very good Warhammer player, is also very into food.

Finally, Chinatown also hosts one of the city’s better hidden gems, a Tiki Bar called The Golden Tiki. If you’re a big fan of tiki bars or tiki-style drinks, put this one on your destination list. They make the best damn painkiller – be sure to “add fire.” I’ve started more than one night here and followed it up by going just a few doors down to hit up the J Karaoke bars. A good night out.

Outside the City

Fancy yourself more an outdoors person? We have plenty of nearby national parks, and you can even book a quick helicopter flight into the grand canyon if that’s something up your alley. There’s lots of local hiking, including Red Rock Canyon and Bootleg Canyon. And Vegas is just a 25-minute drive away from Boulder City, home to the Hoover Dam and is a quaint, quiet town good for antiquing and exploration. The Dam itself can be a whole day’s worth of activity and tours, while Lake Mead is also a great time, with plenty of rental options and opportunities for boating and jet skiing. 

My preferred local secret gem? Hemenway Park. It’s just a park in the city with one really cool feature: The Big Horn Sheep that come down from the mountains to graze and lounge in the park  It’s free to visit and has gained a bit of popularity and is something I always take visitors to as a unique thing to see while they’re in town.

AREA15

A more recent addition – sprouting up in the last five years – has been AREA15 and its surrounding attractions. Located further south of Fremont toward the strip, AREA15 is home to Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, an interactive, immersive art experience full of mystery. It also has things like the John Wick Experience and other interactive experiences that make for better all-ages entertainment. It’s great for a night of entertainment and is snuggled between Chinatown and the strip.

A Few Dos and Don’ts

We’ve covered some of the major spots, let’s wrap things up by covering some key dos and don’ts for your visit.

• DO: Get the Casino Club Cards.

Do you want Free stuff? Cool, this is how you get it. Once you get a card you trade some personal information and some likely incoming mail for everything from free food, free parking, free gambling credits and much more. If you are a repeat Vegas visitor, this is how you will get comps, coupons and offers in the mail that you wouldn’t get otherwise. If you are a high level member of one organization the other casinos will often match it. Definitely take advantage of this if you can – you can sign up to as many places as you like and just reap all the free rewards. 

• DO: Tip, Tip, Tip. 

We are a service industry-based economy here. So many of the people you’ll encounter rely on tips as a majority of their wages. But note as well that people will notice how you tip and that can often mean free drinks later. One big trick is to tip heavy up front to your cocktail server if you’re gambling. You’ll find that the servers remember and the free drinks flow a lot more easily. Slipping a 20-to-50 dollar tip with your ID at check-in is also a well known industry trick to get some free room upgrades. Be sure to tip your dealers, your drivers, and your concierge; it goes a long way and you’ll find the service you get once you do to be of significantly higher quality. 

• DO: Go to a Show.

You’re in the right place for it. The shows that Spiegel World and Cirque du Soleil put on are some of my favorites. We have some of the most talented performers and acrobats in the world in Las Vegas and this is your chance to see them live.

• DON’T: Attend a timeshare presentation.

These are just scams. This will often start with one or two well-dressed people loitering near a casino entrance, approaching you and asking if you’d like to come back to Vegas in the future or if you are interested in a free show or stay or whatever. They lead with honey first and won’t outright say it’s a timeshare presentation. Just an “attend a short presentation,” then they put you in a high pressure sales environment that just isn’t enjoyable. It’s also becoming much harder to redeem the “free” things they give out. So just avoid it – it’s a waste of your time.

• DON’T: Walk everywhere.

The Vegas strip looks close due to the size of everything. Even from the airport you think, “maybe I can walk.” This is a mistake. Don’t. There are maybe three sections on the strip I’d walk but going end-to-end (again: four miles) just isn’t that enjoyable. Be careful and judge your distances accordingly. That said, if you’re sticking to the Fremont area, it’s much more walkable, and you can get everywhere I mentioned on foot. So an added bonus there.

• DON’T: Try to do too much.

It is entirely too easy to plan too much, especially with a three-day 40k tournament and gaming convention happening in the middle of it all. And on top of that, if you make the shadow round, you may only have two free evenings to explore. You can take some of the pressure off this by booking some extra days before and every the event, but try and keep your schedule light. Two things a day is my recommendation for a good pace.

What’s Next?

A new dataslate has dropped and there’s a lot to take in. Then there’s the largest teams event in Nort America, followed by the largest singles event – so there’s a lot to prepare for. Meanwhile I’m looking at the Orks on my shelf and facing some hard decisions here. So we’ll see what I decide next week.

Rob: Do it, coward.

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