What places should I consider visiting for Defcon?

[TheCotMan]

We've got a new location, and many people will be on foot, limited to busses, or want to minimize their cab/drive times in the city of perpetual construction delays. Additionally, since it is our first year at the Riviera, we don't yet have an idea what nearby resources are best for our needs.

Point of interest near the Riveria for Defcon people.

Add to the list. Do you know of something closer? Further but worth the distance? Corrections to what has been posted? Feedback, on worthiness of cited entry? Post a reply.

1) Transportation:
We are on the strip, so bus access should be easier with more choices and greater frequency and opportunity.
Las Vegas Bus Map with Riviera marked on it (png) (http://forum.defcon.org/custom/images/bus-map-partial-riviera-Jan-2006.png) as taken from from rtcsouthernnevada.com (pdf) (http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/cat/sysmap/SystemMap1-06.pdf).
"The Deuce" is a route that travels the strip. According to this (http://www.vegas.com/transportation/buses.html),"A Deuce day pass is $5 and a one-way ride is $2." (Probably cheaper than a cab and more conveinient than a car+parking if you are trecking to see the sights of the strip.)
Las Vegas Monorail (http://www.lvmonorail.com/) seems to have closest stops at the LV Hilton (to the east) and Sahara (North by NorthEast) or the Las Vegas Convention Center. (7:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m., Monday-Thursday) or (7:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. Friday-Sunday) Cost: $5/trip, $9 for a 2-trip-pass, $15 for all-day pass.
There are always cabs, or rental cars.

2) Grocery Stores / food stores nearby:
Circle K (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&f=d&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=2300+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&om=1) (1.0 miles from the Riviera)
Albertsons Sav-On: Las Vegas (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=2575+S+Maryland+Pkwy,+Las+Vegas,+NV&om=1) (1.9 miles from the Riviera) (Deuce, 204, ~109)
[Syntax] posted about a Walgreens#2 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=1111+S+Las+Vegas+Blvd,+Las+Vegas,+NV+89104&om=1) (1.8 miles from Riviera but a "Day-pass" on the "Deuce" may make this a reasonable choice) and a Walgreens#2 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=2882+S.+Maryland+Pkwy,+Las+Vegas+NV&ll=36.139746,-115.149808&spn=0.012615,0.027809&om=1) (2.2 miles from the Riviera)

3) Places to eat:
Kallahar's Recon: Riviera Food court has several eateries: Kallahar's recon (http://23b.org/gallery/RivieraRecon?page=2): KFC, A&W, CheeseSteaks etc., Jade Dragon (may have replaced Panda Express), Pizza Hut, Quiznos, La Salsa
List of Riviera Dining options (http://www.rivierahotel.com/dining.html)
[Syntax wrote: Theres also an arcade at the hotel and a Korean resturaunt with cyber cafe 1 building south.
Kallahar and later Abby Normal mention The Peppermill (http://www.vegas.com/nightlife/bars/peppermill.html) which is map (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=2985+S.+Las+Vegas+Blvd.,+Las+Vegas,+NV&om=1) (0.4 miles from Riviera)

4) Bars/Liquor Stores:
Strip Liquor (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=3049+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,++NV&om=1) (0.1 miles from the Riviera)
Quarks at the Hilton (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=3000+Paradise+Rd,Las+Vegas,+NV+&om=1) (0.5 miles from the Riviera)
Town Pump Liquors Inc (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=953+E+Sahara+Ave,+Las+Vegas,+NV&om=1) (0.6 miles from Riviera)

5)Hotels near The Riviera:
What Hotels are Nearby? (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=hotels+near+2901+Las+Vegas+Blvd.+South,++La s+Vegas,+NV&hl=en) (according to google maps)
Hotels Near The Riviera (http://travel.travelocity.com/hotel/HotelSort.do?sortOrder=ascDistance&startIndex=0&sortAlpha=-1&showMap=0&hotelQKey=525348543203400702) (According to Travelocity)
Hotels Nearby (http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?itty=&itid=&itdx=&fpri=1&aasl=0&nwiw=0&oloc=&qscr=htwv&stat=1&ploc=&wsds=&sopt=0&subm=1&pkdr1=0&pkdr2=0&pkdr3=0&rwid=&fmap=&rfrr=&khst=4&cnty1=4&strt1=2901%20Las%20Vegas%20Blvd&city1=Las%20Vegas&stnm1=NV&zipc1=89109&wppv1=&dphd1=&stpr1=&sthd1=&regp1=0&labl1=&ccty=0&locn=Las%20Vegas%20%28and%20vicinity%29,%20Nevada, %20United%20States%20of%20America&date1=7%2f29%2f2005&date2=7%2f31%2f2005&crom=1&cadu1=1&ckdr1=0&chid=0&name=&star=0) (According to Expedia)
Hotels Nearby (http://reservations.collegehotelguide.com/nexres/search/power_results.cgi?avail=Y&num_rooms=1&num_adults=1&smoking_pref=NP&bed_type=NP&src=10006312&poi_name=Hotels+Near+DefCon14+and+The+Riviera&address_lat_lng=36.13530,-115.16260&doa_mm=7&doa_dd=29&dod_mm=7&dod_dd=30&num_adults=1&num_beds=1&num_rooms=1&smoking_pref=NP&Go.x=15&Go.y=8&Go=Go) (According to College Hotel Guide and a custom URL to abuse form data)

6) Other stuff:
[Syntax] posted: Bungie jumping across from the Riviera (http://www.aj-hackett.com/lasvegas/prices&services/prices.html).
Kallahar photo recon of the Riviera (http://23b.org/gallery/RivieraRecon) -- What are the couches like? What are the TV like? What are the beds like? Bathrooms? Locations? Check this. If you like this recon, maybe you should buy him a beer, or drink.
Tacitus photo recon of the Riviera (http://23b.org/gallery/tacitus_defcon14recon): There are difference from Kallahar'a recon here. Convention space, floor space, skybox room views and more. If you like this recon, maybe you should buy him a beer, or drink.
Rather expensive automatic weapon rental and firing range. (http://www.thegunstorelasvegas.com/) When there is no Defcon Shoot, some people go here. They do have "printable coupons" but that does not save you much if you rent 4 -8 clips with just one automatic weapon. (Like $5 off.)

Anything else?

[kallahar]

Also within walking distance are the Stardust and Circus Circus - across the street, and the Stratosphere (like $8 to go to the top, then more for the rides, but definately worth doing once.) If you've seen Vegas Vacation, that part where they get the buffet food by color is the Circus Circus buffet...

The Riv has a comedy club that we went to, no drink minimum but there was a cover, the "dance club" was empty when we went by, and the food court closes around midnight. The peppermill is close and is open 24h with fairly good food.

The rooms were nice, our A/C was loud but worked really well in the Monarch tower. There are two little 7/11 type stores inside the hotel which have misc drinks and alcohol, the prices weren't horrible. Kady's has good breakfast and lunch food and their bay windows overlook the pool.

Oh, and it was 115 degrees in May, the pool has waitress drink service, it's 9 feet deep but closes at 6, and at least one light pole on the grass had an open 110v outlet.

[Tacitus]

the pool has waitress drink service, it's 9 feet deep but closes at 6

Any idea if this is extended longer in the summer? Do they enforce nobody in the pool or do they just pull the lifeguard? Perhaps there is a change defcon can have extended pool hours?

[astcell]

We need to go over to the Alexis Park at midnight, light a candle and drink a shot.

[Gobniu]

The Imperial palace which is up the strip a bit has a great car museum. They used to have the Batmodile from the 60's Tv show. they also had Hitler's limo and some cult leaders Rolls-Royce with a weird lace paint job. They also had the the worlds largest collection of Dusenberg's. The reason For the past tense is they had everything for sale the last time I was there because they like to rotate the collection.
http://www.imperialpalace.com/autos.php

[renderman]

Since we're talking about cars.... another option (though a bit of a drive) is the free tour of the Shelby American plant at the las vegas speedway.

http://www.shelbyamerican.com/tours.asp

From the site:


Located near the famed Las Vegas Speedway, Shelby Automobiles has 10:30am tours Monday through Friday of the Shelby museum and Cobra production facility. The museum is always changing and includes some of the most famous cars ever produced from the first Cobra CSX2000 to prototypes of the wickedly fast Series 1 and some of the latest creations.

Not terribly long, but cool none the less.

[DaKahuna]

We need to go over to the Alexis Park at midnight, light a candle and drink a shot.

Only one? Waste of a trip.
:biggrin:

[TheCotMan]

We need to go over to the Alexis Park at midnight, light a candle and drink a shot.

You might get more support if you mentioned something about not buying the drinks from the AP.

[astcell]

Well only one shot because there would be 6000 of us there.

We'd buy the drinks from the liquor store on the corner. :>

[kallahar]

re pool: The lifeguards were leaving and they asked everyone to leave the pool and most of the pool area. Then they put out the "pool closed" signs. Everyone seemed to follow the rules... not sure what the penalties are ;)

[renderman]

re pool: The lifeguards were leaving and they asked everyone to leave the pool and most of the pool area. Then they put out the "pool closed" signs. Everyone seemed to follow the rules... not sure what the penalties are ;)

Please tell me that someone on the goon squad has addressed this?

[shrdlu]

Please tell me that someone on the goon squad has addressed this?

Standard hotel pool rules for Vegas.

They want everyone out of the pool long before evening. The whole idea is to push you into the casino, where you'll gamble. Any hotel on the strip is going to have the same rules. The random hedonism of the Alexis Park is almost certainly not going to work at the Riviera.

Happens.

[Surreal]

...
Add to the list. Do you know of something closer? Further but worth the distance?

Mexican food and margaritas from La Salsa in Caesar's Forum Shops. The food is decent and not too over-priced. The margaritas are freaking excellent, and they've got a great selection of tequila. They make huge to-go drinks in a tourist-grade plastic container to keep you provisioned as you wander around. ("1 yard" drink, "1/2 yard" etc. you'll look like a refugee from Mardi Gras)

One point of suckage is that they Will Not sell straight shots of tequila. You can only have additional shots added to a drink. (is that a Vegas law problem, or just them?)

I can't brink myself to buy a shot of killer Anejo just to add it to a mixed drink - "sure, we've got Jamaican Blue Mountain! What kind of Frapuccino do you want it in?" (The horror. The horror.)

One absolutely bizarre gotcha is that the Forum food and drink places close at midnight. WTF are they thinking?

Surreal

[Tacitus]

Mexican food and margaritas from La Salsa in Caesar's Forum Shops. The food is decent and not too over-priced. The margaritas are freaking excellent, and they've got a great selection of tequila. They make huge to-go drinks in a tourist-grade plastic container to keep you provisioned as you wander around. ("1 yard" drink, "1/2 yard" etc. you'll look like a refugee from Mardi Gras)



The food court in the Riviera also has a La Salsa they might have the same alcohol deal without the walk through the heat to Caesars.

[Abby_Normal]

Standard hotel pool rules for Vegas.

They want everyone out of the pool long before evening. The whole idea is to push you into the casino, where you'll gamble. Any hotel on the strip is going to have the same rules. The random hedonism of the Alexis Park is almost certainly not going to work at the Riviera.

Happens.

Am I the only one worrying about this? It just seems like this could go very bad very fast.

And what are we going to do for poolcon?

[Deviant Ollam]

Am I the only one worrying about this?you are certainly not the only one. i wouldn't mind defcon organizers at least floating the notion of late night pool access with the hotel and telling us how it goes.

what about hot tubs... are they on the outdoor grounds like the pools? what are their operating hours?

[Tacitus]

you are certainly not the only one. i wouldn't mind defcon organizers at least floating the notion of late night pool access with the hotel and telling us how it goes.

what about hot tubs... are they on the outdoor grounds like the pools? what are their operating hours?

No (filled/functional) hot tubs.

[TheCotMan]

you are certainly not the only one. i wouldn't mind defcon organizers at least floating the notion of late night pool access with the hotel and telling us how it goes.

what about hot tubs... are they on the outdoor grounds like the pools? what are their operating hours?

I asked about pools/hot tubs in an email, and here is what I got back:

(Name and address of sender removed.)
In answer to your inquiry, we do have an old pool that is on the roof of our casino but it is not operational as it does leak so it has not been used in years. Our regular pool is open to hotel guests only from 9am to 7pm daily with
lap swimming available between 9am and 10am. No night swimming or extended hours are allowed.

Roof pool is still out of the question.

I also asked if the pool had restricted hours, could events with music and whatnot take place during the open hours. Here is the response:
The pool is only available for functions when contracted as part of a convention function associated with our hotel. If you are part of a
convention, you will need to speak to your convention service manager to make these arrangements. We do not have hot tub facilities available at the pool.
So, even if arrangements were made to use pool space for events, the time for those events would be limited to 9am -> 7pm.

Why limit the hours for the pool?

I'm guessing one reasons is that we don't have the whole hotel. Another reason might be because many rooms overlook the pool, and have people that might complain about noise.

[big chopper]

Roof pool is still out of the question.


Can we use the roof pool if we don't fill it?
Or, fill it with something that won't leek out?
--BC,

[Deviant Ollam]

fill it with something that won't leek out?hehe... we could turn it into a giant ball crawl. <cue someone else making a "defcon's always had a ball crawl" joke involving either a reference to scenewhores or queercon parties>

[TheCotMan]

Can we use the roof pool if we don't fill it?
Or, fill it with something that won't leek out?
--BC,

If the space could be used, tacitus and kallahar's pointed something out about this location that would need to be considered

[Abby_Normal]

I see huge problems here. Without the pool as a central chill out area where will everyone go to hang out?

It seems meeting rooms are no good due to size and the fact the the hotel is forcing anyone using one to use their bar and wait staff.

So no central hangout space, and cash bars? That's asking for trouble.

I will be happy to offer my suite for sunday night, but it's not going to be the same as poolcon.

[TheCotMan]

I see huge problems here. Without the pool as a central chill out area where will everyone go to hang out?

It seems meeting rooms are no good due to size and the fact the the hotel is forcing anyone using one to use their bar and wait staff.

So no central hangout space, and cash bars? That's asking for trouble.

I will be happy to offer my suite for sunday night, but it's not going to be the same as poolcon.
on this page (http://www.defcon.org/) there is a link to tentative floor plans (http://www.defcon.org/images/defcon-14/dc-14-floorplan/1995-dc-14-floorplan_June5.pdf) with a chil-out area listed outside. It also looks like there may be a bar service close to some of the skybox rooms.

[Lockheed]

on this page (http://www.defcon.org/) there is a link to tentative floor plans (http://www.defcon.org/images/defcon-14/dc-14-floorplan/1995-dc-14-floorplan_June5.pdf) with a chil-out area listed outside. It also looks like there may be a bar service close to some of the skybox rooms.

And also the "Top of the Riv" is allocated as a chill-out area (for those of you not afraid of heights).

We ARE planning wireless to both the outdoor & Top of the Riv areas.

[TheCotMan]

The Riviera has a pdf map of the hotel available for public download (pdf: 2324497 bytes).

From that, I've constructed [url=http://forum.defcon.org/custom/images/riv-hotel.png]a revised hotel/casino map as a png marked with Defcon-related items (]http://www.rivierahotel.com/hotelmap.pdfhere[/url) that has k-rad, tres-cool, uber-leet-super-fly technique ghetto-style graphic-text, super-duper-fast car along with text markup (png: 573533 bytes, 2048x596) [This file may be removed]

You'll notice the far right-top (northeast) side of the map shows the tentative chill-out space outside. (Google Sat/Map of "Royale Pavillion" building as container to the first floor stuff, and 2nd floor skyboxes (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&t=k&om=1&ll=36.135722,-115.157589&spn=0.000892,0.001658).)

According to this (http://www.rivierahotel.com/roomsreservations_roomdetails.html) Deluxe Rooms are in the "Mediterranean South Tower' and " The Monte Carlo Tower" It looks like the Monte Carlo Tower is the most ideal room location for the con, and appears to have higher-storied, south-facing rooms that overlook the pool for those that like looking at water, or something.

Top of the Riv (ballroom) is in the Monte Carlo MONACO tower. (25th floor as described on the floorplans mentioned above.)

Food Court? Far left, bottom (southwest) side.

Parking Garage? Dude! Where's my car!?

[Lockheed]

Top of the Riv (ballroom) is in the Monte Carlo tower. (25th floor as described on the floorplans mentioned above.)


Correction - Top of the Riv is at the top of the Monaco Tower, not Monte Carlo. (picking nits is my hobby) :biggrin:

[TheCotMan]

Correction - Top of the Riv is at the top of the Monaco Tower, not Monte Carlo. (picking nits is my hobby) :biggrin:

Doh! I get it right on the image edit, but screw it up in the post.

Corrections are welcome. :-)

Thanks for the correction; I've fixed the text with an edit.

[Lockheed]

Doh! I get it right on the image edit, but screw it up in the post.

Corrections are welcome. :-)

Thanks for the correction; I've fixed the text with an edit.

IT'S MAH DUTY TO PLEEZE DAT BOOTY!

er, well, okay, doesn't apply - but I had to say it! :P