Changes in Latitude: On The Road to Vegas For a Night With Jimmy Buffett

One of the advantages of living a good driving distance from Las Vegas is the ability to pack up for the weekend and catch one of the great shows the city is famous for.  My sister and I purchased tickets in May of last year to see Jimmy Buffett at the MGM Grand which was originally scheduled for fall.  When he postponed the show to this year we considered putting them back up for sale.  I’m so glad that we instead found a way to make it work. 

Living 1,000 miles from your sister is hard but one way to lessen the heartache is to meet up for trips whenever possible.  So we hit the road early Saturday morning while she flew in from Wichita with my brother-in-law and got together for an amazing weekend.  

Waiting too long to make our final decision on the trip was not a good call. We hadn’t counted on one of the busiest weekends in Vegas. NASCAR was the biggest attraction and that along with some other popular events sent room rates sky-high (forget about a comp) if you could find one at all. With few options, we ended up at Circus, Circus for what would be my first and most likely last stay.  

Despite the theme, this hotel was originally geared towards adults only when it opened in 1968.  Sometime later, under new ownership, it started courting families with attractions such as the indoor theme park Adventuredome. Seems the property has seen its better days and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was no longer around a few years from now.  It was a bit shocking opening the door to an uncleaned room due to a mix-up with housekeeping. But all was well at the end of the day when we recouped the cost of the room in their casino. 

When you are in Las Vegas to see Jimmy Buffett, there is no other place for lunch than Margaritaville on the strip. Long gone are my nights sipping on a jumbo margarita and dancing the night away here, but it is still a great place to grab a mound of nachos (Yes, we did) and my favorite frozen concoction of the watermelon variety.  There is always an easygoing mood with laid-back tropical live music for the afternoon and evening.  

The retail store shouldn’t be missed.  You can find everything from apparel to beach towels, margarita machines, and unique clocks.  And what about this pool chair I found complete with a cup holder and cooler? 

I always love walking around the strip people watching and stopping in the different hotels and casinos.  We ultimately found ourselves at Caesars where the guys headed to the sportsbook to bet the horses and some college basketball and we sisters decided to try our luck at the slots.  Mr. Caesar wasn’t in a giving mood.  

I never visit Vegas without hitting my favorite Italian food joint, Casa di Amore. So we parked the car and called the party bus and headed out for an early pre-concert dinner.  After the big lunch, we opted for a smaller meal, splitting a salad and some pizza. Being early we missed the entertainment here but that was okay.  We will be enjoying Jimmy and the Coral Reefers soon.

The MGM Grand where the concert would be held is massive.  We would be heading to the Grand Garden Arena which seats nearly 17k. Although the arena sits far back in the hotel and we had never seen it before we didn’t need directions to find it.  We just followed the Parrotheads. These concertgoers know how to have a good time and in addition to the birds we saw beach attire, pirates, and grass skirts. I felt underdressed.

The show lasted about 2 and 1/2 hours. He performs barefoot and beach balls are passed back and forth throughout the stadium making for a fun and relaxing vibe. I knew most of the songs from the set but a few I was hearing for the first time. He did all the favorite sing-alongs including Cheeseburger in Paradise, 5 O’clock Somewhere, and of course Margaritaville. Who doesn’t know those lyrics? Well, this guy actually but he was a good sport.

I find that Jimmy Buffet has his own sound and when someone asks me his genre, I am unsure how to answer. Most would say country, I think. I first heard of him in the 70s when he was singing about holding up filling stations and chewing Juicy Fruit gum.  He continues blending rock, pop, folk, and country elements with Caribbean music while including some tropics-inspired themes. He has termed this Gulf and Western.

We headed back home the next morning after breakfast.  It isn’t a bad drive and we keep talking about stopping to view the Hoover Dam one of these times but haven’t done it yet.  I can pretty safely say we will be driving that way again in the future and will eventually take advantage of that opportunity.