CES anyone?

I'm heading to Vegas next week for CES and can't wait (first time!). I wanted to see if you all had any recommendations for any local bars (not in a casino...maybe a dive bar). Just looking for something different. I'm going with a company that I'm working with and want to be able to escape the bells and whistles if I want to.

Also, I wanted to share with everyone here that they are doing a contest for an all-access pass for Friday, January 13. It's a great contest if you're already in Vegas and want to go to CES.

Here's the contest jargon from Portable Sound Labs (http://www.portablesoundlabs.com/):

CES is gadget geek heaven and PSL is offering one winner the chance to see the magic. The winner will receive an all access pass for Friday, January 13...be the first kid on your block to experience the cool stuff CES has to offer (plus, major bragging rights to pull on all your geekiest friends).

This does NOT include airfare, hotel, gourmet foodstuffs, tickets to see that Beatles Cirque du Soleil show, partying with Paris Hilton, or any variation of “making it rain.” However, you will get a special pass, a full blown schwag bag including an iMainGo XP, iMainGo 2 and other goodies, plus a sit-down meeting with the PSL head honchos as they walk you through the awesome products they’re debuting.

Entering is easy…go to their Facebook page, like ‘em and enter your deets.

http://www.facebook.com/PortableSoundLabs?sk=app_204684816209053

It's a really great contest...hope you all enter!

See ya next week!

I am going. I have been for at least the last 6-7 years. Roughly since Comdex started to really die.

I stay downtown because it is a little less crazy than the Strip and it's cheaper. My favorite bar downtown is the 777 (Tripple Seven) in the Main Street Station Casino. They have no gambling in the bar, but you can hear it in the distance. It's a brew pub with food that is quite good. The weekday happy hour is great. They even have a sushi bar inside that isn't bad. Remember, casino bars tend to be more reasonably priced because they are usually subsidized to some degree.

For a cozy bar with a fireplace I recommend the Griffen. For a real dive experience there is the Atomic Cafe. Both are on Freemont east of Downtown. The Atomic will require a brave walk from downtown or else a cab. Actually it may take a bit of bravery just to walk inside. You did say dive though.

For something even more different try the Hogs and Heifers on 3rd Street a block and a half north of Freemont. The H&H in New York City was the inspiration for the movie Coyote Ugly. There is a "Coyote Ugly" bar in the NYNY casino but it is not the same at all. The one downtown draws real bikers and yet I have never felt uncomfortable in there. I don't ride either. But the girls serving drinks will give you s**t if you try to order something other than a shot or a beer.

Where will you be staying?

Me too, on a lark to get a solo trip to LV and see a CES; last show I attended was a Comdex in the early 80s. Thanks to misscraps on vpfree for the free CES admission link, MSS for the free stay, and Southwest for the vouchers for a delayed ABQ/SAT trip, I'll only be down $70 when I hit the tarmac at LAS. The best starting point I've had on an LV trip.

I'm looking forward to trekking down Fremont after breakfast at the Boar's Head Bar and maybe some craps at the Golden Gate to catch the SDX bus to the LVCC. Sure the guys staying on the strip will be more rested and smell better, but they probably won't get to go to the Western before it closes 01-16.

And, serendipitously, I've booked enough customer meetings (we're not a CES regular) to charge the days as work, not vacation.

Thanks for the tips!!

Will you be staying downtown or out on the strip?