Wayne!

I wouldn't call it a life-long obsession by any stretch. But certainly since the first time I visited Las Vegas, I have wanted to see Wayne Newton in concert. Despite a few opportunities over the years, I never made it to a show. But when I read in my weekly Ticketmaster email update that he was coming to a state near me, I decided to go. I flew solo for this event - I didn't have any takers on the invitation to travel 200 miles each way to see Wayne.

I took off a little early on Friday and drove down to Hammond, IN. If you haven't been there, I wouldn't suggest booking your next vacation for the greater Hammond / Gary, IN area. I checked in to the hotel, took a quick nap, then went in search of the Horseshoe Casino. It was nearly an exercise in futility as Google Maps failed me. I did eventually stumble upon the casino, made my way to The Venue (yes, that's what the theater is called - perhaps they should rename Binion's Horseshoe Casino to The Casino). I was a bit late, and was promptly seated 3rd row, center. Holy cow! Three rows away from Wayne!

I thoroughly enjoyed the show - he is quite the entertainer - very gregarious and charming. I chatted a bit with the three guys in front of me from Ohio, who were in their late 30s - early 40s. It was surprising to me to see three guys (straight, mind you) at a Wayne show for some reason. But they were entertaining as well. Wayne's voice is getting old and isn't so smooth anymore, but he's so charismatic and energetic that it didn't matter. The ambiance was great. I especially enjoyed the very end when the house lights came up a a bunch of people in wheel chairs and with walkers rushed the stage to shake Wayne's hand. There was even an oxygen tank. The line for the elevator outside The Venue was extremely long, due to the sheer number of mobility aids required by patrons.

I took a hot minute to scope out the black jack tables, but the minimums were more than I cared to spend. Since it would be sacrilege in my family to leave a casino without placing a bet, I plopped down at a nickel slot and put $20 in. It was one of the infamous nickel slots with five electronic "wheels" and the opportunity to play up to fifteen lines. I hit a little bit on the first few spins. Then I decided to play the max bet on each line and hit for 2,560 nickels. I ended up cashing out $153 dollars and promptly left. I figure that covered the hotel and some of the gas - not too shabby!

I survived the drive home Saturday morning / early afternoon despite the treacherous conditions (at least one car off the road each mile along I-94 in MI for at least 12 miles). I think the trip was time well spent, and this is another adventure to check off of my list of things to do!