Return To Milltown

Set up shop this weekend at the Return To Milltown Hot Rod show in Sturbridge, Mass. Made decent money, saw some friends & took pics of some pretty nice cars. This show has come a long way, but I really wish those freakin', nasty rat rods would just go away! Just because you can drag a piece of crap '29 Dodge sedan out of the woods, drop a piece of crap F350 diesel motor in it & drop it on a piece of crap Jeep frame doesn't mean you should!!! All you've got when you're done is a steaming pile of crap, NOT a Hot Rod. Ahh! I feel better, now. Here's the pics.

Red Velvet & That Little Boy's Smile...

Set up shop at Return To Milltown Hot Rod show & scored this red velvet painting for the lounge. Not bad for 15 bucks. Now; all I have to do is make room for it!

SEMA & SoCal & The Golden Steer

Tuesday, November 1:
   Woke up early & headed for SEMA at the convention center. Stopped in to see my suppliers & got a couple leads on some chrome stuff & a cool line of Rat Fink-abilia. Not a whole lot of traditional Rod & Kustom stuff happening. I think I'll limit SEMA to one day from now on. I did take a few pictures, though.

This is my kinda grocery getter!

   Left the show early enough to go visit my buddy, Lenny, over at the SoCal Speed Shop here in Vegas. Lenny & his dad are true traditional Rod & Kustom guys & it's always cool to visit with them & see what they've been up to. A couple roadster bodies arrived when we were there & Dave & I helped the guys unload them. As a thanks, for our help, Lenny gave us a coupla SoCal t-shirts. Whatta guy! SoCal is another must-see for any Hot Rod/Kustom/Rockabilly/Vintage guy or gal visiting Sin City.

   Next, it was back to The Orleans to snazz myself up a bit for dinner at The Golden Steer. The Golden Steer is a Rat Pack era steakhouse that has remained virtually untouched since the days when Frank, Dino, Sammy, et al, hung out there. The prices aren't cheap, but the food is excellent & the place just drips classic Vegas cool. There aren't many of these places left, so I encourage you to enjoy & support them each & every time you visit Vegas.

Tiki In Vegas!

Monday, October 31:
   Slept in a bit then gorged ourselves on the breakfast buffet, in The Orleans. After breakfast, it was off for some Tiki hunting at the Charleston Antique mall. I passed on a bunch of small stuff in favor of this amazing, 3-Tiki, Scorpion bowl from the Aku Aku at the long, lost Stardust Hotel. The bowl is in mint condition with the OMC label perfect & intact, on the bottom.

After all that Tiki hunting, I needed a nap, so it was back to the hotel for a little shut-eye. Refreshed from my little respite, it was off to Frankie's Tiki Room for some video poker & exotic cocktails. I had a Lava Letch & took the new mug home with me. If you've never been to Frankie's, it's a must see when visiting Sin City. They have many exotic cocktails that come in their own signature Tiki mugs & the decor is killer, having been put together by Bamboo Ben with carvings & art from everyone who's anyone, in the Tiki community.

After Frankie's, we headed over to Bambino's Pizza for some chow. Bambino's is a Boston-style pizzeria, operated by a couple of East Coast transplants. I walked in the door & immediately zeroed in on a large picture of the 1969-1970 Boston Bruins Stanley Cup winning team. The owner, being from Boston, was quite impressed that I could name all but 2 of the players, in the photo. Definitely the best pizza I've had in Vegas. After dinner, we ventured over to the Red Rock Casino for a look around. While not vintage, much of the decor & architecture had a mid-century vibe about it. This place is pretty swanky & definitely one of Vegas' best kept secrets. After that, it was back to The Orleans to crash, for the night.