Sunday, February 9, 2014

Playing Tourist and Attending a Luau

It's been over 20 years since I've been to a commercial luau. So when the Hubz told me that his company was going to have an event at Paradise Cove Luau, I was excited to go. Would the food be any good? Would the entertainment be cheesy? Would I be bored? It ended up being a lot of fun. 

Paradise Cove is located on the West side of Oahu, past Kapolei-before Waianae, at Ko'Olina Resort. Situated right on the coastline, it's an idea place to have a luau. It offers fantastic views and a lagoon where you can kick off your shoes and walk in the sand. The sunsets are to die for. 

Here's how the visit unfolded. 

From the outside, it doesn't look like much. At the very least they should change the signage to match their logo.



Upon entering, you'll be serenaded as you walk along a path and be offered a free complimentary drink (choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic). After being greeted with a lei and taking pictures (that you can purchase later) with a pretty female and a handsome male performer, you step on to Paradise Cove.

 
 
 
You're able to partake in a number of activities including getting a tattoo, throwing a spear, taking a canoe ride or just soaking in the beautiful views. 

 
 
 
 
 

When you hear the conch shell blow, that's the signal for the organized activities to begin. Paradise Cove staff, or "cousins," as they are referred to, guide visitors to various parts of the property for demonstrations. Most notable for me was the net throwing demonstration and the unearthing of a whole pig from the imu. Along the way, the cousins inject a lot of humor and incorporate audience participation.


 
 
 
 
The food is served buffet style (unless you purchase a package that includes table service). I'm not going to list all the offerings, but it included poi, lomi salmon, and a very, very good kalua pork (fresh from the imu, perhaps?).

 
I don't have pictures of the entertainment since I wasn't sitting close enough to capture good pictures, but it consisted of a pre-show that started during dinner and the main show. Performers are a part of Kumu Hula Brian Eselu's hula halau who performed dances from Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa. Most notable and always a crowd pleaser was the Samoan fire dance. The dancer dropped his torch a couple of times and caused a little fire on stage, prompting a cousin to run onstage to stamp it out. The performer didn't blink an eye and kept on performing (while the fire was stamped out) -- I wasn't sure if the fire was a part of the show.  

It was a fun and entertaining show and included humor and audience participation.  

The verdict? I give it a solid A. The entertainment was solid, the food was good, and service was great. The only weird thing was how they referred everyone as "cousins." I guess they're trying to stress that we're all family, but it was weird. 

So if you have out of town visitors or want to experience a commercial luau, I'd highly recommend Paradise Cove. Fun!  


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slots, slots, slots!

Have you always been a gambler? Did you start gambling right away on your first trip to Vegas? Not me.

When I first started going to Vegas, gambling wasn't the draw for me. Sure, other people I went with gambled, but I went for the shopping, hitting every mall that was available.

I was never a big card player, and slot machines were confusing. I didn't understand all the lines and the amount of credits that went toward each spin. I once put in $5 in a nickel slot machine. At a nickel a spin, I would get 100 spins, right? I was definitely puzzled when my $5 lasted only a few spins. Oh well. Back to shopping!

That all changed on my next trip. I was walking through the Tropicana when I saw it -- a Clue nickel slot machine. Clue is my absolute most favorite game. I love the board game; I love the silly movie starring Tim Curry. (You didn't know there was a movie, did you?)

I sat down, put in $20, had the Hubz explain the payouts to me and hit "spin." And you know what? It was so much fun! I hit the bonus round several times and got to guess who killed Mr. Body, where, and with what, several times. I don't think I won anything that time; in fact, I'm sure I lost my $20. But I was hooked.

On a subsequent trip, I found a penny machine (even better!) called Hexbreaker, starring a black cat (I like cats). The bonus rounds allowed me chances to earn more credits by breaking mirrors and climbing ladders. This time, I learned, the larger your bet, the larger your potential winnings. Max bet, here I come!

That trip, the Hubz laughed at me for playing penny slots, until I came up to him while he was playing blackjack and showed him my cash out ticket.

"You won that playing penny slots?" he asked incredulously. Max bet, baby.

That was many years ago. The slots have become more sophisticated and interactive. You can play on a slot machine that is connected to others. When one player triggers a bonus, all players can play the same bonus via a huge video screen above.

I've always wanted to play a megabucks machine, but am too cheap to put in the dollars for a bet. On a recent trip, I was happily playing a Sex and the City themed machine when the Hubz stopped by and asked how much I was betting.



"I dunno," I said. "Max bet."

He sat down on the machine next to me and started tapping the screen to see the pay tables.

"You're betting SIX DOLLARS per spin?!?"

Ummm, I guess? :)

Slot machines change out quickly. I won't be able to play my favorites from my last trip: Sex and the City (what girl doesn't pretend to be Carrie?), the Hangover (so FUN; I played the slots before I saw the movie), and the Wizard of Oz (it was very, very nice to me). But I'm sure there will be another to take its place.

What do you play when you're in Vegas?