A Rat Pack Road Trip Means Fun in the Desert
By Tom Downs
Posted Jan. 17, 2008, at 1 p.m.
L.A. is a lady. Palm Springs is a coo-coo oasis. And Vegas swings, baby. Why? Because Frank Sinatra said so, Toots. Frank and pals Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford — collectively known as the Rat Pack — offered a stylish escape from Cold War tensions with their brassy songs, saucy humor and snazzy suits. You can still swing through their old stomping grounds in the California and Nevada deserts. Even the places that have changed beckon the latter-day swinger to take a spin — preferably with your CD changer stacked with up-tempo Nelson Riddle arrangements.
Get Your Kicks on the Sunset Strip
Cruise down the Sunset Strip in L.A. where the boys were known to perform and carouse. Both Dino and Sammy played Ciro's, which closed in 1959 and is now the legendary Comedy Store (8433 Sunset Blvd.).
Star on the pavement of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
© David Peevers. Lonely Planet Images.
Sinatra made his West Coast debut at the Mocambo (8588 Sunset Blvd.) in 1943. The site is a parking lot now. Nearby, Dean Martin's night spot, Dino's Lodge, was at 8524 Sunset. It was prominently featured on the show "77 Sunset Strip." The original building is gone, but you can see a plaque, commemorating Dino's little business venture, near the entrance of the current structure.
You can still grab a bite or see a swingin' band at smart-lookin' joints around town. Check out the Derby, which features swing bands on Sunday night. Musso & Frank (6667 Hollywood Blvd.) is a classic grill that retains its old Hollywood ambience. After lunch or dinner, stroll the Walk of Fame to see the stars of Frank, Sammy, Dino and Peter Lawford embedded in the pavement. At night, bed down in a cool poolside cabana at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
On to Swingin' Palm Springs
To properly experience Palm Springs, get situated in a jazzy, mid-century hotel. The Del Marcos Hotel and the Orbit In are both suitably streamlined, with stylin' furnishings and expansive swimming pools. Enquire about the Orbit's "Rat Pack Suite." Caliente Tropics goes a bit further in its pool atmosphere, with a patio lit by tiki torches, though the rooms are more contemporary in feel. A young Nancy Sinatra supposedly learned to swim in the motel's swimming pool in the early 1960s.
The town's main appeal is its innovative, mid-century architecture, so take a spin around to admire the works of Albert Frey, Donald Wexler and Richard Neutra. Start at Frey's outlandish Tramway Gas Station (2901 North Palm Canyon), which has been restored as an art gallery and visitor center. Here, pick up a driving tour map that will show you the way to the town's architectural gems. Dine on steaks and pasta platters at classy, traditional Melvyn's Restaurant, a known Sinatra hangout and enduring celebrity magnet.
Before leaving town, drive by Sinatra's swanky pleasure pad, Twin Palms, where he and Ava Gardner swooned and sparred. It's on East Twin Palms Drive, just a mile from downtown.
Welcome to Las Vegas in Nevada
© Curtis Martin. Lonely Planet Images.
Reach the "Summit" in Sin City
Las Vegas is the natural terminus of a Rat Pack road trip, since the clan's "Summits" were staged in Sin City at the Sands Hotel. Start off with a few snapshots of the neon "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign, just down the Strip from the Mandalay. The classic sign hearkens back to the glory days.
Alas, the rest of Las Vegas has moved on, and even the Sands wasn't spared the wrecking ball. In its place, the Venetian is one of contemporary Vegas' tributes to European luxury, with nightly entertainment by Blue Man Group. Not very Rat Packish.
Closer to the mark, for the Rat Pack-minded visitor, is Caesar's Palace, where Frank moved his show after a late-'60s falling out with the Sands' management. Caesar's retains much of its classic Roman pomp and offers nightly cabaret and comedy acts (look for Jerry Seinfeld and Bette Midler in 2008). As modern resorts go, the Luxor puts up a decent front with its huge, kitschy sphynx. Fremont Street, the main stem of downtown Vegas, has some smaller, more intimate casinos reminiscent of classic Vegas. Otherwise, Sin City has traded in most of its ring-a-ding-ding for more refined and family-friendly amusements.
Bio: Tom Downs is the author of Lonely Planet's "New Orleans 4," which won the Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Gold Medal for Guidebooks in 2007.
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