Maxim likes the newly dubbed "Freemont East" downtown bar district for a low-brow pub crawl; hit The Griffin (a bohemian speakeasy with a killer juke), Beauty Bar (NYC transplant themed to look like an old school beauty salon), Sidebar (a shining shrine to mixology), and the Downtown Cocktail Room (a pulsing, dimly lit hipster lounge).

You can hardly go to Vegas for a bachelor party and not hit the world's only Playboy Club at The Palms (www.palms.com). The cheesy TV show notwithstanding, the real deal feels like a club, but the dance floor has been replaced by blackjack tables, and bottle service comes with your very own Playboy Bunny server. Sure, it's ridiculously expensive for bottle service, but it's a bucket-list thing. You haven't lived until you've been served a cocktail by a real live Playboy Bunny at a real Playboy Club (no, your girlfriend wearing some cheesy Halloween costume and handing you a Miller Lite doesn't count).

It's not a "bachelor party" without hitting the strip clubs.  Besides, where else are you gonna find a stripper/escort to marry late night? 

My buddy Vogey, who is something of an expert on this medium, recommends The Spearmint Rhino, just off the Strip. "It's dangerous," was his quote. Admittedly Vogey is one of those guys who throws money around like it's gonna evaporate tomorrow, but he says the $30 cover, $9 beers, $14 mixed drinks, and table reservation fees are worth it for the 120-150 legitimately model-gorgeous dancers, offering almost a one-to-one dancer-to-horndog ratio, and constant private dance offers. He says skip the standard $20 lap dance for the 3-for-$100 offer in the back room, and outline the "rules" with a cool dancer up front. Basically, the higher the price per song, the lower the number of rules. Be careful though, he met a guy on his way out seriously mumbling to himself with severe tab shock after he'd given the backroom attendant his credit card and couldn't say no for a little too long. Maxim says Vegas' craziest club is Crazy Horse Too (www.crazyhorsetoo.com), but the Champagne Room is a rip off (Fat Guy Note: this is normally a no-brainer assumption, but not if the former Philly location is any indication; grease the back room bouncer with a Jackson for lower supervision levels--a good tip at many clubs). And who could forget the cinematic classic Showgirls, filmed at Cheetah's (www.cheetahsnv.com), named as Irreverent Guide To Vegas' fave as management prides itself on the friendly vibe. Before an outpost of NYC's Scores opened up here, longtime fan Howard Stern called the top-shelf talent at Club Paradise (www.clubparadise.net) "my Scores away from home."  Expect seating by a maitre d', high tabs, and a few former centerfolds on staff. Jaguars bills itself as "The Bellagio Of Gentlemen's Clubs", a $25 million masterpiece of marble with a full service restaurant. Local faves include Palomino Club, the only 100% all-nekkid joint in town that serves booze, with unique old-fashioned burlesque shows performed by pretty-but-hard-bitten, mercenary-like dancers. Another local fave is Olympic Gardens (www.ogvegas.com), which cultivates airs with Roman décor, a more-lace-than-leather lingerie shop, and a ladies' side with buff long-haired stud muffins. But with 300 dancers on staff, it begins to feel mass-produced.

Here's some of the classiest cocktail lounges for serious boozing:  V Bar has unique designer martini flavors, Caesars Terrazza Lounge mixes 'tinis with satiny live jazz, Gaudi Bar at Sunset Station has a décor as outlandish as its martini menu, Martini Ranch at Texas Station offers 30 city-slicker silver bullets, and the driest martini in town can be found at Red Square.  Rio's Voodoo Lounge has Cocktail-style bartenders flipping bottles and serving Day-Glo libations, rumjungle boasts the world's largest rum bar, both Fontana Bar and Petrossian at Bellagio are home to some of the best mixologists on the planet, Caramel offers candy cocktails in chocolate or caramel covered glasses among a made-in-Heaven concept lounge, Fireside Lounge's house drink The Scorpion is served in a massive bowl with 15 liquors combined to produce a shade of red not found elsewhere in nature, the Bohemian Hookah Lounge serves knockout signature drinks in a sultry Mediterranean-decadence-meets-hipster music venue, Venus specializes in throwback drinks like the Sidecar and Vesper alongside hip faves, and Shadow's backlit bar is manned by showoff bartenders.

Where To Grub:  The Hangover crew's only meal during the entire film was a poolside breakfast at Caesar's (unless you count sofa pizza), but you gotta maintain some kinda sustainance during a full bore golf weekend.  Bachelor parties demand a man's meal, so steak is the order of the day in the World Capital of Steakhouses.  Luckily, one of the best, The Palm, is located right at Caesar's.  Or, the press junket during filming loved the Italian food at Caesar's Rao for booze-soaking carbs.  Golf Magazine's Travelin' Joe says of Rao, "A Vegas outpost of the legendary 11-table Harlem dining establishment, where reservations are nearly impossible, this Rao's replicates the Sopranos-like ambiance admirably — and it's a lot easier to get in. Uncle Vincent's Lemon Chicken or a veal chop parmesan served on the bone — with a side of Rao's meatballs — we're talking real Italian here."  If you're too hungover to get out of bed, Heather Graham more or less lived on the surprisingly good room service at Caesar's during filming.  She also liked Olives.

For hangover grub on Sunday, Travel Channel sings the praises of the soul-saving gospel brunch at House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay (www.mandalaybay.com/dining/restaurants.aspx). Once you've been healed, check out the hard-bodies at the wave pool.

Further Distractions:  Even if one of you isn't wasted enough to spontaneously marry a stripper/escort, you still gotta take in a wedding at The Best Little Chapel in the wee hours.  The fictitious "Best Little Wedding Chapel" was filmed at 1236 S. Las Vegas Boulevard.

See Also:  Fat Guy's Vegas Golf Weekend

Tunes:  The Hangover Soundtrack, of course.  It careens from El Vez to Danzig to The Donnas (and tell me you'll ever hear In The Air Tonight again without cracking up).

Soundtrack
"It's Now Or Never" - El Vez
"Thirteen" - Danzig
"Take It Off" - The Donnas
"Fever" - The Cramps
"Wedding Bells" - Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
"In the Air Tonight" - Phil Collins
"Stu's Song" - Ed Helms
"Rhythm And Booze" - Treat Her Right
"Iko Iko" - The Belle Stars
"Three Best Friends" - Zach Galifianakis
"Ride The Sky II" - Revolution Mother
"Candy Shop" - Dan Finnerty and The Dan Band

Download these additional songs from the movie from I-Tunes for the full soundtrack effect:
"Who Let The Dogs Out" - Baha Men
"Right Round" - Flo Rida
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" - Kanye West
"Live Your Life" - T.I. featuring Rihanna
"Joker And The Thief" - Wolfmother
"What Do You Say" - Mickey Avalon
"Yeah!" - Usher featuring Ludacris & Lil Jon

[Fat Guy Note: I have not taken this trip or explored any of these courses/locations. As always, proper research and reservations are required. I'm just the idea guy on this one.]

• SPOILER: According to Bradley Cooper, whilst giving a speech at a Toronto screening: "the people in Las Vegas never even noticed [a] movie was being filmed." He said that he had tiger scratches on his neck, all bloodied, and Justin Bartha was beet red, and nobody noticed, or even stopped to double-take.
  
  
• SPOILER: Ken Jeong improvised the nudity in the scene where he jumps out naked from the trunk. Originally his character was meant to have clothes on, but Ken suggested that his character be naked instead. Later, director Todd Phillips gave Ken a nudity waiver slip to sign in case Ken changed his mind on the nude scene.

Fat Guy Note:  The boys at LasVegasGolf.com tried their hand at a similarly-themed article recently... not as good as mine, but it at least confirms that I know what I'm talking about (for a guy who's never actually been to Vegas):

Golf, gaming, girls: Drumming up the ideal golf mancation in Las Vegas

By Brandon Tucker,
Senior Writer, LasVegasGolf.com

December 24, 2009

LAS VEGAS - This is the place for a mancation. The 2009 comedy smash The Hangover showed how to party hard in Vegas.

And while drugs, kidnappings and ill-advised marriages might be pushing it for your group, rest assured, you can still have a good, ol' fashioned boys weekend in Las Vegas.

Every mancation should include a couple rounds of golf, so as to ensure you see the light of day for at least four hours.

We're here to offer mancation-friendly options, from golf to off-the-course action in Las Vegas.

Top mancation golf courses in Las Vegas
Mancationers want to spend as little time as possible away from the Las Vegas Strip. And there's golfing nearby - both on Las Vegas Boulevard and close enough to allow for a cheap cab fare, sparing the rental-car expense.

Want to splurge? Look no further than Bali Hai Golf Club, next to Mandalay Bay on the Strip. Bali Hai G.C., spectacularly conditioned and beautified with a few thousand palm trees, features and a signature island green. That's not to mention the wide fairways that even your group's duffer - and there's always one - might hit every few swings. If your group is flush, consider playing a round with one or more of the sexy Bali Hai Par Mates.

If you're staying on the north end of the Strip, downtown Las Vegas options are close. Desert Pines Golf Club boasts a wonderfully crafted and scenic, Carolina sandhills-style design with tight, rolling fairways lined with pine trees. And Desert Pines features a mountainous backdrop.

If you can't keep your driver in the fairway, though, or lack the self control to hit a few irons off the tee, head elsewhere. You can go old school and visit Las Vegas National Golf Club, a classic PGA Tour stop that hosted Tiger Woods' first PGA-Tour win in 1996. And Las Vegas National is a great value, especially if you book an afternoon or evening tee time.

If your group includes a mancationer who can't handle 18 holes of regulation golf and you don't trust him alone at the casino for four hours, play some par-3 golf. The Callaway Golf Center, just south of the casinos on the Strip, offers nine holes of par-3 golf. It stays lighted until 11 p.m. in the summer, in case you sleep through that 4 p.m. wake-up call.

Top Las Vegas Strip steakhouses
Every mancation needs one great meal with a red-meat centerpiece, and steakhouses abound up and down the Strip. One of the newest on the scene, Brand at Monte Carlo, provides a bustling, open atmosphere, so you can keep an eye on the real meat market.

Michael Mina's Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay serves a variety of steak styles, from Kobe beef to butter-poached, bone-in top loin. So order a good bottle of red and kick off your night with some class.

Mancation-friendly casinos in Las Vegas
Some casinos keep mancationers seated at the tables with gorgeous, young, cleavage-heavy dealers.

One of the newest additions to the center of the Strip, Planet Hollywood employs some of the sexiest dealers. With go-go dancer pits that add to a mingling, high-energy atmosphere, you might not even feel the need to go to the club. And if you've already made an ass of yourself at the craps table and want to do it again, there's a karaoke bar right next to the Planet Hollywood casino.

The Hard Rock Casino Hotel has stayed hot enough to lure plenty of partygoers from the strip. The casino floor is hardly traditional by design. It's shaped more like a circular party pit with a bar in the center and a live stage just off the floor, so you barely feel like you're gambling. Go-go girls and sexy dealers help entice you back into the pits and shake it to pumping, hard-rock tunes.

Just about every casino has a poker room, but they vary. Downtown, the World Series of Poker began in Binion's enormous, 70-table room gave. It offers $2/$4 limit hold'em.

On the strip, the poker room at the MGM Grand sits right at the front of the casino, luring fish, as the sharks call them, for the taking.

If you're looking to play where the pros play or to put up some serious coin yourself, head to the Bellagio. The limits range from $4/$8 to as high as you want in Bobby's Room, where the stars often play.

Las Vegas golf mancation: After hours
It's inevitable. At some point on your Vegas visit, one mancationer will proclaim: "That's it. Time to see some chicks!"

For gentlemen's club entertainment, the options are dizzying. It's best to ask around for an idea of the best talent or specials. And don't necessarily take the word of cab drivers, who often get a cut for directing business to certain clubs.

Spearmint Rhino's consistently rates as one of Vegas' top clubs. Its word-of-mouth reputation is equally strong for good reason. For bargain-hunters, they've even got a free limo service for large groups that wipes out the usual $20 cover.

You'll find more group specials at Treasures, which offers a package that includes VIP shuttle service, a table and a bottle with two mixers for $250. Or get there early and enjoy happy-hour specials as low as $1 for domestic beers and well drinks. The club also includes a steakhouse and buffet.

See Also:  Fat Guy's Bachelor Party Golf

Hangover Cures:

Fat Guy thought, what better place to share some great hangover remedies and recipes than right here on The Hangover page? My personal time-tested cure for world-class hurangs involves a few simple steps, but none is more important than the mantra that's bounced through my frozen-pineapple-skull on many a bad morning after:  "Rehydration is the key to recovery.  Rehydration is the key to recovery.  Rehydration is the key to recovery."

There are post-party mornings when chugging that stale warm bedside glass of water feels like the best thing you've ever put down your throat. Then there are mornings where you have a 14-minute internal debate on whether or not sitting up to grab the glass will cause you to hurl, and another 6-minutes propped up on one elbow waiting for that perfect window of vaguely coherent thought in between brain throbs, semi-regular breathing, momentary lapse in stomach spins, temporary subsiding of acid reflux, and the three glasses on the table to become one, so that you can nervously chance that first sip to see if it'll stay down.  Either way, chug or IV-drip (Jeff) as many clear fluids as you can stomach, for as long as it takes until you feel normal and fully hydrated.  Some mornings this may take one glass, other mornings it may take hours, and then there's always those uber-fun, wake-up-still-loaded Saturday morning, 36-hour, still-not-quite-right-by-Sunday-lunch deals that make you seriously consider booze celibacy for a couple weeks (until the next freshly-lit pre-game grill cranks up that carnal desire for beer).

Doctors say it's best to stick to water or maybe Gatorade for the extra electrolytes (ah, whadda they know), but sometimes my body craves an ice cold Sprite for both the clear liquid and the sugar (Avoid caffiene... personally I'd found that caffiene would often worsen my suffering before I got wise to it, mostly by quickening my heart rate, on occasion enough to induce a running-knee-slide to the porcelain god). And it's gotta be straight Sprite--no diet--for the sugar content. However, Sprite is often a rare commodity in the frig, since I used to be a Coca-Cola freak and the only time I ever had it in the house was for parties as a mixer... when it was usually completely consumed at said parties leaving me none for my hangover management.  Which means a trip out in public if you desperately need it. (I think I've been watching too much Burn Notice lately, I'm starting to sound a little like Michael Westen.)

Getting public while hungover is usually just a matter of the nearest pair of shorts, the dirty t-shirt on top of the laundry basket, and the baseball hat that's hanging by the door (oh, and some deodorant if you're feeling ambitious), but I like to throw in a shower as an important inital recovery step.  It's an auto-pilot way to get your body moving, each muscle synapse helping to jump-start the slow process of ridding your body of toxins, it removes some of the nauseating smells from the booze still oozing out of your pores, and the steam helps free up your clogged sinuses. Plus if you hurl, you can just let it fly and it'll wash right down the drain. Let the hot water pound on the back of your aching neck for a few minutes (this is where a Water Pik adjustable stream pulsating showerhead really pays off) since the Beastie-Boys-bass pounding in your skull is emminating from there, in addition to the massive kink in your neck from passing out caddycorner on the bed with a doubled-over pillow jammed under your head sideways.  Post-shower is a good time to reach for the Extra Stength Tylenol and some TUMS if you think you can stomach it.  I know, there are days when there's no way, we've all been there.  Brushing your teeth and a good mouthwash rinse is also a key step to getting that rank leftover booze taste out of your mouth, removing another cause of your nausea.

But driving in public can be another matter in this delicate state.  Assuming you can safely operate heavy machinery, combine your Sprite run with Fat Guy's favorite hangover grub:  McDonald's breakfast sandwiches.  I used to be a straight Egg McMuffin guy, until they came out with the vastly superior McGriddle.  Wow, talk about perfect!  Booze-soaking carbs in the pancake bun, with an extra sugar rush from the syrup baked in, plus protein eggs, tasty comforty melted cheese, and greasy (oh my God grease MMMMM) bacon.  One or two of those bad boys with a large Sprite and I'm usually well on my way out of the hurt locker.

By contrast, my buddy Jeff is a hair-of-the-dog V-8 Bloody Mary guy (assuming we're not at the hospital), while my buddy Chuck swears by this stuff called Chaser as an easy store-bought bottled hangover cure.

Here's some other great hangover recipes and remedies from the experts at Maxim:

The Dream Shake

Chef Guy Fieri's brain-helping beverage.

+ 2/3 cups ice

+ 3 cups vanilla ice cream

+ 2 Tbs. orange juice concentrate

+ 1/2 cup champagne

+ 1/2 cup vodka

+ Can of whipped cream

1. Combine ice, ice cream, juice concentrate, champagne, and vodka in a blender.
2. Blend three to four minutes or until smooth.
3. Pour, top with whipped cream, schedule a diabetes test

The Bloody Maria

From NYC's Applewood restaurant.

+ 4 quarts tomato juice

+ 6 oz. Worcestershire

+ 4 oz. lime juice

+ 3 oz. Tabasco

+ 1/2 jar horseradish

+ 15-20 cloves garlic

+ 8-10 basil leaves

+ 1 tsp. black pepper

+ 1 quart jalapeno tequila

1. Blend all but the tequila.
2. Fill four pint glasses with ice, tequila, and mixture.
3. Shake, pour, and garnish with celery and lime.

The Healing Potion

Swallow this tonight for a less brutal tomorrow.

The Açai-Parinha courtesy of the Continental Midtown in Philadelphia combines the definitely not-bad-for-you-ness of fruit with the theoretically might-be-good-for-you anti-oxidant power of açai. But it’s still booze, so don’t pound seven of them.

+ 1 1/4 oz. Veev Açai Spirit

+ 1 oz. fresh lime juice

+ 1 key lime, halved

+ 1 oz. simple syrup

1. Squeeze the key limes into a snifter and add ice.
2. Top with the spirit, lime juice, and syrup.
3. Pour into a shaker and back in the glass to blend.
4. Serve with a sippy straw to slow your rate of consumption and attract Chris Hansen.