Las Vegas keeps growing and growing. There just is no way of stopping it. Latest gaming revenues show an increase of about 6% at the strip and 4% down town. These are not small numbers, although they look it on paper. Keep in mind that gaming revenues are in the billion dollar range, so 6% on billions of dollars is huge.
Labor Unrest
The Las Vegas Culinary Union is out on strike for better wages and benefits. This is no small matter. At last count this uion had about 45,000 members. From what we understand it is a warning strike so far, not a full fledged work stoppage. But keep it in mind when planning a visit. This could easily turn into a real problem.
October Room Rates
The average room rates at the strip are now about $200. per night, down town $100. per night. Keep in mind some rates are much higher. We also did not add those crazy extra charges hotels like to add. As if that is necessary. We are talking resort fees for example, or pool fees, or cabana fees or any other extra charges hotels like to dream up. Parking fees are another. Next thing you know they will add elevator fees, or extra charges for linens. It never ends it seems. It is our opinion that casinos exist to make money on gaming, and not on room rent. They seem to get away with it so far. I sure hope it does not end badly because of it. I had a $15 glass of beer at the strip a while ago. That is, without the tip. Good beer, mind you.
New Hotel Casino
News is out that a new hotel/casino will be built at the Forum Shops. We do not have any detals as of now, but we will keep you posted.
Las Vegas Aces
Despite injuries the Aces managed to bring home a rare repeat, but just barely. A 70 to 69 score cannot be called overwhelming or dominating. But still, a win is a win, especially when it happens away, in New York City.Wilson was named the WNBA Final MVP. She had scored 24 points and 16 rebounds, Jackie Young had 16 points. A very good effort overall. Not sine the 2001-2002 L.A. Sparks has a team scored back to back championships. Let’s give credit where credit is due, the ladies put up a tremendous fight, despite numerous injuries. Congrats all around. That goes for the opposition too.
Hoover Dam Poster
A nice poster with Hoover Dam and its builders.
We are eager to help local artists and are donating this expensive are. We have three books this month. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper.
Nevada/Las Vegas Books Worth Reading
Here are a few selections that are worth your time and money.
- Nevada a Strange State. A nice unconventional book of about 135 pages and many drawings by the author. It is a compendium of all that is and was strange in this state. After 1939 riders on horseback were no longer permitted to enter a casino. It is just one example of many.
- The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. A group of Russian scoundrels is trying to steal our water by employing NAZI technology.
- Silveropolis. Real interesting reading. The largest silver strike in Nevada history had to be abandoned because of a virus.
- The Great Vegas Casino Caper. Vegas Phil and his associates are on the case, tracking down gaming crooks and bringing them to justice.
- Here are a couple of fun books:
- Lets Color the Grand Canyon, coloring book.
- Lets Color Hoover Dam. Coloring Book.
- What I Saw in Boulder City. Coloring Book.
- They are available on Amazon. Or buy them directly by sending an email to rkmarketing@embarqmail.com.
The Double Negative
Created by Michael Heizer, the same artist who created “City”. It is located in Moapa Valley, on the Mormon Mesa, close to the city of Overton. It is a trench 50 ft. deep, 30 ft. wide and 500 ft. long. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MoCA) bought it. It is left to decay on purpose. Admission is free. To get there drive north on the I -15, for 51 miles, take Exit 93for the 169 and follow it for 19 miles. Turn off for Overton and turn left on Cooper St. to the air port. Turn right on airport road until you pass the dump. Follow that dirt road for 2.6 miles until you get to the first drivable road and turn left on the small dirt road, for 1.3 miles. Take the right hand side at the fork in the road until you get to the sculpture. You can always make local inquiries. Do not rely on your cell phone for assistance should you need it. You are ina sparsely populated state and the phone companies do not bother with too many cell phone towers. Also, when in Nevada always carry water and a spare. Good luck. The towns out there are very small. There may be no help. Overton itself is OK.
We are keenly interested in helping our local artists, and we donate this expensive space.This month we have three books that we promote. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. We thank you for your help. The books can be bought on Amazon.
CITY- The Largest Sculpture in the World
It can be found in Lincoln County, in central-eastern Nevada, about 160 miles one way distance from Las Vegas. It was created over a fifty year period (1972 – 2022) by Michael Heizer, a member of the Heizer family that settled in the area in the 1800’s. It sits on land that belongs to the NEWE (Western Shoshone) and NUWU (Southern Paiute) Native Americans, and was built with their permission. The size of it is amazing, it is about one mile and one half in length, and one half mile wide, about the same size as the National Mall. Construction cost was about $25 million. Heizer built it in five phases, each of which has subsections. It is so large it is visible from space. Visitation is possible, but do not try it on your own. You would need an all terrain vehicle, plus you would be trespassing. The tens of thousands of acres of desert surrounding it are private property, and trespassing is not tolerated. Visitation is possible by contacting the Triple Aught Foundation which acts as the management company. The fee is $150 for adults, $100 for students. Only six visitors are allowed at one time, that means you need to line up for a spot. As is so happens Lincoln County is also the home of Area 51, and is at over 10,000 sq. miles pretty large. It takes about three days by car, over good roads to circle it. Heizer constructed another sculpture also called “Double Negative” It will be discussed in another post.
Were always interested in helping local artists, and this expensive space is a donation. Three books are on our list for this month. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. If tou can help in any way we would appreciate it. We thank you and the books are on Amazon.
The Journey of Death – Journada del Muerto
The last 55 miles from the Muddy River to the Las Vegas valley. Not a drop of water. travelers tried to do that stretch by night. Consider this: 55 miles does not sound like much, but in those days travelers were on horse back, pushing carts, used mules, or walked, toting their belongings. That lousy 55 miles could take four or five days through a burning desert. Oddly enough, travelers trying to reach Reno, NV had the same problem. Maybe worse. They had to cross the forty mile desert. Old time reports tell of harrowing scenes of thousands of dead animals, discarded household goods, and dead bodies. They had followed the Humboldt River until it disappeared into the Humboldt sink. After that no more water.
We try to help the local artist community and this expensive space is a donation. This month we feature three books. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead water Caper. Hopefully you can help. The books are on Amazon. We thank you.
Bellagio Arboretum
Well worth a visit. Inside the Bellagio Hotel, center strip.
The Free Parking Detective
Some hotels can never be satisfied. They want to charge for parking. That twenty bucks should be left to the gambler. He/she will stick it in the slot machine anyway. But we are here to spoil those nefarious plans. We know of free parking on the strip. Number one would be the gigantic parking garage at Resorts World, on the corner of the Strip and Sahara Av. Right close is CircusCircus. Lots of free parking, covered and at a huge parking lot. Then there is the Tropicana Hotel with acres a parking. in front, at a garage, and in the rear of the hotel. I have never seen all of that parking space filled. It is slated for demolition, so, that free parking may be gone soon. If you know of more, drop us a note here.
We are interested in helping local artists, and this expensive space is a donation. This month we feature three books. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. The are sold on Amazon. Every penny will go to the artist, nothing held back.
The Sphere
The Sphere is now open for business. Here is something that is downright astounding. It is an entertainment venue in the shape of a ball, a really large ball. It is 300 feet across. And because it is a ball it is 300 feet everywhere, give or take a couple of feet. The amazing part comes in the form of tens of thousands of LED lights. The entire outside surface lights up and is programmable. In this case Las Vegas outdid Las Vegas. I have never seen anything even remotely like it. Definitely worth a visit It is at the Venetian resort and cost $2.3 billion to build. More than the GDP of a small country. Simply unbelievable. I expect it to attract lots of tourists and sightseers, including myself A definite must see. https://www.thespherevegas.com/
We are very interested in helping our local artists. This expensive space is a donation. Currently we promote three books. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, and The Great Lake Mead water caper. All revenue will be donated to the artist. The books are on Amazon and we thank you for your help.
Slot Zilla
The largest slot machine in the universe. On Fremont St. at the entertainment area.
We are interested in helping local artists, and donate this expensive space. This month we promote three books. They are :Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mea Water Caper. All proceeds will go to the artist. They are on Amazon, and we thank you for your help.
Las Vegas Perfume
We were able to discover only one legitimate perfume producer in the greater Las Vegas area. It is ultra secret, keeps its recipes under lock and key. Its perfume is marketed under the brand name “DAM” perfume. It is located in the small town of Boulder City, about twenty miles south of center strip. We bought a bottle of the perfume and tested it. We were able to detect vanilla, rose, peach, green tea, sandalwood. A very pleasant experience, equal to the best France has to offer. The company claims all fragrances used are natural, no chemical substitutes at all. That explains the price of $40, plus tax. Well worth it, in our opinion. We decided to market it on our website.
Hershey’s Chocolate World
3790 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Inside the New York New York. More than 800 different chocolates. According to their website. We dod not count them all. http://www.hersheyschocolateslv.com
We try to help local artists by donating this valuable space. This month we have three books. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds go to the artist.
The Naked City
The area behind the Stratosphere and bordering the I -15. Pretty nasty now, but when I arrived in Vegas, around 1975 it was nice. We called it the “Naked City” or Silicon Valley” on account of the show girls who lived in the area. They used to sit topless in the sun. Now I would not enter that spot. The Strat. parking garage is a iffy also. Lousy design. http://www.thestrat.com
We are always interested in helping local artists. This expensive space is a donation. Three books are on our list for this month. The are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake mead Water Caper. All proceeds will go to the artist, no exceptions, nothing held back. The books are on Amazon. We thank you for your help.
The Only 18 Hole Golf Course at Center Strip.
There were a few golf courses right on the strip. That’s what made it so attractive. I worked at the Dunes. Between the Dunes and the freeway (I- 15), was a large golf course. Another golf course was where the MGM now sits. It was the Tropicana course. The last course that is actually on the strip is at the Wynn. I don’t know if it is for hotel guests only.. Another course is south of Mandalay Bay, in the vicinity of the Las Vegas Sign, right hand side of Las Vegas Blvd. S. http://www.wynnlasvegas.com
We like to help local artists. This expensive spot is a donation. This month we promote three books. They are: :Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds go to the artist. The books are on Amazon.
The Volcano
At Treasure Island, next to the blvd. It erupts at certain intervals. Quite a spectacle. It will be removed next year together with the hotel, to make room for something bigger and better. http://www.treasureisland.com
We are very interested in helping local artists, and donate this expensive space. We have three books for this month. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. They are on Amazon. All proceeds will go to the artist.
Tournament of Kings
At the Excalibur hotel. Very interesting medieval style jousting show with horses, knights and lots of swords. The audience sits on the sides eating chicken without forks or knives, but plenty of napkins. http://www.excalibur.mgmresorts.com
We donate this expensive space to local artists that we support. Three books are on the list for this month. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds will go to the artists. They are on Amazon.
COCA COLA Store
3785 S.Las Vegas Blvd. It is really large, with souvenirs of all kinds. Everything in the store has the Coca Cola logo. http://www.us.cocacola.com
We try to help our local artist community as much as possible, and donate this expensive space. This month we have three books for your enjoyment. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds go to the artist. We do not take a penny. The books are on Amazon. Hope you like them.
M+M World
3785 S. Las Vegas Blvd. in the Showcase mall. More M+M than you thought possible. Souvenirs also. It is the same mall that has the Coca Cola store. The colorful containers you see in the image are all different color M & M. http://www.mms.com
We are very interested in helping local artists. This expensive space is a donation. We currently promote three books. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds will got to the artist. They are sold on Amazon.
Ethel M
One of the richest men in the U.S. built it. He lets you see how chocolate is made. About eighteen miles from center strip, straight down east on Sunset. Retail and tasting and a wonderful cactus garden of several acres. I buy those chocolates whenever I need a birthday gift.The image is of the cactus garden cafe. http://www.ethelm.com
We are always interested in helping local artists and we donate this expensive space. Three books ar on our list for this month. Nevadaa Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. The are on Amazon. All money goes to the artist.
Laughlin
Mr. Laughlin had an idea. He had a gaming permit, what he did not have was customers. He had an obstacle, a large one, in the form of a mighty river. His hotel was sitting on one bank of that river, and his customers were on the opposite shore. Mr. Laughlin, a quick thinker, got himself a fleet of small boats which he employed as ferries. He installed a huge parking lot. Now his customers appeared in droves, parked their cars on one side of the river, and lost their money on the other side. All very convenient. Now at least eight hotel/casinos line the Nevada side of the Colorado River. He made an additional smart move by installing a huge parking lot on the Nevada side also. Now the snowbirds out of Wyoming, Montana and so forth can park for free, dine and gamble. Laughlin is about 80 miles south of the strip. I see no reason for a visit, unless it is a fishing trip. It is unincorporated and the permanent population is less than 10,000. It is in Clark County. One thing noteworthy, there have been reports of a band of very rare black panthers crossing the river farther below. We were not able to verify them. Laughlin is as far south as it is possible to go in the state of Nevada. http://www.riversideresort.com
We love to help our local artist community by donating this expensive space. Three books are on the list for this month. They are : Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. They are on Amazon. The artist and us thank you for your support.
The Guitar
In the old days hotels in Las Vegas were mostly all laid out in a similar pattern. The footprint was a three corner star. slot machines up front, cashiers cage and restaurants in the back. Very simple. The cage was in the back for security, the restaurants were in the back for one specific reason. In order to get there, the customer had to pass all those nice slot machines with their flashing lights and tempting jackpots. If each customer on his way. The second reason was, several restaurants could be serviced out of one kitchen. Now news comes over the wires about a whole new concept in casino design. A huge hotel in the shape of a guitar has been announced. I is to replace Treasure Island. Work is supposed to start soon. http://www.casino.comThe image is of an existing guitar hotel at the Seminole reservation in Florida. We expect a similar design for Las Vegas, albeit not as large. We will keep you posted.
We love to help struggling, local, artists. This expensive space is our donation. Three books need to be sold. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake mead Water Caper. All proceeds will go to the artist. The books are on Amazon. We thank you and the artist thanks you.
The Sunset Stampede
It takes place nightly at Sam’s Town. This hotel is about five miles (I am guessing) from center strip. It is very unique in that it is the only hotel remaining that I know of, that has a trailer park associated with it. The hotel/casino is laid out in a square, and the inside of the square is filled witk mechanical desert critters and lots of plastic trees and plants. Every night the lights dim and a waterfall comes to life, animals move, coyotes howl. It is all very attractive. A very good steak house is adjoining, and bowling and a Mexican restaurant are at the lower level. The surrounding area is a bit iffy, and the Public Housing Authority offices used to be across the street. Parking is very ample, and I have never had the slightest problem around there. The Boyd family are very good operators. They own a string of casinos aroun the valley, notably the South Point,a huge place with indoor horse arenas and frequent horse shows. All of there properties have lots of free parking. The address is 5111 Boulder Highway.http://www.samstownlv.com
We donate this expensive space because we believe in helping local artists. There are three books on the list. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds will go to the artist/ Buy them on Amazon. And remember, every little bit helps.Thanks.
The Linq Promenade
When I first arrived in Las Vegas it was an alley, next to the Flamingo, with the Linq hotel facing it. on the north side. Now it is a mini entertainment district with bars, restaurants, a Brooklyn Bowl. All anchored by a huge Ferris wheel. It is OK for what it is, unless you have your eyes on that bar with over one hundred beers to choose from. http://www.caesars.com
Moving right along I want to tell you about our local artists that need help. We do our part by donating this expensive space, month after month. We are promoting three books. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. We know the artist can use all the help he can get. Every penny we collect will go to the artist. The books are on Amazon.
Block16
It is now the heart of down town, where a part Binion’s gambling hall now stands. Until 1942 it was an area of sleazy bungalows, bars and prostitiution. On Stewart, not on Fremnot. Another part of the historic town was buried there.
We like to do our part in helping the arts. This time we have three books we like to give a chin-up. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds got to the artist. The books are on Amazon.
The Beach
3950 S.Las Vegas Blvd. at Mandalay Bay. At eleven acres (450,000sq.ft) this could be the largest pool in the country, maybe the world. I checked other pools around the world. They are all lagoons that have been converted to pools. Only this one is completely man made, and in the middle of the desert. It has three parts, the wave pool, the lagoon, and the cozy river. I like to sit in one of the restaurants outside the pool area, have a cool drink and just watch the action. Well worth a visit. Years ag the Trop. had the largest and best pool. http://www.mandalaybay.mgmresorts.com
We are very interested in helping local artists. Right now there are three books we like: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. All proceeds will go to the artist. We are sure he use the help. The books are on Amazon. Thanks for helping out. The expensive space is a donation from us to the artist.
The Fan District
Between the Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Delano . It was created for sports fans, the Allegiant stadium is only a fifteen minute walk. Special offer on all game days. http://www.mgmresorts.com
We are always looking for ways to help local artists. This month we have three books: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. The are on Amazon. All proceeds go to the artist. This expensive space is a donation.