The 2024 Superbowl will be in Las Vegas (so I was told).
Fontainbleu
I just got back from the strip to check on this hotel. It is really tall, around seventy floors. The opening date is set for Dec. 13. Anyway, that is what I was told. I personally do not like buildings that tall. There really is no reason for it, not even at that stretch of the strip. It is not exactly center strip.
Buffets
Buffets used to be available at just about every hotel/casino in Las Vegas. But first and foremost at the strip. It was, in fact, a major selling point. Not so much for me. I almost always eat the same amount, expensive or cheap. For me the price is not the important thing, it is the quality that counts. But what annoys me the most are those hotels that have a different price point within a buffet. For example come in and have our buffet for $10, but if you want the shrimp it will be $12.50, for lobster it will be $15, for crab legs it will be $20. These prices are only examples. Where does a buffet end and a restaurant start? I understand about all those different products have different market prices. In that case price the buffet differently. One more thing. I see rankings and ratings for different buffets. I do not do that. To me it is impossible. Las Vegas buffets, especially on the strip, are now very similar in price (with one exception), and in quality and selection it seems impossible to tell them apart. People try, but I do not believe them. Here are a few buffets that I like. No rankings or ratings, just a list. I myself used to work on the strip. I am a retired chef, and worked a major strip hotels. I know a thing or two about that business.
Wynn, breakfast $39. dinner $70.
Cosmopolitan , breakfast $38.,lunch $45, brunch $49.
Caesars Palace dinner $65. but you can pay as much as $90.
MGM I only give it a mention here. Why, you ask. Management tells you to get out after 2 hours. Strange. But the buffet is cheap. breakfast $28, dinner $37.
Bellagio, breakfast $50, dinner $65.
Luxor breakfast $27, brunch $ 30.
Excalibur. breakfast $27, brunch $40.
Did you notice the same pricing at the last two hotels? They are part of the same conglomerate. I rounded up prices to a full dollar. There are a few more buffets, but they are not center strip. Noteworthy, Palms, and Souht Point.
Primm Update
I stopped by about a week ago because I needed money. One part of Primm is actually in California. The town was formerly called Stateline. Anyway, I picked up a handful of lottery tickets. The line of customers snaked clear around the building. I should own that concession instead of just being a customer. Anyway, after I bought my tickets I drove around Primm for a few minutes. A pretty depressing sight. The huge shopping mall that sits withinn walking distance of the lottery outlet is vacant. I used its parking lot in fact. A huge, new casino/hotel with a huge parking lot did not have any customers. I walked in. The gaming area is full of slots, but only two or three customers. The bar was open, but only one customer. All the fast food places were vacant. There were only two cars in the parking lot. It all looked brand new. I drove over to one of the operating casinos. They were actually pretty busy, considering it was still early. I had a very good breakfast. I forgot the name of the restaurant, but it is the one that sells food by slam this and slam that, senior slam and so on. It is a Denny’s . I just remembered. It also had a super slam. http://www.primmvalleyresorts.com
New Flamingo Road Overpass
A new Flamingo Road overpass across the strip is now open to traffic. It was built to ease traffic flow during the upcoming F1 race down the strip. We do not know if this will be a permanent feature, or just for the race. Goes to show you the insane amounts of money are available in this town just for entertainment. Just a few weeks ago the Sphere opened. A huge casino of about 3 000 rooms will be torn down to make room for something larger, fancier, better. With more slot machines of course. A 50 story hote opened a few months before that. Not only that, the Boring Company (Elon Musk) is building miles of tunnels to speed up traffic. I used one of them. Very good experience, for just five bucks. Fast and clean .http://www.lasvegas.com
Taylor Swift Eras Tour Las Vegas Schedule 2024
I know you Swifties have been clamoring for this.So, here is her schedule for ’24, and where to get tickets. Her Las Vegas shows do not begin until the latter part of 2024. Oct. and Nov. The Oct. 18, 19, and 20 dates are at the Hard Rock, The Oct. 25, 26, 27. dates are at Caesars Palace. The Nov. 1, 2, and 3 dates are at the Lucas Oil Stadium. The cheapest tickets are around $ 900. I wish you the best of luck getting a ticket. Tickets are available through the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority.( or Vegas.com)We understand she had a falling out with some large ticket vending company. We are not quite sure what happened.We heard it was a collapse of a website. Could be a rumor At her previous show at the Allegiant Stadium here in Vegas, the aftermarket prices did not drop at all, they, in fact went up until the last minute. At the Allegiant show she perform 44 songs. That’s a lot in my opinion. Her show lasted for around three hours. That’s a tremendous effort for any vocalist. It probably is part of her popularity, customers get their money’s worth. Our link will take you there. http://www.vegas.com
Hotel Renovations
A major Fremont St. hotel is undergoing a $100 million renovation. It also will add more slot machines. What else?, those improvements need to be paid for without hurting the bottom line.
Gaming Revenue
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.