Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Vegas is one of those places where change is constant. While some places take years to change, change in Vegas can occur in just months! I remember when Texas Hold 'Em was all the rage; within months practically all the casinos built huge poker rooms for tournaments. I'm not sure how many of those poker rooms still exist today.

That's one of the reasons why I enjoy Vegas. Every visit can be a fresh visit, with new shows, restaurants, attractions and casinos.

As I was looking through my photo album, I was struck by some of the things that no longer exist.

Does anyone remember this? It's the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, which was adjacent to the Monte Carlo. Standing in its place is the Mandarin Oriental, one of the many buildings in CityCenter.

The Sahara was shut down in 2011. The structure remains and will be renovated into a new hotel and casino. The estimated completion date is 2014. Can't wait for it to come up since it will be a much needed addition to the North end of the Strip.

I've never been to the Frontier. Perhaps the never-ending strike by it's workers was a reason for that? It was demolished and the lot remains empty today.

On one trip, we went bowling (yes, we flew all the way to Vegas to bowl) at Lucky Strikes, located at the Rio. I think the alley lasted only a year or so. I believe it was replaced by a night club.

Another Rio attraction that is closing (March 30, 2013) is the Showcase in the Sky. This free show has been entertaining visitors for 16 years. Who hasn't reached out to catch beads thrown by the entertainers from the "sky floats"?

During the last building boom in Vegas, the Stardust was demolished to make way for the Echelon. Unfortunately, the economy soured and all construction stopped. The site pretty much looks like this today, but without any construction equipment present.

I was saddened by the closure of the Lion Habitat at MGM Grand. I always like to visit to observe the lions so up close and personal. During my last visit, the habitat was still there, but eerily empty. Also, MGM's Studio 54 night club was boarded up, making way for a new hot spot.

When M Resort opened, it offered beverage stations in the casino. Instead of waiting for a waitress, you could just help yourself to non-alcoholic drinks. When I returned a couple of years later, these stations were gone and waitresses were taking drink orders.

The white tiger exhibit, located near the entrance of The Mirage, also no longer exists. Like the lions at the MGM, I enjoyed observing these beautiful animals. I think a night club stands in its place.

The Tropicana still remains, but it underwent a complete renovation. In this post, I included a pic of the new logo.

Pictured below is The Jockey Club, with the Cosmpolitan towering behind it. I just gotta love the scrappiness of this property. I assume MGM Resorts tried to buy out the property -- how could they not? Jockey Club is still there, Today, wedged between CityCenter and the Bellagio.

What are your favorite places in Vegas that no longer exist?

The Neon Boneyard

If you're interested in art, design or Vegas casino history, then the Neon Boneyard is a must-see on your next Vegas trip.

The Neon Boneyard is part of the Neon Museum, which comprises the Neon Boneyard, the Downtown Gallery (East Freemont Street) and the Las Vegas Sign Project, (Las Vegas Blvd., between Sahara and Washington).

The later two are installations in public areas so you can see the signs at any time. They are also functioning, so you can see them lit up at night.

The Neon Boneyard is located a few minutes from Downtown Las Vegas, right before Cashman Field. Its collection provides a colorful history of Vegas with neon signs that graced casinos past.

One-hour guided tours are offered throughout the day, and you must make reservations. This museum requires you to take a guided tour; you can't just view the signs on your own. The Bone Yard, which isn't very large, is completely outdoors and covered shoes are recommended. If you're visiting during the summer, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and plenty of water are a must.

Here's some highlights from my visit:

On your way to the Neon Boneyard, you'll see this glass slipper in the center median of the road. It's from the Silver Slipper casino, which was located on the Strip, across the street from the Desert Inn.

The entrance of the museum is actually the lobby of the old La Concha Motel, which closed in 2003.

The lobby of the Neon Boneyard. The sign mounted behind the desk is from the La Concha Motel, obviously.

The first piece you'll see when you head outside is from Binon's Horseshoe. The museum offers night tours, and this is one of several functioning signs. The sign is installed vertically, up against the side of the building; however, this piece actually hung above the entrance to the casino. Notice the "H's" of the sign.

Binion's Horseshoe, the casino that put Texas Hold 'Em on the map. Now it's simply known as Binion's.

I've never been to the Frontier, which was located at the north end of the Strip, adjacent to Stardust. The thing that stands out the most about it in my mind was the strike its workers were on. I would see them picketing outside the casino on practically every trip until they closed. They were on strike for years.

The Sahara sign is a recent addition. We used to go there for their cheap blackjack tables. The new owners are keeping the structure, but will do an extensive re-model and re-branding. Can't wait to see it when it opens!

The Tropicana recently underwent a renovation. They kept the name and the theme, but the logo was updated to a script-y red font version. I love the remodel. The casino is extremely bright, airy and clean, and the air conditioning has a slight coconut scent to it. One thing they did keep was all the stained glass above the table games.

The Fitzgerald, located in Downtown, was recently re-modeled and re-branded The D Las Vegas. Pictured here are the "coins" from the old signage. They replaced the Krispy Kreme store with a hot dog place, and I'm sure gonna miss getting those donuts in Downtown.

Yet another casino that underwent a re-model and re-brand -- the Aladin, which is now Planet Hollywood. This Aladin's lamp sat above the casino floor

When Vegas went through it's "family friendly" phase, this pirate was the face of Treasure Island, now known as TI. The pirate is installed looking up to the sky (I didn't forget to rotate the picture).

Me, standing along the path of the Boneyard. As you can see, signs are stacked up against each others on both sides.

And last, but not least, the La Concha Motel sign. (Notice the "coin" from Caesar's Palace to the right.)

This post is just the tip of the iceberg. Our docent was very knowledgable and provided us with a lot of facts about the signs - including background about the designers and the Young Electric Sign Company - the historical significance of many of the casinos and interesting anecdotes, including several about eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes.

Nice to See You Again, Vegas

After a three-plus year absence, the Hubz and I boarded a plane and headed to Vegas.

Having a couple of kids limited our travel for a few years. We did take the kids to Maui in 2011 and Disneyland in 2012, but this was our first adults-only trip in a while. And boy, were we excited!

After looking over the prices for the December (sticker shock! $700+ for airfare alone!), we decided to go the Vacations Hawaii route. For about the same price, we were not only going to get airfare, but hotel and meal coupons as well.

We hadn't flown Vacations Hawaii in a while, and we were curious to experience the new Omni planes. I remember the first time I flew on an Omni plane, circa 2002. I looked down and saw ash trays screwed shut in the arm rests. Gulp!

Since I don't like to fly, I can't really rave about the flight. I did like the digital screens behind each seat and that meals came with the flight.

On the flight over, we were offered a hamburger or cheeseburger for our lunch meal (it came with a bag of chips, a cookie and a beverage). When we received it, the Hubz and I looked at each other and started cracking up. It was the same burgers you could buy from the frozen section at Costco!

Our agenda for the trip was to see friends and see all the changes that occurred in Vegas for the past few years. The trip didn't disappoint, and we're eager to go back!

Here are some miscellaneous pics:

Watching the sun set as we land. I was surprised at how dark it was at 5 p.m.

We requested low floor, near elevators. We got high floor, down the hall.

Christmas decorations at the Golden Nugget.

Fire pit to keep warm.

Formerly Fitzgerald's, it's now The D Las Vegas. Other Downtown casinos that got a facelift include The Plaza, Golden Gate and El Cortez.

Christmas tree on Fremont Street.

The game that started my slots addiction: Clue. But it looked nothing like this! New, super fun slots I played: Hangover, Sex & The City and the Wizard of Oz.

The Tropicana cleaned up nicely! The casino is bright and airy with the scent of coconut wafting through the casino. They kept the stained glass over the table games.