Saturday, May 20, 2017

E-232: Zoinks!


Random Vegas
Only 15% of Americans had ever visited Las Vegas before the Mirage and Excalibur opened.  Only 6 years later, that figure doubled to 30% (Super Casino) 

Twitpic of the week



I find it very apropos that this picture was shared this week on what is quite possibly the last show we do before 360 Vegas Vacation 4 begins.  While center strip is most assuredly the theme of this Vegas Vacation, the heart of it and the thing I wanted to make sure I introduced and shared with so may of you was Cosmopolitan.  To me, there would be no exaggeration in using the phrase “dream come true” if we ever ended up buying a condo, or better yet moving, to Las Vegas.  I can’t promise any of you will develop the affection I have for the property and it’s amenities but that isn’t the point.  The point is to share with you something that means so much to me.  Minus the gaming limits which tend to be a bit too high for my comfort, Cosmopolitan, in my opinion, is the closest thing to flawless I’ve encountered in Las Vegas.  Thanks to @MeltzVegas for sharing.

News

Check Social Media if you show up to an event at 360 Vegas Vacation 4 and we aren't at that venue to find where we relocated to
#360VV4

Saturday, May 13, 2017

E-231: The Fork of Doom



Random Vegas
In 1944, spurred on by the success of properties like the El Rancho and Last Frontier, the concept of making the western theme mandatory throughout Fremont Street was considered but never formally adopted. (After-Hours Architecture) 

Twitpic of the week



Evolution. Everything that wants to survive and thrive has to adapt to its environment and evolve to an ever-changing landscape.  That statement is not only metaphorically accurate for Las Vegas but is simultaneously literally accurate.  This week’s winner from @classiclasvegas gave me an experience I’m unable to recall ever having before in relation to photography of my favorite city, disorientation.  Never has something so familiar looked so foreign to me.  In 1990, when Excalibur opened, the largest hotel in the world at the time, it was basically on an island.  True Tropicana was next door to it and the Hacienda just south of it but next to the shear size and scope of the Excalibur project, those properties look out of place in comparison.  In 1990, there was no MGM Grand, just the Marina hotel that it would eventually become consumed and incorporated into the project.  There was no NYNY or Monte Carlo just the Dunes golf course.  No Paris, an unrecognizable version of the Aladdin and that was about it until you got to the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana.  In 1990, Excalibur looks as out of the way then as Stratosphere does now.  This was a time when the strip still looked like it was an oasis in the desert.  Once again, photography has given me the best of both worlds.  I’m able to enjoy watching the evolution of the strip while making me grateful I didn’t have to experience it.

NEWS