E-419: Ben Long

 Random Vegas

Mandalay Bay was originally going to be named “Project Paradise”. (Sincitytalk.com)

Twitpic of the week

Reflection.  It’s how we review our life experiences and learn from them.  It’s also how our own bias distorts our perception.  Nowhere on planet earth does this metaphor better lend itself than pictures of Vegas after it rains.  This week’s winner by @thecalcasino captures both the actual corner marquee as well as its the distorted reflection in a puddle, once again drawing comparisons to Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.  No matter your opinion of the property, one can’t argue that this is a lovely photo.

News

• S Bar @Mandalay Bay
• Vegas Reverse Retro
• All Net Resort
• $1 million dollar bar tab
• Power Slap League
• Enchant on the Strip

E-418: Puppy Power

 Random Vegas

Las Vegas has a dog park on Fremont Street, down by the Western Casino that is home to the worlds largest functioning fire hydrant at 15 feet tall (@vitalvegas)

Twitpic of the week

It’s all about the signage on this one for me, shared by @summacorp.  Formerly the Thunderbird, the property was rebranded Silverbird after Major Riddle purchased the property in the mid 1970s.  The marquee was built in 1978 but only existed till Dec 81 when the property closed.  It was later purchased and again, rebranded.  Its final incarnation was as the El Rancho, an attempt to revive the brand that started the strip. It didn’t work and eventually the property closed, was demolished and in its place now is the Fontainebleau.

News

When We Were Young 2023

E-417: Sobertober

 Random Vegas

In its first week of operation, the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace served about 15,000 people. The venue was built at a cost of $17 million. (@vitalvegas via Bacchanal's Executive Chef at the time, Scott Green)

Twitpic of the week

It’s past, present, and future all in one photo.  Brought to our attention by @StefanVanDeCook, this picture from @summacorp features the Mirage, with the sands Marquee in the foreground, For a time, the Sands was the property on the strip.  Until the Mirage came along supplanting the Sands as the market leader.  Eventually accepting they couldn’t continue to compete, they imploded the property and in its place opened Venetian. Fast forward to today and we are on the brink of losing another icon, the Mirage. True it won’t be imploded but we are losing the volcano.   it won’t be the same and eventually we will lose the name Mirage but what we will never lose are the memories.

News

• Mirage dolphins
• El Cortez renovations
• Franco Dragone Dies
• Light closes
• Fertitta building on the Strip