Vegas Celebration of Life Events for Mark - An Update

 

Please register at: https://www.cognitoforms.com/TravelZork/_360Vegas

 

Saturday, October 18, 6 pm - 9 pm

●     Horseshoe, Las Vegas

○     Conference Room “Palace 3”

■     Resort Tower Ground Floor

○     Premium Cash Bar at the event

■     No Outside Food or beverages allowed

■     No food served at the event (Eat beforehand!)

○     Dress code is “Come As You Are”

■     No formal wear is expected

■     Please wear what you would normally wear in Vegas!

 

Sunday, October 19, noon - ?

●     Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

○     Vesper Bar

○     Come and join us for a drink and some laughs

○     Again, dress code is “Come As You Are”

■     No formal wear is expected

■     Please wear what you would normally wear in Vegas!

E-538: Coloring Up

News: 

Updates on the Celebration of LIfe

Saturday, September 13th

First Congregational UCC Conneaut

211 Buffalo St, Conneaut OH 44030

2pm - 5pm

Important: No alcohol allowed in the church.

Dress code is whatever you’re comfortable in.

Saturday & Sunday - October 18th & 19th

Las Vegas - Still working on the details. 

Saturday the 18th - Will be a gathering in a private room / ballroom, most likely on the Strip

Time will be either 5-8 or 6-9

Allow for people to travel in on Saturday morning

Dress code is whatever you’re comfortable in.

Sunday the 19th - Informal meet up at a bar somewhere on the Strip.  

Time and location TBD - earlier in the day

Upload Photos for Mark Memories

Listeners are gathering photos of Mark to make memorial videos for the Celebration of Life events.

https://juliemoore.smugmug.com/upload/rSkFKx/MarkVegasUploads

E-537: Worst; Episode; Ever.

 

Random Vegas 

In the more than 14 years of 360 Vegas, there were 537 episodes published, as well as 39 Vintage Vegas Segments, 186 YouTube videos, 43 POV Segments, 78 Reviews, 15 Vegas Vacation meetups, and a freaking book. That’s a hell of a legacy. 

 

TwitPic of the Week 

#TwitpicForMark on Twitter In honor of Mark, folks have been posting beautiful shots of Vegas using the hashtag TwitPic for Mark on Twitter this last week. Please don’t stop. These images are unique shots of the City, angles from within the casino and other views we simply take for granted while in a booze fueled state of mind. So many times we’re so excited to get from one place to the other, we fail to slow down and take in the imagery along the way. Thank you for the TwitpicForMark tags and share your favorite view of the City Mark so deeply loved. 

News 

What has happened to Mark 

The Future of the 360 Vegas Podcast 

Charities for Donations in Mark’s Name: 

Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas - We have supported Ronald McDonald House as a favorite charity for years. 

The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation - The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation focuses on the detection of bipolar disorder, and then provides resources and creative outlets for those who suffer from bipolar disorder. 

Neon Museum of Las Vegas - Sign Conservation Fund - The Neon Museum is the ultimate resource of Vegas history, which was Mark’s passion. 

Celebration of Life Services:

September 13, Conneaut, OH. Saturday afternoon. Exact times and location TBA
October 18 - 19, Las Vegas. Exact times and location TBA. 

360 Vegas Live is Still Happening:

August 23, 12 noon Pacific, 3 pm Eastern. www.youtube.com/360Vegaspodcast

E-536: Wine Drunk

 Random Vegas

1992 is when Circus Circus opened their bungee jump experience with a 201 foot tower. Jumpers paid $100 to drop 171 feet almost into a swimming pool. The attraction closed in 2005

TwitPic of the week

I don’t know how they did it but I love it. This week’s winner by @SCVegas is a photo of the W tower at Mandalay Bay while it was still known as Delano, the Luxor Pyramid, Excalibur Castle and NYNY, all in one photo. It’s a stunner showcasing just how diverse the options are south strip. It’s interesting that the people who originally experienced these themed properties when they were embracing the theme concept are the same people wishing Vegas properties would reembrace theming. Unfortunately Murrenzation will all but guarantee this will never happen as it costs money to be unique.

News

• Electric Mushroom

• Slotapalooza 2025

E-535: Exhibitionists

 Random Vegas

The Circus Circus sky shuttle was the first automated transit system in Las Vegas built 23 years before the monorail. It was decommissioned mainly due to high maintenance costs and because it did not go to the airport (LasVegasLocally)

TwitPic of the week

She is known by some as the dirty bird but thanks to photoshop she looks like a gem in the desert, shared by @flamingovegas. The property, shot from what can only be a drone to get such an angle, glows pink and looks elegant. Again, what photoshop can do boggles the mind. Say what you will about the Flamingo, the oldest operating casino in Las Vegas deserves respect of outlasting all her peers.  Stardust, Frontier, Desert Inn, Sands, Dunes, Tropicana and many, many more can’t say the same thing.

News

·       360 Vegas Live

·       Reward Points vs Tier Points

E-534: More Than Words

 Random Vegas

At one time, Golden Nugget made more money than all the casinos on Fremont St combined (Vital Vegas)

TwitPic of the week

It’s an elegant photo taken during 360 Vegas Vacation 15 shared by @360vegasjaydubs and answering the question, what’s in a pyramid. In this case, the artium level of the property is prominently featured showcasing Play Playground, Diablos and all the attractions on property.  It’s one of the pictures that I knew was a winner the moment I saw it and yet I find myself struggling to find the words to explain how beautiful I think it is. Maybe that says more than words.

News

Market Recalibration

E-533: Kensington Chump

 Random Vegas

July 2nd is a popular date to open a casino, just before the 4th of July weekend crowd comes in. In Vegas history, 5 properties have opened on July 2nd.  They are the Stardust which opened in 1958, International, best known as the Hilton but currently known as Westgate, opened in 1969, Plaza opened in 1971, Holiday Casino, known today as Harrah’s, opened in 1972 and Sundance, known today as the D, opened in 1980. (Vegas_Visual)

TwitPic of the week

She may have been a dud in reality but the Landmark was still a looker, shared by@las_when. Incorrectly said to be inspired by the Jetson’s cartoon home, the Landmark project was designed several years before the start of that show. Some say it was inspired by the space needle in Seattle but in truth, the two were designed around the same time so any similarities are most likely coincidental. The Landmark is another one of those properties that lives on idyllically in people’s minds, a Vegas legend.

News

• Best Lobby Bars

• View and Drinks

• Bottled Blonde

E-532: 360VV15

Random Vegas

The Sarno Block was actually a large brick formed of two half-ovals which could be stacked to make a modern latticework screen. It made the resort’s night façade glow evenly, smoothing over the chaos of dark and lit rooms behind it. (The strip)

 

TwitPic of the week

Sometimes the stars align, or in this case, the sun, the moon and the High Roller. A beautiful picture shared by @lasvegaslocally found a picture that summarizes what it’s like to go to a 360 Vegas Vacation. It really is like a family reunion with people you want to spend time with. As the sun rises, so do the good times only had at a 360 Vegas Vacation. When will you join us?

 Sat – Pre Game

·       5 pm - Nevada Brew works/Soul Belly BBQ

Sunday, June 22

·       4 pm - Meet & Greet @Downtown Grand

·       6 pm - Group Gaming @Downtown Grand

Monday, June 23

·       1 pm - Play Playground @Luxor

·       6 pm - 360 Family Meet and Greet @Centra Bar @Luxor

o    VegasNearMe

o   Stripwalking

o   Pennys4Vegas

o   You Can Bet on That

o   Bettor Life

·       Skyfall Lounge at Mandalay Bay

Tuesday, June 24

·       8 am - 360 Vegas Exercise Experience w/@RaisingLasVegas RSVP

·       1 pm - 360 Vegas Cocktails @Luxor

·       7 pm - Swingers Club @Mandalay Bay

·       Skyfall Lounge @Manadalay Bay

E-531: High Steaks

 Random Vegas 

June 3rd, 1976, “Tokes”, tip money given to dealers by players, is considered taxable income that must be reported on tax returns, says a US court of appeals 

TwitPic of the week 

Here is another part of Vegas I never knew, the neon signs of west Fremont St pre-Vegas Vicky and Las Vegas Club renovation. The angle captures the Las Vegas Club, Jackpot arcade, the Mint, the horseshoe and the Fremont all stacked on top on one another, visually speaking. As usually, the vivid colors of the signage light up the night sky unlike any other source of lighting. Thanks to @FSELV for sharing it. 

News

• Content Creator Wars

• First Impression

E-530: Vegas

 Random Vegas 

60,000 pounds of shrimp are consumed in Vegas every day.  That’s higher than the rest of the United States combined. 

TwitPic of the week 

The caption read “Nothing is the same” and I tried to challenge that but @Vegas_Visual is right. In this week’s winner, taking in 1991, a view from the front of the Mirage looking south and everything in this picture is different now. No more Mirage, Nob Hill to the left is now Casino Royal, next up is Harrah’s back when it had a boat motif. Beyond that is Imperial Palace known today at the LINQ and in the distance, you can still see the Diamond of the Dunes hotel tower. Even the top of the Caesars marquee is different.  But most missed is the Mirage frontage and its dolphin statues. While I am looking forward to the guitar I will miss the volcano

News

• Plaza All-inclusive Deal

• The Bettor Life w/360

E-529: Thundercats

 Random Vegas

The last scheduled train to Las Vegas was May 12th, 1997 (Vegas_Visual)

TwitPic of the week

Whoever took this picture, shared by @historyNevada knew exactly what they were doing. A photograph of the iconic Sands tower under construction with the Sands marquee captured in the foreground. The two icons side by side, the only thing better would have been if it was in color. Black and white normally makes everything look very classic but with Vegas and all that neon, color photos are the only real way to experience the destination.

News

• 360 Vegas Vacation 15

• Fremont Street Concert Series Additions           

• Ebike ban on the strip

• Taxi Revolution

E-528: Cracker

 Random Vegas

In 1985, Wet n’ Wild opened a 27 acre water park on the strip just south of Sahara. It closed in 2004

TwitPic of the week

It’s the same sign that won last week with just a different perspective, shared by@Summacorp. The infamous Stardust marquee in all her glory, 188 feet tall, the tallest in the world for a time. It somehow sums up Vegas with the image. The only sign more recognizable to Vegas is the Welcome sign

News

• Caesars Renovations

• Circa 2

• MGM Developments

E-527: Pee Corner

 Random Vegas 

The MGM Grand was built in 1993 on top of the existing 714 room Marina hotel which was built in 1975 (@vegas_only) 

TwitPic of the week

 

It’s a tattoo worthy sign of Las Vegas’ past up close and interrupting your line of site. @summacorp shared The Stardust shower of stars marquee, up close. Only in Vegas did Texaco photo bomb this guy. But still, that sign with her Electra Jag font. I’m not sure what is more magical, seeing the sign up close or from far away. Either way this looker is definitely on the list of tattoos I’m considering having. 

News

• Elaine Wynn Passes

E-526: Too Many Tangents

 Random Vegas

People in India believe if you don’t place a wager during the Diwali Holiday, you will be reincarnated as a Donkey.

TwitPic of the week

Unique views is always the way to our hearts when it comes to Twitpic of the Week.  This time its apparently how Vegas shuts down roads for events like New Years and the Rock and Roll Marathon.  But more than that, we get the magic of reflection. Since this photo was taken at night from the overpass crossing Flamingo Rd, we catch a glimpse of the properties lit up behind the photographer.  Specifically we see the reflections of Caesars Palace and Bellagio. It makes it look like, if you were looking east of the strip at Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo, Caesars Palace is behind Cromwell and Bellagio is next door to Horseshoe. Unintended consequences once again makes art. We celebrate that with this selection, shared by @LasVegasLocally

News

• Wynn 20th Anniversary

E-525: Superman Carousel

 Random Vegas 

The official temperatures in Vegas on Wednesday, March 26th was 90 degrees. It’s the 5th earliest 90-degree day in recorded history. (LasVegasLocally) 

TwitPic of the week 

@Summacorp shared a different strip for a different time in this week’s winner. North strip, today a collection of condos and properties too far removed from the rest of the strip was once densely populated.  Properties like the Frontier, Stardust, Silver City, Riviera, Silverbird and Sahara all called it home. Today, the only thing missing is Riviera and Frontier. The rest have been replaced. Stardust is now Resorts World, the Silverbird is now Fontainebleau and without Wet and Wild water park you realize, Sahara has always lived on an island. For those of you that don’t know, we don’t typically report on anything coming out of Sahara because they once sued Vital Vegas for reporting a rumor that the propety was for sale. Vital Vegas won the suit but the whole thing turned us off of doing anything related to Sahara which is disappointing considering her history as a property. 

News

• Grand Prix Plaza Delay 

• Fertitta resigning 

E-524: Grindy

 Random Vegas 

In a deck of playing cards, the King of Hearts is the only king without a mustache (VitalVegas) 

TwitPic of the week 

This was a winner the moment I saw it, shared by @_GrandPaD. The installation of the Stardust’s super pylon, the shower of stars marquee standing a world record breaking 188 feet tall. An icon on the Vegas strip. Sadly and yet hopefully, her remains lay at the Neon Museum. While it is unlike that they will ever reassemble it one can dream that one day she will sparkle again. 

News

• 2024 Visitors Profile Study

• Nickel and Dimed Vegas 

E-523: Onwuachi

 Random Vegas

The 2024 F1 race drew 306,000 people, 175,000 unique visitors to Vegas. They spent an average of $2,400 per person excluding ticket costs. The event generated $45 million in Tax revenues. (@LasVegasLocally)

TwitPic of the week

It’s the future of Vegas casino/resorts, boutique. Mega Resorts are too expensive to build and the market is currently over saturated with them.  Here, Las_When shows us Barbary Coast in the mid 90s after it underwent a short-lived paint job converting it to white.  Kind of reminds me when TI was painted white for a while. We celebrate this picture this week as once again news of a rebranding has been reported. While some may consider it a step back one of the benefits of a boutique hotel is how relatively quickly and inexpensively you can refurb the space. We expect this will not be the last time this hotel/casino will be rebranded.

News

• Cromwell Rebranding

• 360 Patreon

• Rose.Rabbit.Lie. Returns

• Cousin Vito's Casino

• Talk About Las Vegas with Ira

E-522: Zero Interest Social Club

 Random Vegas 

Wynn’s Le Jardin project planned for Atlantic City just before Mirage Resorts merged with MGM was referred to as a supped-up Mirage with an estimated $1.35 billion price tag 

TwitPic of the week 

I miss the days when Vegas marquee signage had to be constructed out of giant pieces of steel and crafted into works of art. There was time when marquees were as unique as the properties they represented. Back when lightbulbs told stories and readerboards told all. The International, the city’s first megaresort with over 1500 rooms opened as the largest resort in the world. And with it came an equally large marquee sign shared by @Sclark2636 at its most iconic, with Elvis’ name blasted across it and with the International tower in the background. 

News

• Book Update

• 360 Vegas Vacation 15 RSVP

• Zero Bond Social Club

• Cherry Rewards

E-521: 360 Vegas Live

 Random Vegas 

March 19th, 1931, the state of Nevada re-legalized gambling in an attempt to recover from the great depression 

TwitPic of the week 

It’s 1988 and I’m currently in grade school while this marvelous display of Vegas existed. On the left we see the Desert Inn, all shinny after her exterior renovation. Just beyond that is the Sands and in the distance we see Caesars Palace. Which brings us across the street to see the Frontier and in front of that is the Silver Slipper. This is the view south of the Stardust. It’s the eve of the Mirage opening which would change everything and caused the eventual demise of all these properties. Accept Caesars but she would be radically transformed in a decades time. Another great pic from @Summacorp 

News

• TravelZork.com

• Amplified Coming

E-520: Soda Stream Saga

 Random Vegas

There are an average of 315 weddings per day in Vegas (@vegas_only)

TwitPic of the week

It’s a glorious sign that is given depth and size when you see people standing next to it, shared by @Vegas_Visual.  The Mint sign, one of the all-time great neon signs in Las Vegas. It runs a close second of the Dune turret marquee as those most missed from the landscape. The Mint was absorbed into Binion’s Horseshoe in 1989. A part of the sign still exists to this day, viewable from the staircase up to Whiskey Liquor up. Unfortunately, the Neon Museum wasn’t established until 1996 so it wasn’t saved for posterity.

News

• 360 Vegas Book Out

• Backstreet Boys Sphere Residency

• Flamingo New Go Pool Plans

• Alexxa @Paris

E-519: Hillbillies

 Random Vegas 

In 2024, it’s reported that at least 16 people experienced a malfunction while playing a slot machine nullifying a jackpot. As a result, it’s projected that $1.3 million was lost. 

TwitPic of the week 

Something about grass in the desert just seems lush, high end. Probably because it doesn’t exist in nature so rich people will it to survive in the desert climate. Here we see it at classic Caesars Palace sporting said vegetation thanks to @Vegas_Visual. I’m surprised more chairs aren’t occupying the space. You would think that would be prime real estate. I can’t stop staring at those Sarno blocks. While I think the property looks better today, I can’t help but romanticize what she used to look like. 

News

• 360 Book Update

• Wrestlemania Vegas

• Sphere of Oz

• Museum of Ice Cream

• El Cortez Renovation

E-518: Random Sign Museum

 Random Vegas 

• Before he designed Bellagio, Wynn had fully developed, different plans for the land formerly home to the Dunes.    

  • Plans were to build a boutique hotel with intimate spaces, 2 hotel towers, one with 230 suites and two 7-story towers housing 461 rooms each  

  • He even planned to leave room for two future towers to be built  

  • Wynn believe if he pulled this off, it would be the death of the mega resort  

  • Wynn’s creative side was unsatisfied and after some guidance, scrapped them and started over with plans to reinvent the game again 

TwitPic of the week 

There was time when north strip was the center of the action in Las Vegas. Desert Inn, Frontier, Silver Slipper, Stardust, Silver City, Riviera, El Rancho, Slots A Fun, Circus Circus and the Sahara lorded over the area for decades. Today it's trying to resurrect its glory days with new additions Resorts World and Fontainebleau, but the location is currently a liability. This week we get a snapshot of the area as it existed in 1985 thanks to @_GrandPaD and comparing the density with today’s landscape is almost an unfair comparison. Today large chunks of land exist in between properties making it unappealing to pedestrian traffic. Specifically, the area is challenged by the still vacant lots that are the Frontier and Riviera. The former a casualty of the real estate explosion the strip underwent in the early 2000s and the later another victim of the ever-growing reach of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Crystal ball time, will north strip ever be where the center of the action is again? It isn’t likely even once people build on these parcels but that doesn’t mean it can’t become another hub of activity for the city that continues to evolve at all costs.

News

360 Vegas Vacation 15 Details

E-517: Blue Canister

 Random Vegas

Despite using the motto “Est. 1952”, Atomic Liquors didn’t open until April 17th, 1954 (@summacorp)

TwitPic of the week

It’s one of the last super pylons in operation in Vegas and one of the best uses of neon ever.  The Rio marquee is a gem that should be celebrated by all. Thankfully new ownership restored it and incorporated LED into the sign instead of replacing it with a large square TV screen as has become the norm in the Vegas skyline.  This week’s winner by @Summacorp is not of the recently refurbed sign but of the classic sign with a readerboard. Regardless its a spectacular sign of animated neon that should be appreciated while we have it.

News

• Book Update

• War Machine Returns

• 7 Shows to see in 2025

• MGM Renovations

E-516: Experimental Holes

 Random Vegas 

While down compared to the record-shattering levels tied to last year's inaugural F1 race, monthly ADR this year saw the 2nd highest record for the month of November. (@MeltzVegas) 

TwitPic of the week 

It’s an iconic look at Caesars Palace, with the Sarno blocks lit up in teal shared by @LasVegasLocally.  It’s at least 1989 because the Mirage is open. This aesthetic would be replaced with the more authentic Greco roman architecture the property has today, inspired by the design used on the Palace tower, which opened in 1998.  But this one has a charm to it. I mean how many properties go through an enhanced retheming. Caesars is an iconic brand around the world and both of her iterations are deserving of the designation. 

News

• CyberTruck Attack

• Death by Slot

• Gaming Revenue

• King’s Bar Temporary Closing