Las Vegas - Adult Playground of the World
Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. Most of these venues are located in downtown Las Vegas or on the Las Vegas Strip, which is outside city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester. The Las Vegas Valley serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center in Nevada.
The City bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its luxurious and large casino-hotels. As of 2023, Las Vegas attracts over 40.8 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited cities in the United States and consistently ranking among the world's top tourist destinations. It is a global leader in the hospitality industry. The city's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment has earned it the nickname "Sin City," and has made it a popular setting for films, literature, television programs, commercials and music videos.
Key historical events in Las Vegas include the establishment of the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort in 1855, the legalization of gambling in 1931, the introduction of neon signs in 1945, and the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign erected in 1959. Other significant moments include the era of the Rat Pack in the 1960s and the tragic MGM Grand Hotel fire in 1980.
May, 2001 (VNEA Pool Tournament)
We arrived in Vegas none the worse for wear totally enthused and full of stories about our trip. It was time to buckle down and get to the task at hand. Both Doreen and I were playing in the Pool Tournament and refereeing when not playing - in between making plans for next year's road trip.
I drove home with hubby Steve that year. I must have pre-planned that just in case we were in "kill" mode by the time we got to Vegas. However, we ended up following each other home on the highway. We stayed at Jackpot, Nevada the first night and Great Falls, Montana the final night.
May, 2002 (VNEA Pool Tournament)
This year we refereed the VNEA pool tournament in Vegas, so spent 10 sunless days inside the Riviera Hotel, constantly wishing we were on the road. We did a small tourist afternoon at Liberace's museum and then a fast shopping spree (20 min) at the Outlet Mall on the west side of Vegas to buy attire for the evening banquet.
 |
| Dante's View - Death Valley National Park |
Fifteen miles outside of Vegas we found our first cactus tree and of course had to take a picture. Then we boogied into the desert and off in search of cactus and ghost towns.
May, 2006 (VNEA Pool Tournament)
This year our travels were going to take us back to Las Vegas. The pool team Doreen and I played on won the trip to the International Valley 8 Ball Tournament held every year at the Riviera. The "Guys & Dolls" Pool Team was a throw together group of players and it turned out to be the greatest team. Everyone got along and we had great food, fun, and team spirit all year. We played 100% at playoffs, never lost a game and our trip to Vegas was secured.
After leaving Rhyolite, we traveled south on Hwy 95 through Pahrump (name makes me laugh) and into Vegas from the west. It was time to "let the games begin". Our team played exceptionally well and survived until the last match before the "big" board (final playoffs).
The guys wanted to enter into the hardluck tournament but Doreen and I were anxious to get back on the road. So, we bid them good luck, left them to their playing, checked out early, and were on our way again. Oh yeah, I got to spend two nights with my hubby, Steve, while in Vegas.
June, 2010 (No Destination)
Vegas Disaster
We arrived in Vegas at 8:30pm - DISASTER!! On checking in at the Riviera Doreen realized she didn't have her wallet. We searched the car high and low - no wallet. The last time we used her Visa was for gas in Hurricane, Utah. We phoned the gas station and the McDonalds but no luck - no wallet. Fortunately, we had enough cash on hand to pay for two days at the hotel and one day of internet.
Panic set in and the next three hours were spent on the phone and emails cancelling all Doreen's bank accounts, Visa, paypal automatic payments and anything else she could think of. Fortunately, her drivers license and birth certificate were still inside her passport folder so the only significant losses she had were her bank cards, Visa cards and about $100.00 cash. Doreen emailed her office requesting some back up funds and Visa arranged to provide her with emergency funds wired to a Western Union.
 |
| Cancelling all my Cards |
Finally at 1:30 am we could breathe easy and get some sleep. Now wouldn't THAT make a great Visa commercial? All that panic then us sleeping like babies!!
In response to Doreen's email, Sharon (from her office) phoned first thing in the morning to make sure we were OK and to let me know that arrangements were in the works to get some funds to us. Once Gloria got back to the office, Steve would be able to pick up a cheque to deposit for us to draw cash out each day with my ATM.
In the meantime, we went to Western Union and picked up the cash Visa had wired. So our slight disaster was now under control. We headed to the factory outlook to buy some summer clothes and a new wallet for Doreen. More good news came shortly after that. The gas station phoned to tell me that someone had handed in Doreen's wallet. So we headed back up I-15 to Hurricane - 125 miles - to pick it up. Even better news - all my cards and even the cash were still in it. Apparently someone did hand it to them but the clerk forgot to tell the night shift that it was there. No harm done.
The wallet was intact, all credit cards and cash not touched. Doreen tried to find the good samaritan but no one knew who the young man was. She wanted to give him the cash in the wallet for his honesty. It was a nice feeling to know that there are honest people wherever you travel.
Riviera Hotel
I took pictures of the room because we both had the feeling it would be our last trip to the Riviera. We'd heard that the Pool Tournaments were being moved from this location and honestly - the Riviera is badly in need of an overhaul and new management that gives a damn. For example, Doreen's bed had a flat sheet for the bottom. That would be OK except it was a single sheet and didn't go to the end of the bed. When she stretched out her feet were on the mattress cover.
The towels were hard as rocks - no softener in the wash. Seems like they are just trying to cut small corners. We have the feeling another dinosaur is going to feel the effect of dynamite. Too bad because walking into the lobby felt like "coming home" for us.
The Riviera opened on April 20, 1955 as the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The Riviera is one of the oldest and most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas. The Riviera also broke new ground in its design. Previously, strip resorts resembled roadside motor courts.
The opening of the Riviera, along with the Dunes and the Royal Nevada casino resorts, within a month were the subject of a famous issue of Life Magazine, on June 20, 1955 with a Moulin Rouge showgirl on its cover. The headline was "Las Vegas-Is Boom Overextended?" and a story about how Las Vegas had built too many hotel rooms to be profitable. Liberace was the featured headliner at the resort's opening, and for many years afterward.
October 2014 (Every Which Way)
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
We were up relatively early and both of us were ready to head out the door by 9:30 am. We had our breakfast at the IHOP before heading out for the day. We had already mapped our way to Red Rock Canyon via the Christmas Goose Quilt Shop. Doreen bought a couple to shelf dolls and I fell in love with a quilt but didn't quite buy it. $1000 was a tad more than she wanted to pay. Quilt shopping finished, we headed to hwy 159 and Red Rock Canyon.
It's amazing that we have spent so much time in Las Vegas over the years and never really bothered to take in some of the sites just outside of town. Highways included hwy 159 to Red Rock Canyon and hwy 160 (Blue Diamond Road) back to Vegas.
Red Rock Canyon
The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 15 miles west of Las Vegas, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and protected as a National Conservation Area.
The conservation area showcases a set of large red rock formations - a set of sandstone peaks and walls called the Keystone Thrust. The walls are up to 3,000 feet high with the highest point being La Madre Mountain at 8,154 feet.
The Visitors Center features Earth, Water, Air and Fire and has a section for each with a tremendous amount of information, photographs and samples. It was very impressive. The also have a protected tortoise habitat but we didn't see any tortoises.
Mojave Max
The Conservation Area is protected habitat for the Desert Tortoise. A mascot tortoise, named Mojave Max, was kept at the Visitors Center and died on July 2nd, 2008 of natural causes at the age of 65. A successor has not been named.
 |
| Earth and Air |
 |
| Fire and Water |
The majority of the innovative interpretive exhibits are outside with four themed elements: earth, air, fire and water. If you are eager to see desert tortoises or learn more about Red Rock’s geology, head toward the Earth exhibit. Looking for a dust devil? Head to the air exhibit to create one yourself. Many people think this area is roasting hot in the summer; come to fire exhibit to learn about agave roasting pits. The water exhibit will remind you of how precious this resource is in the desert.
Towards the southern end of the National Conservation Area are Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, the western ghost town replica of Bonnie Springs, and the village of Blue Diamond.
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
In the mid-1830s, a campsite was established along the wash that runs through the ranch. The spring-fed creek and grassy meadows formed an oasis for travelers using the alternate route of the Spanish Trail through Cottonwood Valley. The use of the site by pack and wagon trains continued until their replacement by the railroad in 1905. This remote trail was also used extensively by outlaws involved in Indian slave trading, horse stealing and raids upon passing caravans.
Bonnie Springs
Bonnie Springs Ranch was first constructed in 1843, as a stopover for wagon trains going to California down the Old Spanish Trail. In 1846, General Fremont on his way to California stopped at Bonnie Springs Ranch to gear up for his trip through Death Valley.
Old Nevada, Bonnie Springs Ranch
Bonnie Springs Ranch was an attraction near Blue Diamond, Nevada that included an 1880s Western town replica and a zoo. The ranch has natural oasis habitat because of the spring water surfacing there.
The ranch was originally created in the 1840s, as a stopover for wagon trains heading to California. Bonnie McGaugh purchased the ranch in 1952, and it was subsequently named Bonnie Springs Ranch after her.
Horseback riding and a restaurant were added by the mid-1960s. Old Nevada, the western town replica, was opened at the ranch in 1974, followed by the zoo and a motel in the 1980s.
By 1962, the ranch included a swimming pool. A stable was added to the ranch in 1963, followed by a restaurant in 1964. By 1966, Bonnie Springs Recreation Ranch included picnic areas and playgrounds, as well as 28 horses for riding. In May 1974, a western town replica known as Old Nevada was added to the ranch.
Wild Burros - Bonnie Springs
The 220,000 acre Red Rock Herd Management Area contains both wild horses and burros. The burros often congregate near Bonnie Springs, Spring Mountain Ranch and the town of Blue Diamond along Route 159.
The BLM protects and manages wild horses and burros under the authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 to ensure that healthy herds thrive on healthy rangelands.
Blue Diamond
Blue Diamond, originally known as Cottonwood Springs, changed its name when the Blue Diamond Company took ownership of the mine and built corporate housing for the workers. The Company started plans to develop the land in October 1923, when Las Vegas' population was only 5,000. Mules and hand laborers also built 11½ miles of railroad, and rock from the mine was hauled six miles down the hill to the track until it was more complete.
Blue Diamond was originally a stop on the Old Spanish Trail between 1830 and 1848. The trail was then used as a wagon road for the Mormons until 1905.
Old Spanish Trail
Explored, in part, by Spanish explorers as early as the late 1500s, the Old Spanish Trail is a historical trade route which connected the New Mexico settlements near Santa Fe with that of southern California. Approximately 1,200 miles long, it ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons.
The Old Spanish Trail is considered one of the most arduous of all trade routes ever established in the United States. The Trail saw extensive use by pack trains from about 1830 until the mid-1850s.
Our little excursion complete, we headed back to the hotel for a relaxing hour at the hot tub and then supper at the Outback. We did some grocery shopping, then drove the Strip. After all, it wouldn't seem right to be in Vegas and not even see the Strip!!
Wednesday, October 21, 2014
Our last day was a lazy one. We woke up at 10:30 am had our showers and headed to IHOP for breakfast. We drove west on Russell and visited some of the rentals that are available. Doreen liked two of them - Spanish Ridge and San Tropez. Both were really nice complexes and reasonable rates. We then went to the furniture rental showroom at Cort to see what can be found for furniture rentals. At least Doreen now has an estimate monthly rental figure. It certainly gives her something to consider to escape the snow.
 |
| Lazy River |
Lazy River
By the time we finished looking at the rentals and furniture, we were both ready for the Lazy River. We got ourselves on the tubes and we were off.
It was colder than the last time I was on the river but the water was quite warm. I didn't want to get my hair wet. Ha Ha - as if!! After the river, we had a relaxing soak in the hot tub.
 |
| Riviera Hotel 2008 |
Riviera Hotel
We went for dinner an then cruised the Strip. We parked at the Riviera and wandered around the casino area. We didn't even recognize the hotel. Katy's is gone. Actually, all the familiar restaurants are gone. The registration has been moved to the convention center entrance. The valet parking access from Las Vegas Blvd. has been removed and is self parking now. Most of the stores are gone. The Art Gallery and clothing store are gone - replaced by a Tattoo Shop. There is no upstairs buffet any more.
In the Casino, Nickel Heaven is gone. Keno area now contains some pool tables - not sure why. The wide open vacant spaces where slot machines used to be is really noticeable. Doreen never was able to navigate her way around the hotel and casino but I have to admit absolutely nothing except the swimming pool looks the same as when we stayed there for the pool tournaments.
| Update The Riviera closed on May 4, 2015, and demolition was underway a year later. Due to the sprawling layout of the Riviera's buildings, a two-phase implosion was scheduled months apart for several of the hotel towers. The 24-story Monaco tower was imploded on June 14, 2016, followed by the 12-storey Mediterranean South tower and 17-story Monte Carlo tower on August 16, 2016. After demolition started, contaminated soil was discovered on the property's north side, near four underground diesel fuel storage tanks. Nearly 10,000 tons of contaminated soil had to be removed. |
2015 - Goodbye to a Grand Old Lady
Riviera Hotel
April 29th, 1955 - May 4th, 2015
After 60 years shining down on the Las Vegas Strip, one of the oldest and most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas has closed. The Riviera operated from April 29th, 1955 to May 4th, 2015. An implosion date has not yet been set yet but is expected to happen before the end of the year.
The Riviera (colloquially, "the Riv") was the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Liberace was the featured headliner at the resort's opening. Way ahead of it's time, the hotel had over 2,100 rooms and 110,000 sq ft of gaming space. The Riviera broke new ground in its design. Previously, Strip resorts resembled roadside motor courts. Riviera Hotel - Wikipedia
Colorful Owners and Managers
The casino was first proposed by Detroit mobster William Bischoff as the Casa Blanca, and received a gaming license in 1952. Bischoff later withdrew from the project, which was taken over by Miami businessman Samuel Cohen. Harpo and Gummo Marx held minority interests at the opening.
The Riviera casino went bankrupt just three months after opening. A group of former Flamingo Hotel managers led by Gus Greenbaum took over operation of the property, leasing it from the ownership group. Greenbaum had recently retired, and it was widely suspected that he was coerced to return to work by threats from Chicago mob boss Tony Accardo. Greenbaum's drug and gambling addictions led to his embezzling from the casino. In December 1958, Greenbaum and his wife were murdered in their Phoenix, Arizona home, reportedly on the orders of either Meyer Lansky or Tony Accardo.
Dean Martin was hired in 1969 to perform in the casino's showroom, and was given a 10 percent interest in the Riviera. Martin left in 1972, after management refused his request to cut his performance schedule from two nightly shows to one. The Riviera bought back his shares.
Famous Entertainers
Over the years The Riviera has headlined some of the best and most famous entertainers, including, just to mention a few:
|
|
Alone and Lonely
The decline in popularity of the Riviera was caused in part by the decline of pedestrian foot traffic in the vicinity. Previously, the Riviera was surrounded by the Stardust, New Frontier, and Westward Ho, properties which were demolished to make room for new construction. A shutdown in the new construction in progress left the Riv alone and lifeless at the end of the Strip - her only friend Circus Circus across the street.
2016 (Quilt Away)
Doreen was in Las Vegas and travelling home in a couple of day. I decided to fly into Vegas tomorrow and ride with her to Oatman, Bluff and home. Yeah! It will be a short trip for me but it'll be fun. At least I'll be able to visit Brenda and the donkeys and we can play on highway 261. For Doreen it'll be great to have company homeward bound.
I arrived safe and sound about 9:30 pm. I got settled in and head to bed. We have to be up pretty early. We want to be in Oatman early afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment