This is a picture of what's left of the Stardust, one day after the implosion. You can see the little slice of white trash hell on earth that is Circus Circus in the background. See the McDonalds in the upper right corner? Part of the vacant lot next to that is the site of the former Westward Ho, home of the 99 cent, 3/4 pound MEGA DOG, the 99 cent margarita, and a 5 cent cup of coffee. In addition to being the place in Las Vegas that I've most often been mistaken for security, it was the scene of the first badly-rendered version of George Harrison's "Something" experienced by me and MizBubs. Ultimately we would experience many, many badly-rendered versions of "Something", but none was as magical as that first time at the Ho. Oh, yeah--it was sung by an Elvis impersonator who was partly out of uniform.
I got the picture of the rubble pile from Vegas Today and Tomorrow. If you click on this page you can see all the new projects either proposed or under construction. There are plans for a new Maxim casino, a Harrods-themed casino, and expansions of the Tropicana and Caesars Palace. The mind reels.
I've started going through my Las Vegas files again. I have a bidness trip planned in May, and the nerves are starting. Slowly, but surely--I'll be in full twitch by late April. There are new places I have to find out about, and sadly there are places I've had to scratch off my list because they no longer exist: the million dollar horseshoe at Binions, the Sky Lounge at the top of Polo Towers, the tragically short-lived Taboo Cove at the Venetian. I could go on, and if you get a few drinks in me I will.
I'll sign off with a little video clip, because if there's one thing we love at the compound, it's fireworks:
6 comments:
I wish they'd restore the old places - there is history there and I'd be fun to go back in 50 years and it would still be what it was 50 years ago
Is Circus, Circus the model for "Club Bazooka" in Fear and Loathing?
"Club Bazooka is where most of middle America would be on Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war."
Johnny, yes it is. In the book he calls it Circus Circus I think. There were probably some concerns that kept it out of the movie. Picture how a Chuck E Cheese smells (institutional pizza cheese and feet) combined with the low-roller casino smell of cigarettes and stale beer, and damp humanity, and you get an idea of aroma du Circus Circus. Tony the Ant ran the gift shop there when it first opened.
Katy, I'd like to go back to any time in the 40's through the mid 60's in Las Vegas. Wow.
Only in Vegas do they turn an implosion into a show. Ah, Circus, Circus......home to many with bad teeth and a penchant for cheap liquor. High class, baby.
I'm picturing Anthony Spilotro running a casino gift shop. That just made my day.
Johnny, I'm always happy to help out.
Ten S, isn't it amazing? It was a couple of visits ago that I finally realized Circus Circus had even lost any po-mo ironic joke value for me. I haven't been there since.
Maybe next time, I'll have a couple of first time visitors with me, so I'll have an excuse to take them places like Circus Circus and, favorite of favorites, the awesome GOLD SPIKE.
Post a Comment