Monday on Sunset Boulevard, 1986

Another case of close, closer, and closest with this August 1986 shot of Sunset Boulevard, aka The Strip. Zooming in I can see my favorite haunt, The Chateau Marmont hotel. Bottom left is a billboard for “Howard the Duck,” one of the most notorious box office flops of all time:

I was staying in Westwood at the time it was released and captured the UCLA billboard up close:

Back to the original photo, the lower left shows Carney’s Restaurant, located inside a yellow Union Pacific rail car that opened in 1975.

A contemporary shot of Carney’s:

On the right side of today’s 1986 shot, the historic Schwab’s pharmacy is still standing:

How it looked in the 1940’s:

And how this area looks now, as the original building was replaced with this shopping center:

See more Sunset Boulevard photos at my main website.

Vegas: The Final Chapter!

The final stop on my Las Vegas journal of tales here is the Luxor Hotel, which opened in 1993. I’ve never stayed at this one, but have enjoyed the Titanic exhibit (which appears to still be there) and gone to a convention there.

The exterior and all of its statues look like something out of “The Ten Commandments.”

One expects Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston to appear at any moment in their chariots.

I just happened to catch the sun as it was setting over the mirrored pyramid:

I wonder how authentic these replicas are, or if they just sprung from the imagination of the artists who sculpted them?

Am I in a hurry to go back? Hell no. But…if I did…there is one restaurant I had never noticed before that I definitely want to check out: Battista’s Italian Restaurant. This looks like a place where the Rat Pack would have eaten, although it has only been around since 1970.

Sadly, for reasons I won't go into, I did not get an opportunity to dine here and soak up the interior atmostphere.

See more Las Vegas photos at my main website.

Up and Down The Strip, Part 1

Because of the pandemic, my recent trip to Vegas was even less enjoyable for me than usual. Is that possible? Yes! I rarely left my hotel room except for each morning I went on a run, thinking I could get some fresh air when there weren’t very many people out. Let’s face it…Vegas is not an early morning town, other than the people who haven’t been able to pry their fingers off the slot machines the night before. The “fresh” morning air in Vegas was tinged with the smell of weed. Lovely. Here is my photo tour of The Strip from the Flamingo down and back. I figured it was time to take new photos as it had been over ten years since I last did so. First stop…

Harrah's:

I was tempted to come back at night to get the McDonald’s sign when it was lit, but no…not worth the effort. I was feeling lazy.

The Venetian:

Gondola rides were still being given:

The Grand Canal Shoppes:

The Shoppes still looked well maintained, albeit not very crowded.

Lollipops as art:

The Palazzo:

The Wynn is one hotel I have never gone inside; since it wasn’t really themed, it has never been on my radar. Still, it is a beautiful property.

Next time we’ll hit the other side of Las Vegas Boulevard.

See Las Vegas more photos at my main website.

Flamingo Friday

Ignoring this superstitious day I am throwing all caution to the wind by celebrating the Flamingo; the Flamingo Hotel, that is. The original was opened by mobster Bugsy Siegel on December 26, 1946 with Jimmy Durante and Xavier Cugat on the bill and a number of Hollywood’s glittering stars in attendance. Siegel named the hotel after his girlfriend Virginia Hill, whose nickname was “The Flamingo” because of her red hair and long legs. Despite the hotel’s eventual success, Siegel honked off the wrong people and was allegedly bumped off on June 20, 1947 at Virginia Hill’s Beverly Hills home.

The last of the hotel’s original structures was torn down in 1993; the building you see today is from later additions and renovations, with the most recent revamp dating to 2018.

Overall, it’s a cute little hotel with an excellent location. Views from the room showcase the Strip. Didja’ know that the name “The Strip” came about because the intent was to model Las Vegas after the famous Sunset (Boulevard) Strip in Hollywood.

While the decor still seems fairly fresh, the condition of some of the common areas seems a bit worn. Carpet in the guest hallways is stretched beyond belief, to the point that the hotel could find themselves with a few little trip and fall lawsuits on their hands if they don’t get it fixed.

 

The room was good sized, simple, and clean:

Naturally, there is a flamingo garden courtyard on site:

Sadly, the RuPaul shop was closed for COVID; most of the hotel’s restaurants were, too.

Would I stay there again? Possibly. But the chances of me returning to Vegas anytime soon (especially during the pandemic) are slim to none. People with cigarettes AND face masks? Count me out.

See more Flamingo Hotel photos at my main website.

The Rat Pack was here

This vintage color photo shows the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) standing in front of the marquee for the Sands Hotel on the Vegas strip,.

On a recent trip to Vegas, I was doing my typical early morning photo stroll (capturing the scenery without the clutter of tourists!) and came to the Venetian Hotel, which opened in 1999.

Even though I have been here many times and even stayed inside, this was the first time I noticed this marker at the entrance. Was it new? Had I just not seen it before?

The plaque states:

The legendary photo of the “Rat Pack”…was taken at this spot in 1960 adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip. In the early 1960’s, the five stars were headliners at the fame Copa Room inside the Sands hotel. The footprints below mark the approximate location of where these legendary stars once stood for this photo.

Wow…who knew? The Sands hotel was torn down in 1996 to make way for the “new” strip.

Which performer’s footprints would you want to stand in?

See more Las Vegas photos at my main website.

The Boneyard

I crossed another one off of my bucket list recently when I paid a visit to the Neon Museum Boneyard in Las Vegas. Many years ago I had heard of this place where vintage signs from Las Vegas resided; some restored, some rusting, but all on display just waiting for a visit from signage nerds like me.

The entrance to the museum is the lobby of the former La Concha Motel. What a cool way to begin!



Some of the signs have been restored and actually work:





Others have a spotlight with an ever-changing rainbow of colors aimed at them to give the illusion that they are still working:



And some are just sitting there, ravaged by time but definitely no less interesting for their wear.



My friend Kamy, an up and coming actor from Hollywood, met me at the Boneyard for our photo shoot:



Channeling James Bond, Kamy and I toured the site and marveled over these relics of "old" Las Vegas:







Here are a few comparison shots from my collection. The Stardust Hotel and Casino circa 1967:



and how the sign looks today:



This sparkling "silver" slipper is in front of the museum on a median strip:



Here is its original location:



The skull that is now laying flat on its "back"...



once resided in front of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino:



Naturally I had to have at least one shot documenting my first trip to this historic spot:



All photos filmed/photographed with permission at The Neon Museum, Las Vegas, Nevada

More Neon Museum Boneyard photos at my main website.