The Return of Fandana Friday!

The mail yielded an expected bundle of joy...and an unexpected one, too. When I checked out Shannon Laskey’s Etsy store, I noticed she had Haunted Mansion fandanas…in the appropriate purple color! HAD to get one. If I have to mask, at least it can be fun and stylish! When the package arrived, Shannon had written “Why is this so lumpy?!” in her cool signature handwriting. PS: I LOVE getting packages from Shannon; to say she makes packaging fun and creative is an understatement. This lady radiates joy!

Inside was the fandana, and it was just as cool as I thought it would be!

Shannon adds plenty of little extras and stories with her products:

Just look at the inspection tag; she knows her Disneyland stuff backwards and forwards! I will have so much fun looking over every little Mansion detail captured on this fandana.

Back to lumpy…Shannon also included (as a bonus to me) this Park Pair Up card game. As she explained:

When we went into shelter-in-place mode in March I started creating this card game and it debuted on Black Friday in my Etsy Store.

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make a cool card game!

The premise: pair up cards inspired by the happiest and most magical theme parks! But, not so fast, there are Tricky cards along the way. Try to foil your opponents and be the first one to reach 150 points. Do that you’ll win the Magic Key to the Kingdom!

Not sure you can handle the brainpower to figure out a new game? Shannon has you covered with a youtube instructional video (she covers ALL the bases).

And yes, there’s an actual Magic Key that comes with the set!

 

See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland 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.

The Garden of Allah remnants

There was once a fabled hotel across the street from the Chateau Marmont called The Garden of Allah. Today’s post features an envelope from the hotel, postmarked 1942.

Sadly, it did not survive and was demolished in 1959. Like the Chateau, it was a haven for artists, actors, and writers; also like its neighbor, there are many legends and tall tales that have outlived its stucco walls. Originally a 2.5-acre private estate/residence, it was purchased by silent-screen actress Alla Nazimova and converted into a hotel by adding 25 villas around the main house. The Garden of Alla Hotel had its grand opening on January 9, 1927.

Strapped for cash, the actress ended up selling it three years later; the new owners added an “h” to the end of “Alla,” which is how it was normally spelled. The actress lived in Villa 24 until her death in 1945. 

Recently, a key from the hotel surfaced on ebay:

The listing states:

Good luck and even if your not bidding you might want to watch how this one ends after all the dust has settled. 

They lost me at “your” instead of “you’re.” Oh yes...and the price: $2,000. That was a deterrent, too. Hard to believe, but an intact matchbook also came up for auction:

One of the most interesting pieces I have seen is the Garden of Allah Guest Informant book:

Interesting to see the businesses listed, most of which no longer exist:

I’m sure the “stars” appreciated having their addresses in print, encouraging all the looky-loos to ring their doorbells.

The final owner, Bart Lytton, owner of Lytton Savings & Loan, demolished the hotel in 1959 and replaced it with his bank's main branch which is now closed and part of a mini-furor by the preservationists who don’t want it replaced by a Frank Gehry monstrosity. Oh the irony. See more Garden of Allah hotel photos at my main website.

Up and Down The Strip, Pt. 2

Crossing Las Vegas Boulevard we begin today’s tour of The Strip at Treasure Island. I think I slept through a Cirque de Soleil show here once. Other than that, not a lot of experience with this hotel.

Between Treasure Island and the Mirage you can see this tribute to Las Vegas legends Siegfried and (the late) Roy:

Moving onto the Mirage hotel:

Still touting the Cirque du Soleil Beatles tribute, “Love”:

The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace are probably the best place in Vegas to spend that extra cash burning a hole in your pocket:

Caesars’ homage to Trevi Fountain in Italy:

You know things are bad when Caesar has to put a mask on:

Before I crossed the boulevard to return to my hotel, I snapped this shot of an art piece outside of Neiman Marcus; I loved the way the shadow reflected on the sidewalk:

That’s enough Vegas for today! 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.