Anyways, as you may or may not know, this time I will be staying at the Bellagio...the premier 5-star hotel on The Strip. Before my time, the current site of the Bellagio was actually the home of the Dunes. The Dunes was one of the first "old school" Vegas casinos to be demolished. It got me thinking. I love current Vegas for all the lights and attractions. But I wonder if I would be such a big fan of the Vegas if I grew up during old school Vegas times.
The Strip circa 1950:
The Strip Circa 1980:
The Strip Today:
My how things change. Historically, the casinos that were not in downtown Las Vegas along Fremont street were restricted to outside of the city limits on Las Vegas Blvd. In 1959 the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign was constructed exactly 4.5 miles (7.2 km) outside of the city limits. The sign is today about 0.4 miles (0.64 km) south of the southernmost entrance to Mandalay Bay (the southernmost casino).
The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931, but the first on what is currently the Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, opening on April 3, 1941, with 63 rooms. That casino stood for almost 20 years before being destroyed by a fire in 1960. Its success spawned a second hotel on what would become the Strip, the Hotel Last Frontier, in 1942. Organized crime figures such as New York's Bugsy Siegel took interest in the growing gaming center leading to other resorts such as the Flamingo, which opened in 1946, and the Desert Inn, which opened in 1950. Following the Flamingo and the Desert Inn, many of the iconic, historic casinos of early Las Vegas Strip were built.
The Sands was built in 1952 (the Venetian currently sits on the old location of the Sands). During its heyday, the Sands was the center of entertainment and "cool" on the Strip, and hosted many famous entertainers of the day. Regulars were able to mingle with the stars in the lounge after their late-night shows. Its most famous claim to fame was a three-week period in 1960 when, during the filming of Ocean's Eleven, they organized an event in the Copa Room called the "Summit at the Sands", where for the first time Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford performed on stage together. They would forever be known after that as the Rat Pack.
Often, when one of the members was scheduled to give a performance, the rest of the Pack would show up for an impromptu show, causing much excitement among audiences, resulting in return visits. They sold out almost all of their appearances, and people would come pouring into Las Vegas, sometimes sleeping in cars and hotel lobbies when they could not find rooms, just to be part of the Rat Pack entertainment experience. The marquees of the hotels at which they were performing as individuals would read, for example, "DEAN MARTIN - MAYBE FRANK - MAYBE SAMMY."
The Dunes opened in 1955 (as discussed already, its the current home of the Bellagio today), and never really became quite the success that The Sands became. One reason was its location at what was then the southernmost part of the Strip. The hotel frequently had to borrow money, and even the Sands Hotel lent its executives to help out, as well as bringing in numerous famous celebrities and entertainers such as Frank Sinatra’s surprise appearance dressed as a sultan. On January 10, 1957, in a desperate move to keep the resort afloat, the Dunes became the first hotel/casino in Nevada to offer a topless show, called Minsky’s Follies - the first of which was "Minsky Goes to Paris."
Besides being the first hotel/casino to have a titty show in Vegas, it's other memorable moment might have been it's destruction. Steve Wynn bought the Dunes and started the implosion trend with the North Tower. On October 27, 1993, the Dunes was imploded in a grand ceremony that involved major fireworks displays and the use of several "cannon blasts" from the pirate ship of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Over 200,000 people watched the implosion. The Dunes Sign itself was lit and the sign read "No Vacancy" as if it was still open. Steve Wynn, along with Controlled Demoliton Inc. stood by and said "Captain of the Britannia, prepare broadside; Ready, Aim, Fire." Cannon shots from the ship were simulated to coincide with explosions along the Dunes property. The neon sign was destroyed and a fireball fueled by 16,000 liters of aviation fuel engulfed the Diamond Tower shortly before explosives brought it down. Everything except the south tower was destroyed "amid a shower of fireworks never before equaled west of the Mississippi."
The Stardust opened in 1958, and was the last of these original big Vegas hotels to close, shutting its doors for good in 2006. The Stardust was probably most famous for it's sign. The Stardust sign gave visitors a panoramic view of the solar system. At the sign's center sat a 16-foot diameter plastic model of the Earth, taken from the Sputnik. Cosmic rays of neon and electric light bulbs beamed from behind the model earth in all direction. Three-dimensional acrylic glass planets spun alongside 20 scintillating neon starbursts. Across the universe was a jagged galaxy of electric lettering spelling out "Stardust". The sign utilized 7,100 ft of neon tubing with over 11,000 bulbs along its 216 ft front. The "S" alone contained 975 lamps. At night the neon constellation was reportedly visible 60 miles away!
Despite the overtures of glitz and glam, early Las Vegas was still, primarily, a gambling destination. Smoky gaming halls lined the strip. The mob had its fingers in most casinos. It really was not a family destination. And, really, unlike today, those going to Vegas were going to gamble.
Today, Las Vegas is a destination. While still primarily a destination for the older crowd, it has slowly become more and more of a place you can bring your families. The Stratusphere has a few rides and attractions, New York New York has a roller coaster, MGM Grand has the tiger habitat, Excalibur has an arcade for kids. There are many family friendly shows up and down the strip, including the various Cirque de Soleil shows and the famous Blue Man Group. The restaurants that many of the hotels have are also quite delicious, and many of them have earned Michelin Stars for their quality of cuisine.
In short, Las Vegas today is a resort destination, not just a gambling location.
And, really, while I like the gambling, its the Vegas experience that keeps bringing me back for more. I like walking down the Strip at night, enjoying the lights, and watching the Strip-side shows (The Fountains at Bellagio are amazing). I like going to see a show. I like chilling in a bar after the show and having some drinks. I like the themes of the casinos. I like it all. If it was just about gambling, Reno is much closer.
Anyways, I'm off for a few days of fun in Sin City. I may write something up about it when I get back...depending on whether I feel like sharing or not. That will be entirely up to how awesome of a time I have in Vegas. The better of a time I have, the less likely you are to hear about it! :-P
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