First stop, Neon Museum. Where the glitzy, flashing promises of loose slots, luxury rooms and quick and easy marriages go to rest. It starts with the former lobby of the La Concha hotel lobby which was given to the museum (if you can move it, you can have it). They cut the modern shell building into 8 pieces to move it 4 miles where it has been since 1996. This Googie style architecture was thriving in the 50s and 60s as America was anxiously looking forward to the space age. Googie was also known as Populuxe, Doo-Wop, Coffee Shop Modern, Jet Age, Space Age and Chinese Modern.
Vegas strip hotels in the 50s maxed out at 4 stories high and about 100 rooms so they had to do something to grab your attention. The tallest sign in the boneyard was 40 ft high. Today’s signs, like The Hard Rock Cafe guitar, and the Sahara stand at 80 ft.
To keep Vegas looking, well, Vegasy, several restored signs have been placed along Fremont Street (old Vegas) and the Las Vegas Boulevard. Each sign holds a story about who created it and why it was important—colors and names, and styles of neon all reflected the time and mentality of the public.
Karl and I liked the older style with the light bulbs instead of the neon. And, I’m kind of obsessed with the guy playing pool.
Next up, the Mob Museum. This starts with prohibition and takes you directly to a high-end speakeasy in the basement. So, cocktails at 10:30am then you go to level 3 and work your way down. The mob was pretty amazing. Smart and adaptable. Quick and nimble. When prohibition ended, they set their sites on gambling and Hollywood.
Ok, now on to Old Vegas. We stop at Atomic Liquors, the oldest freestanding bar in Vegas, run by a sweet old couple who passed away in 2010 at 91. Dimly lit with pink neon in the ceiling, this place had a great vibe.
In its heyday, Atomic had a local, working class clientele that was bolstered by regular visits from celebrities looking to avoid the attention they attracted on the Strip. The likes of the Rat Pack, Barbara Streisand, the Smothers Brothers, Clint Eastwood and other notable characters could be seen enjoying their favorite beverage and playing a friendly game of pool 24 hours a day. Atomic also drew a crowd of casino workers after their shifts, because, “you never know who might stop by.
We continue down Fremont Street which although quiet, already feels over the top. We take our street taco lunch into Container Park—a mall / amusement park of sorts made out of shipping containers. The food made even tastier by the lovely woman who served it to us with her homemade sauces and the most delicious Horchata we’ve ever tasted. At $17, this will be the cheapest meal we will eat all weekend.
The Vdara Hotel & Spa is lovely. And chill. And NON-SMOKING. I didn’t realize how much I loved our hotel until we wandered around some others. On the 31st floor we have a great view of the Bellagio Fountains, Paris, the High Roller ferris wheel and the Eiffel Tower. We change and head out for Absinthe. A quirky Cirque Du Soleil variety show sold as “an uneasy cross between terrific variety acts and a stag party.” As Stefon would say, this show has everything. Balancing, spinning, vulgar comedy, water, gymnastics, children in clown costumes who clean your shoes while you watch, insane acts of strength, and roller skates.
We left happy and headed to our 10pm dinner reservation (ha, I’m usually in bed at 10) at Rose. Rabbit. Lie.—a “swanky supper club” in The Cosmopolitan. Our table sat directly in front of the stage where a 3-piece band and two female vocalists performed. I couldn’t see my food very well (swanky also means dark) but man could I taste it.
Charred Octopus: Confit Tomato, Black Sponge, Sea Bean
Crab Louie: Crab Cake, Avocado, Roasted Tomato, Asparagus, Soft Boiled Egg
Loaded Baked Potato “Rosettes”: Smoked Pork, Cajun Cheddar, Horseradish Creme Fraiche
Ended the night with The Chandelier—a crystal-ensconced bar in The Cosmopolitan— and a saunter through the casino. Karl wasn’t feeling the tables that night, so we made the trek back. 3am. First night down. Boom.
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