Post #38150 by woofmutt on Mon, Jun 9, 2003 4:56 PM

Since everyone's always going and always seems to be looking for interetsing stuff...

Mandalay Bay is often overlooked by visitors but it's a really swell casino that's worth the trip (at the south end of the strip next to Luxor, so it's not a stretch). The casino is swank and the high concept restaurants (Rum Jungle has been mentioned here before) are worth a look-see. What's really cool is Mandalay Bay's fountain area out front. Mountains of rocks, plants, stone elephants, giant urns overflowing with water, and a huge "temple" structure. It's really great at night when you'll pretty much have it all to yourself as very few venture out there. Take a drink with you, but not one from the casino bars which are overpriced and lousy.

Imperial Palace is worth a walk through if your one of those who whine for "old Vegas". The casino is low ceilinged and cramped, mostly utilitarian except for really cool Chinese serpentine dragon decorations. The very small Mai Tai Bar at the back of the casino has some Chinese decor and has a definite dive bar feel to it (borrowed atmosphere from the casino). In the casino men's room the sink area has a huge selection of hairsprays, tonics, gels, shaving creams, and colognes favored by the over 60 set. There's an attendant who also has a shoe shine stand. Upstairs (or up broken escalator as was the case) is the Tiki themed Emperor's Buffet. A floor above that is a small dim piano bar area surrounded by themed restaurants. The Imperial Palace also has a great classic car collection which you can get into for free if you hunt the kiosks and in room mags for a coupon.

You'll be thrilled to know a good sized chunk of the front of the Flamingo is currently being remodeled into...Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville!!!

Somewhat across from the Stardust at 2958 Las Vegas Blvd S is the Peppermill restaurant. Its Fireside Lounge (mentioned here before) is very cool. Inside it's like late 1979 with low backed deep red velvet-esque booths, lots of brass trim, mirrored walls, fake trees, and dim light. The focal point of the lounge is a round aqua pool of bubbling water with flames. There's seating around the fire water and with the bubbling noise and sunken pit design it sort of feels like sitting in a dry hot tub. The waitresses all wear full length black gowns split up to the thigh and they sit down with you to take your order. The drinks are mostly tropical, large and well garnished, fairly good and seemingly completely lacking in alcohol (this was from a sample of 5 different drinks on two different nights). Avoid their Zombie which tasted like it was made with sour mix and more sour mix. One door over from the Peppermill is La Concha Motel which has a super googie wavy roofed office building with a mostly original interior (the desk clerk didn't mind the googie admiring visitors).

Signage...The best night time drive is heading north on the strip from Sands Ave to downtown. There's the nice cluster of casinos in the Stardust to Sahara area and north of that are a lot of small motels with really great neon (much of it kept in full working order). This stretch of Las Vegas Blvd isn't as heavily packed on weekend nights, so drivng isn't much of a pain. If you're a fan of old motels you'll appreciate the design and layouts of many of the properties. For a daytime drive head east on Fremont street from Las Vegas Blvd. There are tons of great motels signs along the way (until Sahara). Some of them are just the remnant forms, but you can still enjoy the design. Only a few of these have working neon, that's why it's a good day time drive.

More signange...Downtown's Neonopolis has more restored classic neon signs like the ones that were installed on Fremont street a few years back.

Natural life...The Desert Demonstration Garden at 3701 W Alta Drive is really nice, free, and I've never seen it very busy...Plant World is a large commercial nursery at 5301 W Charelston. Lots of interesting live stuff you don't see in most of the U.S. What makes it a fun visit are the numerous parrots they keep on perches throughout the nursery...Red Rock Canyon park is way out west on Charelston and well worth a visit (more red rocks can be seen north of Las Vegas at Valley of Fire State Park, more of a day trip destination)...If you visit Red Rock continue west on 159 (Charleston) until you come to Cactus Joes at ("Cactus Sale" signs along the road will alert you). It's a sprawling cactus nursery which also has tons of affordably priced pots and concrete garden stuff and mounds of different colored chunks of glass. The people who run it are incredibly layed back and friendly.