Glitter
Gulch
The blocks around the intersection of Fremont and Main Streets in downtown
Las Vegas are known as Glitter Gulch. The first neon sign in the city
went up here in 1929; now millions of lightbulbs and miles of neon tubing
bathe the Gulch in perpetual daylight. This is where you'll find Vegas
Vic and his pal Sassy Sal - two of the best-known neon icons in the
country. Some of the city's most famous casinos are in the Gulch, including
the Golden Nugget and the Gold Spike, as are most of its strip clubs.
Aside from slowly cruising down Fremont Street and basking in the multicolored
glow, there's little to do apart from gamble, drink or watch naked people
slither around poles. Shopping consists mainly of souvenirs.
The remains of Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park may pale
in comparison to nearby Glitter Gulch, but this is where it all started.
Beginning in the 1850s, this adobe quadrangle provided refuge for travelers
along the Mormon Trail between Salt Lake City, Utah, and San Bernardino,
in southern California. Some of the original walls are still standing,
and displays of artifacts and photographs illustrate mid-19th century
life on the frontier. There's an ongoing archaeological dig outside.
The fort is a mile north of downtown.
The Strip
The Mirage is interesting for the action going on outside: a fake volcano,
surrounded by an artificial lagoon, erupts every half hour, belching
smoke and fire, and 54 artificial waterfalls cascade down the exterior.
Not that there isn't glitz galore inside. You enter through a miniature
tropical rainforest, complete with Siegfried and Roy's white tigers.
And for a small fee you can watch dolphins frolic in a giant tank. Should
you actually check in, you'll do so at a counter backed by a 60ft (20m)
long aquarium filled with over 1000 fish. The Mirage is the b?te noir
of water conservationists; it uses over a million gallons of water a
day. No wonder Nevada is running dry.
One of the original casino-cum-theme-parks, Circus Circus is tackiness
incarnate. You can take in free circus acts in the tent-like interior,
a 'midway' with carnival attractions, and a roomful of video games.
Grand Slam Canyon is a mini amusement park in a giant dome behind Circus
Circus. It boasts a rollercoaster, flume rides, fake dinosaurs and a
water slide. Circus Circus is located on the northern half of the Strip
and attracts a lot of families (ie rambunctious kids), so either head
for or avoid it accordingly.
Car buffs won't want to miss the Imperial Palace Auto Museum, which
includes rare models and dozens of vehicles once owned by the rich and
infamous. There's Czar Nicholas II's 1914 Rolls Royce, Japanese Emperor
Hirohito's 1935 Packard and Adolf Hitler's 1939 Mercedes. You can also
see the cars of several US presidents and Howard Hughes' 1954 Chrysler
(the air purifier cost more than the car). About 200 vehicles are on
display. The museum is located in the Imperial Palace Casino, on the
Strip about 3 miles (5km) south of downtown. |
