| Las Vegas is celebrating its 100th Birthday this | | | | gear, maybe not out and out, as it was to become in |
| year.What would it take to entice people to an arid, | | | | the 1970s, but perhaps more exciting than even today. |
| dusty, brown spot of the country? A land auction | | | | The lounge lizards were out in force as well, nothing |
| started it off, in May of 1905 you could buy a parcel of | | | | could top sitting in the lounges after the last headliner |
| Clark's Las Vegas Town site for $200.00, these were | | | | show and watching the likes of Louis Prima, Keeley |
| exceptionally far-sighted people if you ask me. First of | | | | Smith or Sam Buterra. It was truly a special time in Las |
| all can you imagine being in Las Vegas in the early | | | | Vegas history. Before the mega hotels or resorts, |
| 1900's without air conditioning? This was not a | | | | before the corporations. Great deals on food and |
| deterrent to these "hardy" pioneers. Just one-year later | | | | rooms.The 1970s ushered in the "new era" of Vegas. |
| Miller's Hotel was built and the rush was on, because | | | | Circus Circus opened in 1968, built a 15-story, 400-room |
| after all now people had a place to stay. Miller's was | | | | hotel tower and 850-seat showroom that opened in |
| on the corner of Fremont and Main. Today, renamed | | | | 1972. The International Hotel with 1500 rooms opened in |
| The Golden Gate Hotel, in deference to the | | | | 1971, only to be sold to Hilton. It re-opened in 1973 as |
| earthquake that nearly destroyed San Francisco in | | | | the MGM Grand Hotel. The MGM Grand had a newly |
| 1906 still stands on the corner of Fremont and Main | | | | built 26 story tower that housed 2,084 rooms and with |
| and they still serve their signature "99 cent shrimp | | | | 2.5 million square feet and a 2,000-seat showroom set |
| cocktail", which is a much better bet that it was in | | | | the new standard in defining mega-resort. Nothing was |
| those days.Las Vegas was incorporated in 1911, | | | | as thrilling as arriving under the marquee with |
| gambling, drinking and prostitution were declared | | | | thousands of lights beaming down. Corporate money |
| illegal...but divorce was not and in the 1920's dude | | | | had entered the scene. The 70s also ushered in the |
| ranches started popping up around Reno, the rich and | | | | days of Elvis and his long-term performances.In the |
| famous could establish residency for six weeks and | | | | 1980s, a new name came on the scene in the guise of |
| get "unhitched" from whatever mate they may have | | | | Steve Wynn who ushered in a wave of luxurious |
| had. This was the publicity that started to put Nevada | | | | hotels and casinos, as the world had never seen. The |
| into the limelight.Another big attraction occurred when | | | | Mirage opened in 1989 and Steve Wynn's name went |
| gambling was legalized in the early 1930s. The | | | | down in history.Baby Boomers who had kids in tow by |
| government started work on Hoover Dan and brought | | | | the 1990s thought it would be great fun to take their |
| thousands of workers to the area. Just think about | | | | kids to Vegas. The hotels responded and built "kid |
| being stuck in the middle of the desert with nothing to | | | | friendly" attractions. Wet n Wild water slides, cartoon |
| do with your money, so bars and casinos were | | | | characters, humongous swimming pools and video |
| thoughtfully provided.In the early 1940s, what would | | | | arcades ushered in the "kiddies era". Hello, what was |
| become know as "The Strip" was a 3 mile stretch of | | | | everyone thinking? If you're pushing baby strollers you |
| Highway 91, on the new road to and from California. El | | | | sure aren't gambling and you've changed the |
| Rancho was the very first casino to open in 1941 on | | | | atmosphere from exciting and different to old |
| what would later become know as "The Strip". Their | | | | hometown. The Bellagio Hotel (another Steve Wynn |
| address was Highway 91, Las Vegas Nevada with | | | | masterpiece) opened in 1998 (with the distinction of |
| their "Opera House" theater restaurant, and "Monte | | | | being the most expensive hotel - at the time) banned |
| Carlo" casino...and also in 1941, El Cortez opened in | | | | any persons under age 18 who were not registered |
| what is today downtown Las Vegas. El Cortez | | | | guests of the hotel. The Stratosphere hotel (tallest |
| advertised that they were "Big enough to serve you - | | | | building west of the Mississippi) opened in 1996. 1997 |
| Small enough to want to". How's that for an advertising | | | | brought New York, New York with its roller coaster. |
| slogan? They also touted a Coffee Shop, Casino, | | | | Mandalay Bay opened in 1999 with 3,300 rooms. In |
| Cocktail Lounge and Bar, and Complete Dinners from | | | | 1999, phase one of the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino |
| $2.95 In the meantime, back on "The Strip", the New | | | | opened with 3,036 suites. And in 1999 Paris Las Vegas |
| Frontier opened in 1942 and The Flamingo, Bugsy | | | | Casino opened.Rod Stewart, Bette Middler and Tina |
| Siegel's dream opened in 1946. Las Vegas was on its | | | | Turner, Las Vegas "Boy Wonder" Wayne Newton |
| way.The next major milestone for Nevada was Atom | | | | and other notable stars ushered in the millennium.With |
| Bomb Testing, this brought scads of tourists to Vegas | | | | the long awaited opening of Wynn Las Vegas, Steve |
| in the 1950s, they also discovered Las Vegas, along | | | | Wynn scores once again with a new level of |
| with the mushroom clouds. Vegas Vic, the neon | | | | opulence, this may not be the biggest hotel in town, but |
| cowboy on Fremont Street would just wave them on | | | | it's the only one with a full-service Ferrari and Maserati |
| in.The 1960s were the glamour days in Las Vegas, | | | | dealership and it's own museum and art collection. |
| Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis and the Rat Pack ruled | | | | Wynn also features a 100-foot mountain overlooking a |
| supreme. The days of cigarettes and martinis (not the | | | | 3-acre lake, what must Howard Hughes be |
| glorified watered down ones of today) but the real | | | | thinking?The turn of the century has brought Las |
| stuff, where even a drop of vermouth might be too | | | | Vegas back to its senses, once again sin is in, the main |
| much! Everybody dressed in beautiful clothes; it was | | | | attraction is alive and well! Who knows what the next |
| the order of the day, no jeans, no shorts, just elegance | | | | hundred years will bring? |
| and sophistication. No kids either! Sinning was in full | | | | |