Vegas Odds and Ends

We're nearing the end of our stay in Las Vegas, but there are a few odds and ends that I wanted to share with you that didn't really fit anywhere else. This Blue Angel, for instance, sits atop the old, decrepit, long-abandoned, Blue Angel Motel. This ultra low-budget motel never had much going for it, I suspect, except the blue angel designed by Betty Willis, the same graphics artist who designed the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. Despite the fact the motel's been abandoned for a long time, Angel still watches over the place.

When I asked other Las Vegas residents about the Lou Revo Center for Brain Health building, they had no idea what I was talking about. Architect Frank Gehry's stainless-steel deconstructivism style seems out of place, especially for a brain health center. I stumbled upon the building photo then had to ferret out exactly what and where it was. It's part of the Cleveland Clinic, by the way, and very legit. I found out that you can take a brain health quiz on the site.

We didn't want to miss out on the most photographed bronze statue in Las Vegas. The bare, thonged butts of seven Vegas showgirls, shiny with fondling, grace the outside front entrance of the Riviera Hotel and Casino. We couldn't help adding some additional local (clothed) butt to the scene.

Then there's the Hammargren Home of Nevada History, aka the bizarro house, as far as we're concerned. Mary turned us on to this one on the corner of Sandhill and Rosecrest in the upscale Paradise Crest housing subdivision. Behind the walls of this sprawling home which encompasses several lots, Lonnie Hammargren, M.D., neurosurgeon and former Lt. Governor of Nevada, has amassed an unusual (yes, you might say bizarre) collection of Las Vegas / Nevada memorabilia.

There's a full-size space shuttle mock-up parked in one of the front driveways. A Bat-mobile sits in another driveway, just in front of the Ramses statue and the Egyptian bird god. Access to the inside is by invitation only (and we weren't invited), so we had to content ourselves with views from across the street. We caught sight of a very large dinosaur as we turned the corner. From the sidewalk, we could see the old Boardwalk casino sign, remnants of several amusement park rides and a John Lennon sign among other things. Evidently Lonnie opens the place up to visitors at certain times throughout the year. Wish we were staying around for a visit.

Last, but certainly not least, is the plethora of Vape Stores. We didn't even know what they were until Mary enlightened us. They're on nearly ever corner and in little strip mall malls everywhere, selling e-cigarettes. No smoke … no fire … no smell … no tar … no carcinogens … just nicotine-laden vapor with flavors like bubblegum and watermelon. They don't smoke … they vape. Look at that … a whole new verb has entered the English language since our last visit.

Enough Las Vegas. It's time to start heading home to Nine of Cups. The countdown is over.