Xanadu

A place where nobody dared to go
The love that we came to know
They call it Xanadu

And now, open your eyes and see
What we have made is real
We are in Xanadu

A million lights are dancing
And there you are, a shooting star
An everlasting world and you're here with me
Eternally

Xanadu your neon lights will shine
For you Xanadu

The love, the echoes of long ago
You needed the world to know
They are in Xanadu

The dream that came through a million years
That lived on through all the tears
It came to Xanadu

A million lights are dancing and there you are
A shooting star, an everlasting world and you're
Here with me eternally

Now that I'm here, now that you're near in Xanadu
Now that I'm here, now that you're near in Xanadu
Xanadu

My very lovely friend, Shelley Wilton (nee Brown) was just in Las Vegas a couple of months ago and told me of this wondrous place we should visit - The Neon Sign Boneyard.

Vegas has been all glitz and glamour since the early 1900’s when they stated building casinos.  As the older hotel buildings became too old, they would knock them down and build bigger and better and newer ones.  The neon signs would more often than not go down with the rubble, but some were saved and taken to the Neon Sign Boneyard just on the ‘other’ side of Freemont Street - the older, original area of Vegas. 

Here they have restored some of the smaller signs, and basically arranged them in a way that people can walk around and reminisce about days gone by.  I only recognised old signs from movies or pictures because a) I’d never been to Las Vegas before and b) because I was only born in the 70’s and a lot of these signs were already out of commission by then.

We just wanted to wander around, but the only option to see the signs was on an hour long guided tour with Liisa - that’s right, her name has two i’s.  

I think you still pronounce her name Lisa, so not sure of the point there, but then again the second ‘L and E’ in my name are silent so who am I to judge the ridiculous spelling of her name?  Anyway, Liisa took her job very seriously and even though she had a lot of knowledge about the signs, she lacked a little in the ability to read her audience and gauge their interest in what she was sprouting.  Her audience consisted of the three of us and one older American couple from Utah.  She kept reminding us that it was a guided tour and that we weren’t to just wander off on our own.  She also thought it was necessary to tell this particular audience that we weren’t allowed to stand on the benches.  She clearly thought this was necessary - we must have looked the type or maybe it was that Utahrian woman with her homiped shoes and tight perm….. it’s the quiet ones you’ve got to watch.  

Liisa did tell us that she would be happy to answer any questions, but that she had a spiel that she followed and that she would do exactly that unless we wanted additional information.  It was at this point that I was willing her with my Jedi mind strength to shut the hell up and get on with the tour.

She started to tell us about the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino and how it was built in the early 50’s. 

It apparently only stayed open for 5 months before it closed down.  It was the first hotel that allowed African Americans performers like Sammy Davis Jnr and Harry Bellafonte to stay at the hotel, before that they would be ushered in and out the back door to stay “somewhere else”?  The Moulin Rouge paved the way for other hotels to stop the segregation in hotels and then it closed down.  Liisa said it closed in 1955 and sat vacant, except for some squatters, until 2009.  However, when Marie questioned that, she double checked with some historians who happened to be there cataloguing the signs and he said that it had indeed been used in that time for low cost housing.  Liisa apologised and admitted that she’d been lying to her guests for four months!  This sadly gave me a little bit of pleasure, because she annoyed me from the get go.

Apparently if you Google Earth the Neon Sign Boneyard - you can see this skull face..... apparently.

Liisa's knowledge extended to who, out of Las Vegas and Hawaii was winning in marriages and apparently it's Hawaii.... However, Las Vegas still holds the mantle for most divorces.  Well done Las Vegas.

Here's some spunky sheila purchasing her fridge magnet.

Apart from Liisa banging on, it was really interesting to wander around (under her supervision) and take in all the history of Las Vegas right there in broken neon lights.

While we were down that way we thought we'd check out Freemont Street - the original strip.  We were definitely down the dodgy end of town now.

The street is called the Freemont Street Experience and at night it has a huge light show under the domed roof that stretches the whole length of the street.  However, during the day - it was just seedy.

I'm loving the face on the woman on the right.  Nothing like job satisfaction!

Liisa also told us a story that she swears is true ...... these two signs were married by a proper official person.

This cowgirl finally got her man. 

Shelley also told me about a restaurant they had visited called the Heat Attack Grill where if you are over 350lbs you eat for free.  They promote unhealthy eating and are in your face about it.  We didn't go inside, but only because Shelley and her husband had bravely paved the way for us.  Guests are asked to wear hospital gowns, wine is served by the IV drip and shots are squirted directly into your mouth via syringe.....

So instead, we decided to go to Denny's.  Were not sure of the fat content in their burgers, but what we don't know can't hurt us...... can it?