Las Vegas Strip

The south end of The Strip; approximately one third of the entire Strip is represented here.

The Las Vegas Strip (also known as The Strip) is a 4 mi (6.7 km) section of Las Vegas Boulevard South, most of which has been designated an All-American Road. Only part of The Strip is located within the city limits of Las Vegas, Nevada: the section north of Sahara Avenue. The section south of Sahara Avenue is in Clark County’s unincorporated Township of Paradise, Nevada. The Strip is one of only a few places in the United States where possession and consumption of open containers of alcoholic beverages are allowed year-round on the street (but not in a vehicle),^[1]; although they usually are allowed in the rest of Las Vegas, they are prohibited in the rest of Las Vegas at certain times of the year.^[1]

Many of the largest hotel, casino and resort properties in the world are located on The Strip. For example, 18 of the 25 largest hotels in the world are on The Strip.^[2]

Over the years, Las Vegas Boulevard South has been called Arrowhead Highway, “Salt Lake Highway”, U.S. Highway 91, and Los Angeles Highway. The Strip was reportedly named by Los Angeles police officer Guy McAfee, after his hometown’s Sunset Strip.^[3]

Boundaries

A similar view of the Strip at night

At the northern point of the Strip is the Stratosphere while Mandalay Bay marks the southern tip. Nearly 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of the 4-mile (6.7 km) length are located in the township of Paradise, Clark County. Depending on the definition, very little to none of it is within the Las Vegas city limits. McCarran Airport (LAS) is located at the southern end of The Strip, along with the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, which also appears in the median of Las Vegas Boulevard at the north end near the intersection of east St. Louis and south Main Streets. The “South Strip” is used to describe the section of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sunset Road or Blue Diamond Road and St. Rose Parkway.

History

The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931; the first on what is today’s Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, opening on April 3, 1941 with 63 rooms and standing for almost 20 years before being destroyed by fire in 1960. Its success spawned a second hotel on what would become The Strip, the Hotel Last Frontier, in 1942. The Flamingo opened a few years later, on December 26, 1946.

In 1968, Kirk Kerkorian purchased the Flamingo and hired Sahara Hotels Vice President Alex Shoofey as President. Alex Shoofey brought along 33 of Sahara’s top executives. The Flamingo was used to train future employees of the International Hotel, which was under construction. Opening in 1969, the International Hotel, with 1,512 rooms, became the largest hotel in the world, and began the era of mega-resorts. The International is known as the Las Vegas Hilton today.

The first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, also a Kerkorian property, opened in 1973 with 2,084 rooms. At the time, this was the largest hotel in the world by number of rooms. On November 21, 1980, the MGM Grand suffered the worst resort fire in the history of Las Vegas, killing 87 people as a result of electrical problems. It reopened eight months later. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand to Bally Manufacturing, and it was renamed Bally’s.

The Wet ‘n Wild water park opened in 1985 and was located on the south side of the Sahara hotel. The park closed at the end of the 2004 season and was later demolished.

Las Vegas Strip at night with the Aladdin (Now Planet Hollywood)

The opening of The Mirage in 1989 set a new level to the Las Vegas experience, as smaller hotels and casinos made way for the larger mega-resorts. These huge facilities offer entertainment and dining options, as well as gambling and lodging. This change impacted the smaller, well-known and now historic hotels and casinos, like The Dunes, The Sands and the Stardust.

In 1995, following the death of Dean Martin, the lights along the strip were dimmed in a sign of respect to him. In 2005, Las Vegas renamed Industrial Road “Dean Martin Drive”, also as a tribute to the famous Rat Pack singer, actor, and frequent Las Vegas entertainer.

In an effort to attract families, resorts offered more attractions geared toward youth, but had limited success. The (current) MGM Grand opened in 1993 with Grand Adventures amusement park, but the park closed in 2000 due to lack of interest. Similarly, in 2003 Treasure Island closed its own video arcade and abandoned the previous pirate theme, adopting the new ti name.

View of the Strip, looking north from the Tropicana intersection

Downtown Las Vegas hotels and casinos suffered heavily from the Strip’s boom. They have funneled money into remodeling the facades of casinos, adding additional security and new attractions, like the Fremont Street Experience and Neonopolis (complete with movie theaters).

In addition to the large hotels, casinos and resorts, The Strip is home to a few smaller casinos, motels and other attractions, such as M&M World, Adventuredome and the Fashion Show Mall. Starting in the mid-1990s, The Strip became a popular New Year’s Eve celebration destination.

In 2004, MGM Mirage announced plans for Project CityCenter, a 66-acre (600,000 m²), $7 billion multi-use project on the site of the Boardwalk hotel and adjoining land. It will consist of hotel, casino, condo, retail and other uses on the site. When completed, City Center will be the largest such complex in the world.^{[citation needed]} Construction began in April 2006, and the first elements of this project are expected to be available in 2009.

In 2006, the Las Vegas Strip lost its longtime status as the world’s highest-grossing gambling center, falling to second place behind Macao.^[4]

The Strip today

The Las Vegas Strip by night with Project CityCenter construction on the bottom right

Transportation

While not on The Strip itself, the Las Vegas Monorail runs on the east side of The Strip from Tropicana Avenue to Sahara Road.

A 24-hour pass for The Deuce bus costs $5.

CAT Bus provides service on the strip with double decker buses known as The Deuce. The Deuce stops at most major resorts and continues north to downtown and the Fremont Street Experience. A current list of fares is available.

A tourist trolley service travels up and down The Strip and stops at various, but not all, Strip hotels, along with a stop at the Fashion Show Mall. The fare is $2.00 for a one way ride, regardless how far you travel down the strip. Alternatively, a 24-hour pass is $5, and exact change is required. Trolleys are scheduled to arrive every 15 minutes.

Two small, free cable-pulled trams operate on the Strip. One runs between Treasure Island and The Mirage, while the other provides service to Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur.

Taxis can only stop at hotel entrances or designated spots, so when planning to get somewhere ask which is the closest hotel.

Before CAT Bus came on in 1992, mass transit on the Strip was provided by a private transit company, Las Vegas Transit. The Strip route was their only profitable route and supported the whole bus system.

Free shuttles

Las Vegas Blvd. traffic during the day

• Between Harrah’s Las Vegas and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
• Between Sam’s Town and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Riviera Hotel, and Tropicana Resort & Casino. Approximately every hour and a half.
• Between Caesars Palace and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
• Between Paris/Bally’s and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
• Between Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the MGM Grand and the Harley-Davidson Cafe (next to Planet Hollywood). Leaves the Hard Rock on the hour.
• Between Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Fashion Show Mall and the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Leaves the Hard Rock on the hour.
• Between Wynn Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center Monorail Stop.

Many free shuttles have a policy requiring a room key from an affiliated casino, but it is not typically enforced.

Walking around

Las Vegas Strip at Sands Road

Several Strip hotels have undertaken efforts to make the street more pedestrian-friendly. New casinos design their façades to attract walk-up customers, and many of these entrances have become attractions themselves – the Fountains at Bellagio, the volcano at The Mirage, and the Treasure Island (TI) Sirens of TI are the most well-known. People gather on the sidewalks in front of the casinos to watch these shows.

To alleviate traffic issues at popular intersections, several footbridges have been installed to help pedestrians safely traverse the roads. The Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard footbridges were the first to be installed, and based on the success of this project additional footbridges have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard at the Flamingo Road intersection; between The Mirage/Treasure Island and The Venetian; and the latest ones at the Las Vegas Boulevard-Spring Mountain and Sands Avenue intersection connecting the Wynn with the Fashion Show Mall.

Golf courses

In recent years, all but one of the on-Strip golf courses (the Desert Inn Golf Course) have fallen prey to the mega-resorts need for land and have closed. Developer Steve Wynn, founder of previously owned Mirage Resorts, purchased the Desert Inn and golf course for his new company Wynn Resorts. In 2005, he opened Wynn Las Vegas, complete with remodeled golf course providing tee times to hotel guests only.

In 2000, Bali Hai Golf Club opened just south of Mandalay Bay and the Strip. Catering to a high-end golf enthusiast, the Bali Hai Golf Course can easily be seen by drivers on Interstate 15.

Major hotel locations

A view of Las Vegas Strip at night from I-215 (north to south, left to right)

North towards Fremont Street
	↑
Stratosphere
Sahara Avenue		Sahara Avenue
Hilton Grand Vacations ClubCircus Circus		Sahara
		Riviera
Echelon Place
		Convention Center Drive
		Wynn Las Vegas
Fashion Show Mall
Spring Mountain Road		Sands Avenue
Treasure Island		The Palazzo
		The Venetian
The Mirage		Casino Royale
		Harrah’s
		Imperial Palace
Caesars Palace		Flamingo
		Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon
Flamingo Road		Flamingo Road
Bellagio		Bally’s
		Paris
		Planet Hollywood
Harmon Avenue		Harmon Avenue
Project City Center
Monte Carlo
New York-New York		MGM Grand
Tropicana Avenue		Tropicana Avenue
Excalibur		Tropicana
Luxor
Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay
Russell Road
	↓
South towards Interstate 215 to McCarran International Airport

Shopping attractions

Name	Description
Bonanza Gift Store 2440 Las Vegas Boulevard South	World’s largest gift store, Purveyors of Las Vegas Pop culture
Fashion Show Mall 3200 Las Vegas Boulevard South	Opposite Wynn Las Vegas
Grand Canal Shoppes 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South	A canal, with gondolas and singing gondoliers, winds along in front of many of the shops.
Miracle Mile 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South	Part of the Planet Hollywood hotel.
The Forum Shops at Caesars Las Vegas Boulevard South

Entertainment

Most of the attractions and shows on the Strip are located on the hotel casino properties. Some of the more popular free attractions include the water fountains and the Conservatory at Bellagio, the Sirens of ti show at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, and the White Tiger Habitat at The Mirage.

The shows playing in Las Vegas include five Cirque du Soleil shows, the Blue Man Group, and some imported Broadway shows like Mamma Mia! and The Phantom of the Opera.

Demolished or closed Strip casinos & hotels

• Big Red’s Casino: Closed in 1982. Property developed for CBS Sports World Casino (Changed name to Sports World Casino after the CBS Television Network threatened to sue)^{[citation needed]}: Closed in 2001, now a shopping center.
• Boardwalk Hotel and Casino: Demolished May 9, 2006 to make way for Project City Center.
• Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino: Demolished February 6, 2006, now an empty lot.
• Desert Inn (and golf course): Demolished in 2004, now Wynn Las Vegas.
• The Dunes (and golf course): Demolished in 1993, now Bellagio.
• El Rancho (formerly Thunderbird/Silverbird): Closed in 1992 and demolished in 2000, will be the site of the 4000-room casino-hotel Fontainebleau which is currently under construction.
• El Rancho Vegas: Burned down in 1960. The Hilton Grand Vacation Club timeshare now exists on the south edge of the site where the resort once stood; the remainder remains vacant.
• Glass Pool Inn: Demolished in 2006. It was called Mirage Motel until 1988 when forced to change name due to The Mirage opening down The Strip in 1989.
• Hacienda: Demolished in 1996, now Mandalay Bay. A separate Hacienda now exists outside of Boulder City, formerly the Gold Strike Inn.
• Holy Cow Casino Cafe and Brewery First micro brewery in Las Vegas. Closed in 2002, property currently vacant.
• Jackpot Casino: Closed in 1977, now the Sahara.
• Klondike Hotel & Casino: Closed in 2006, awaiting demolition.
• The Landmark: Demolished in 1995. Now the site of a parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center (Demolition was filmed for the feature Mars Attacks!).
• Lucky Slots Casino: Closed in 1981, now a shopping center.
• Lotus Inn Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1978, now a Rodeway Inn.
• Money Tree Casino: Closed in 1979.
• Marina Hotel and Casino: Westward pointing tower (known as the West Wing) of the MGM Grand.
• The New Frontier: Closed July 16, 2007, demolished November 13, 2007 to be and replaced with the New York City-inspired Las Vegas Plaza.
• Nob Hill Casino: Closed in 1990, now Casino Royale.
• Paddlewheel Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1991 and reopened in 1993 as Debbie Reynolds’ Hollywood Hotel & Casino, which itself closed in 1996 and is now the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino.
• San Souci: Closed in 1962 for the Castaways, which itself was demolished in 1987. Now the site of The Mirage.
• The Sands: Demolished in 1996, now The Venetian.
• Silver City Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1999, now the Silver City Shopping Center.
• Silver Slipper: Demolished in 1988 for a parking lot. Now the site of the Desert Inn Road Arterial.
• Stardust Resort & Casino: Closed November 1, 2006, demolished March 13, 2007. To be replaced by Echelon Place.
• Tally Ho Hotel: Closed in 1966. Became the Aladdin, which in 2007 became Planet Hollywood.
• Vacation Village Resort & Casino; Closed in 2002, demolished in 2006. Site of the new Town Square development.
• Vegas World: Demolished in 1995 and rebuilt as the Stratosphere; parts of the old Vegas World still remain.
• Westward Ho Hotel and Casino: Closed in 2005, demolished in 2006.

References

1. Las Vegas Municipal Code Sections 10.76.010-020, 10.77.020-030
2. The 24 Largest Hotels in the World. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
3. Las Vegas: An Unconventional History. American Experience. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
4. Barboza, David. “Asian Rival Moves Past Las Vegas“, New York Times, 2007-01-24.
   

Four-leaf clover

 

A four-leaf clover

4 leaf Clover

The four-leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common three-leaf clover. According to superstition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally.^[1]

Clovers can have more than four leaflets. The most leaflets ever recorded is eighteen.^[2] It has been estimated that there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf clover. ^[3]

According to legend, each leaflet represents something: the first is for hope, the second is for faith, the third is for love, and the fourth is for happiness.^[3]If a lady hangs a 4 leaf clover on her door, the next man to come in is her husband.

It is debated whether the fourth leaflet is caused genetically or environmentally. Its rarity suggests a possible recessive gene appearing at a low frequency. Alternatively, four-leaf clovers could be caused by somatic mutation or a developmental error of environmental causes. They could also be caused by the interaction of several genes that happen to segregate in the individual plant. It is possible all four explanations could apply to individual cases.

Symbolic correlates

The myths and symbolism of the four-leaf clover is endemic to Celtic traditions and may be seen transposed into the Celtic cross.

The four-leaf clover is often confused with the Shamrock. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of “good luck,” the three-leaf Shamrock is a mainly Irish Catholic symbol of the Holy Trinity.

References

1. Mabey, Richard, Flora Britannica, Sinclair-Stevenson, London, 1996, p225. ISBN 1-85619-377-2
2. Guinness World Records – Natural World – Plant World – Clover – Most Leaves
3. How common are four-leaf clovers?

Black Cats

Many cultures have superstitions about black cats, often ascribing either “good luck” or “bad luck” to them.

The black cat is a feline whose fur is uniformly black.

It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. The all-black pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and female cats. The black color is of obvious benefit to a cat hunting at night. In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens: in other cultures, they are considered to be good omens. Black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters compared to other colors (except brown).^[1]

Historical associations

Witchcraft and superstition

Historically, black cats were symbolically associated with witchcraft and evil. In Hebrew and Babylonian folklore, cats are compared to serpents, coiled on a hearth. The cat was worshipped in Egypt and to kill one was considered a capital crime. When an Egyptian family’s cat died, the cat was mummified and the family went into mourning. Romans, also, considered the cat sacred and introduced the animal into Europe.In Europe, apart in Italy or Spain, a black cat crossing one’s path is considered good luck; however they were also seen by the church as associated with witches. Black cats (and sometimes, other animals of the same colour, or even white cats) were sometimes suspected of being the familiars of witches. By the 17th Century, however, the cat began to be associated with witchcraft and its luck turned from good to bad in many areas around the world. The black cat was still usually seen as good luck; however, in the USA and parts of Europe (e.g. Spain), which saw witch hunts, the association with witches caused them to be considered as bad luck.

In Scotland, a strange black cat on your porch is a sign of upcoming prosperity. In Ireland,when a black cat crosses your path in the moonlight, it means there is going to be an epidemic illness. In Italy hundreds of years ago, it was believed that if a black cat lay on the bed of a sick person,that person would die. Many years ago in England, fishermen’s wives kept black cats in their homes while their husbands went away to sea in their fishing boats. They believed that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands while they were away. Superstitions centering around the black cat are some of the most widely known and popular superstitions.

In places which saw few witch hunts, black cats retained their status as good luck, and are still considered as such in Britain and Ireland.

However in Romanian and Indian culture, especially in the historical region of Moldavia in Romania and everywhere in India, one of the strongest superstitions still feared by many people is that black cats crossing their path represents bad luck, despite the fact that these regions were never affected by witch hunts or anti-paganism. An identical superstition survives also in Central Europe, such as the Czech Republic.

Anarcho-Syndicalism

Ralph Chaplin created the image of a black cat in a fighting stance, the IWW’s symbol of sabotage.

Since the 1880s, the color black has been associated with anarchism. The black cat, in an alert, fighting stance was later adopted as an anarchist symbol.

More specifically, the black cat — often called the “sab cat” or “sabo-tabby”^[2] — is associated with anarcho-syndicalism, a branch of anarchism that focuses on workers’ rights. 

In testimony before the court in a 1918 trial of Industrial Workers of the World leaders, Ralph Chaplin, who is generally credited with creating the IWW’s black cat symbol, stated that the black cat “was commonly used by the boys as representing the idea of sabotage. The idea being to frighten the employer by the mention of the name sabotage, or by putting a black cat somewhere around. You know if you saw a black cat go across your path you would think, if you were superstitious, you are going to have a little bad luck. The idea of sabotage is to use a little black cat on the boss.”^[3]

Bohemian culture

Théophile Steinlen’s advertisement for the tour of the Chat Noir cabaret

Le Chat Noir (French for “The Black Cat”) was a 19th-century cabaret in the notoriously bohemian Montmartre district of Paris. It was opened on 18 November 1881 at 84 Boulevard Rouchechouart by the artist Rodolphe Salis, and closed in 1897 (much to the disappointment of Picasso and others who looked for it when they came to Paris for the Exposition in 1900).

Black cats in American popular culture

The archaic associations of black cats with bad luck or evil once appeared frequently in North American popular culture, but are no longer widely held.

It is said that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck, but letting one in your house is good luck.

A black cat, either brought into or entering Shea Stadium on its own, walked onfield late in the 1969 season during a game between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. The cat approached and circled Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo while he was in the on-deck circle. This distraction was followed by the collapse of the Cubs and the success of the Mets in the late season, who overcame the Cubs’ eight-game lead in the playoff race to eventually win the division, the National League pennant and the World Series. The Cubs’ loss (and possibly the cat’s appearance) became another chapter in Cubs Billy Goat curse legend.^[4]

Eveready Batteries has used a black cat leaping through the digit 9 as its logo.

In 1990, recording artist Janet Jackson’s single Black Cat reached the number 1 spot on Billboard’s Top 100 and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

The popular fireworks manufactuer Black Cat Fireworks uses a black cat as their logo. The company decided to use the black cat because in China black cats are a symbol of good luck.

Witchcraft

“The Love Potion” by Evelyn de Morgan: a witch with a black cat familiar at her feet

Black cats, because of their ability to remain unseen in dark places or at night, were considered especially desirable partners for witches. Black cats were sometimes used in magical rituals, sometimes as purported participants, other times as sacrifices.^[5] In witch trials, ownership of a cat was often taken as “evidence” of Satanic association and witchcraft. Cats, believed to be evil in their own right, were often punished or burned alive along with humans during these trials.

Both historically and today, some religious and spiritual groups purportedly engage in ritualistic sacrifice of cats, though studies have mainly found that such reports belong squarely in the province of urban legend. Many modern witches keep black cats as pets, and view them as sacred.

References

1. “Prediction of adoption versus euthanasia among dogs and cats in a California animal shelter.” Lepper, Kass, & Hart, JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE, 2002
2. Industrial Workers of the World, | An Alphabet Soup: The IWW Union Dictionary
3. Red November, Black November: Culture and Community in the Industrial Workers of the World, Salvatore Salerno, 1989, SUNY Press, page 178, from U.S. v. W.D. Haywood, et al, testimony of Ralph Chaplin, July 19, 1918, IWW Collection, Box 112, Folder 7, pp. 7702 & 7711, Labor History Archive, Wayne State University.
4. History of the Billy Goat Curse
5. catherine yronwode, Black cat spells

External links

• Cats, Magic, and Witchcraft
• Black Cat Folklore

Jeff Dunham