December 27, 2000
Access Vegas Insider Vibe - December 27, 2000
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This Issue: New Year’s Eve Info and Webcams
Curious about a show, restaurant, or other Las Vegas attraction that looks fun? Let us review it for you first! Suggestions are always welcome at allvegastv@aol.com
EDITORS NOTE: Where did 2000 go? It seems like yesterday we were celebrating 2000, told our computers (and life as we knew it) would grind to a halt, and Las Vegas was reeling from embarrassment for the Millennium New Year’s Eve BUST. 365 days later, we are ready to make amends. Whether you are going to be here or just catch some of the action online, we have all the info you need this week.LAS VEGAS NEWS - of interest to tourists:
HARLEY-DAVIDSON - has inked a deal with slot maker IGT to put the infamous motorcycle manufacturer’s logo on a line of slot machines. These machines will also feature motorcycle engine noises, which has to be an improvement to the “Wheel of Fortune” sound you hear droning through a casino every 30 seconds. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-22-Fri-2000/business/15090821.html
RED ROCK CANYON - This area of amazing desert scenery is only about a half hour from the Strip and well worth the drive. The 13 mile scenic loop takes you through multicolored cliffs as well as a great lookout point. Getting there is simple: Head to Charleston Blvd. (just a few blocks north of Stratosphere) and head west about 15 miles. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-03-Sun-2000/living/14897424.html Don’t have a car? We have Red Rock Canyon tours at http://www.accessvegas.com/tours
LAS VEGAS FOR DUMMIES - This turned out to be a solid book on book on Las Vegas that doesn’t pull any punches. You can read a recent review at http://www.lvcitylife.com/News/stories/00121404n.html and it is available for $12.79 from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764561626/invegascom
WWF HOTEL - Every couple of weeks, someone writes and asks me about the state of the (former) Debbie Reynolds Hotel on Convention Center drive. The World Wrestling Federation bought the property to turn it into a themed resort with live TV production from the property. However, with their involvement in the XFL and their concerns about the location, they sold it (at a profit, mind you — about an 8% return on their investment). Full story on the new owners at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-27-Wed-2000/business/15110931.html
$25 HOTEL REBATE — you pick the hotel! Our partners at Hotel Reservations Network are giving you $25 back on any 2+ night stay in Las Vegas or any major city they reserve. Claiming your cash is simple:
1. Print out: http://www.accessvegas.com/100-rebate.htm
2. Book a room online at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-discounts.htm
3. Send in for your rebate when you get home.
It doesn’t get any easier than that, and you get their low price guarantee
to boot!
CONCERTS AND SHOWS:SHOWS - See which shows are playing during your stay and book reservations EVEN if the tickets aren’t on sale yet. Let ShowVegas takes care of all your needs directly online! Search by dates at http://www.showvegas.com/svpricing.cfm?amid=3230&cscheme=1
SHOW REVIEWS - Recent reviews appearing in the media:
* David Brenner - http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-22-Fri-2000/weekly/15061420.html
* Bill Acosta - http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-01-Fri-2000/weekly/14915174.html
* Houdini Lives Again - http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-22-Fri-2000/weekly/15049202.html
SHOWS AND HEADLINER - listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-shows.htm
CONCERT - listings available anytime at http://www.accessvegas.com/entertainment/index.htm
RESTAURANT REVIEWS - Recent reviews appearing in the media:
* Eiffel Tower Restaurant (Paris) - http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-22-Fri-2000/weekly/15064047.html
* Hollywood Brown Derby (MGM) - http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-13-Wed-2000/living/14921056.html
* Le Cirque (Bellagio) - http://lasvegas.citysearch.com/profile?id=7023142&fid=2
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Note: Our hearts go out to those of you in areas of the Southern U.S. who are getting hit hard by snow and ice storms not common to the area. For you our New Year’s wishes are power, water, and warmer temperatures.
LAS VEGAS WEATHER - This 5 day forecast is courtesy of Weather.Com:
Thursday - 66/39 Mostly Sunny
Friday - 71/38 Mostly Sunny
Saturday - 68/39 Mostly Sunny
Sunday - 65/34 Mostly Sunny
Monday - 61/32 Partly Cloudy
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FEATURE STORY: New Year’s Eve Info and Webcams
NEW YEAR’S EVE - is just about here and things are shaping up nicely. The resorts skipped on the high priced entertainment, finally figuring out that people come to Las Vegas for New Year’s Eve to PARTY. Last year, the Visitors Authority spent their budget on advertising. This year, they are blowing it on the fireworks show. If you are within driving distance of Las Vegas, you can still nail sub-$100 a night rooms around town at decent hotel and motels. Check http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-discounts.htm for rates.
If you don’t mind the crowds and partiers, The Strip is the only place to be for this one-of-a-kind celebration. Forget New York City and Times Square, where reports note that you have to show up at dawn on the 31’st to nail a good spot and public drinking is frowned on. (BTW, for any math buffs, do us a favor: take the number of people reported to attend the Times Square ball drop and divide it by the number of blocks of roads barricaded off for these people. With apologies to our friends in the Big Apple, our best magicians couldn’t squeeze the reported number of people into the reported area).
If it sounds like we have a rivalry with Times Square, you are close. We were encroaching on their claim to fame as the most popular U.S. New Year’s Eve destination until last year when the Visitors Authority and hotels sat on their thumbs and did … nothing … for New Years (sans Paris Las Vegas which dropped confetti off their Eiffel Tower). We WILL eventually claim the mantle, but now we get to play catch-up. Oh, and we are!
We are going to have $500,000 worth of fireworks going off over a 10 minute period starting at midnight and stretching almost 4 miles, so anywhere between Mandalay Bay and The Stratosphere is going to be hot. If you love crowds, get towards the center Strip (Flamingo). Need some air? Head away from that area until the crowds thin out (generally south of Tropicana and north of Sands / Spring Mountain [Treasure Island]). Just don’t bring glass containers or get out of line, and you can drink what you want. In fact, vendors were selling beer on the street last year. Oh, and restrooms (porta-potties): they are usually up by Treasure Island and down near Holiday Inn Boardwalk.
If you are staying elsewhere, and need to drive down to the Strip, it is wise to get parked by about 6 PM (either in a hotel garage or side street) BUT hey, it’s the Strip! I can think of few better places to spend a few hours of growing anticipation.
The fireworks show will be choreographed and synchronized to music simulcast by KLUC-FM 98.5 and KMXB-FM 94.1 (either one — bring your Walkman). Unfortunately, neither of those stations broadcast over the internet, but if you can’t make it here, you won’t be entirely left out in the cold. Las Vegas and The Strip have a record number of live webcams this year, and one is even a streaming cam! We’ve got them all linked at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-webcams.htm My advice? Try the first one listed (SmartConnect.Net — Flamingo and The Strip streaming). It is very new and few know about it, so it is likely to have the fastest response.
Crowds really start to pick up around 9 PM and center and south parts of The Strip are usually completely closed to traffic by 10 PM with the rest of it to follow quickly. By 11 PM (Pacific Time) you should be able to view the crowds and throngs of people. It is quite a site!
Even though I am a veteran of many of these Strip celebrations, I’m getting excited just thinking about it. I’m enjoying Christmas with my family in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon but my Alaska Airlines ticket says PDX - LAS, Dec. 30, 2000. I wouldn’t miss this one for the world and hope you can enjoy it either in person or online. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2001!
Note: I want to thank each and every one that sent an e-card or note over the holidays. I’m happy to have a job where I help others make the most of their vacation. I am printing a letter that is representative of the many I received.LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Ian from England wrote:
>Thank you for sending me your Christmas Greeting card it was brilliant, we
>all had a lovely quiet Christmas here in England - guess what it actually
>snowed on Christmas Day it looked like a picture postcard. I am afraid our
>scenery here in Sheffield is not as stunning as The Nevada Desert!!! We
>only got back from Las Vegas on 29.11.00, so it is all still fresh in our
>memory. We had a brilliant time there, our 5′th visit in the last three
>years, I am afraid we have all got the Vegas Bug! We love everything, the
>shows, the entertainment in the hotel lounges, the food, the scenery and all
>those shops - it is our paradise!!! We are hoping to come out again, maybe
>in February if we can get the flights arranged to suit. Thank You once again
>for sending me all the info in your newsletters, I can’t wait to read them!!!!
>Merry Christmas once again, Happy New Year 2001!
>Maybe one day I will get to meet you!
I enjoy meeting other Las Vegas “fanatics” but unfortunately, my schedule living and working in Las Vegas is usually as rigid as a visitors is fluid. Because the odds are that a number of subscribers are in town at any given time, I am giving thought to experimenting with “meet and greets” starting later this year. Nothing formal or time consuming — just times and dates in a central, casual location (probably a casino lounge on the Strip) where readers who are in town can stop by, say hello, and compare real time notes with like minded people. I’ll keep you posted.
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Your input is welcome. Write us a “letter to the editor” at allvegastv@aol.com While space doesn’t permit publishing every letter, we do certainly read them all and they help shape our content. Please include your name if you wish to have it published (stating your city is optional). Also, guest article submissions are welcome with full credit to you, your website, etc., if accepted.
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ONLINE POLL - If you fly, which airline do you usually fly to Las Vegas? Let’s hear your opinions at http://www.accessvegas.com — results will be published first week of 2001!
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All contents copyright MM Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
December 27, 2000 ISSN: 1529-2770
Hoover Dam has often been referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. If you have flown in from the east or the south, you might have seen it from the air, but nothing can compare to seeing it up close and in person.