Category: The Strip

On This Date: March 31, 2014 the Largest Ferris Wheel opened in Las Vegas – The High Roller

March 31, 2018
The-High-Roller-observation-wheel

The High Roller Observation Wheel Largest in the World with a 520 Foot Diameter

High Roller is a 550-foot tall  520-foot  diameter giant Ferris wheel on the Las Vegas Strip. It is the world’s tallest observation wheel, 9 ft  taller than the 541-foot Singapore Flyer, which held the record for the world’s tallest observation wheel from 2008 until 2014. After nearly three years of planning and construction it opened to the public on March 31, 2014.

High Roller Facts:

  • The High Roller tops out at 550 feet making it the largest observation wheel in the world.
  • In addition to its great height, the High Roller offers an immersive pre-ride experience for its passengers on their journey from ticketing through the wheel house complete with a lounge, to the wheel ride which features unparalleled views of the Las Vegas Strip.
  • The wheel structure boasts 7.2 million pounds of steel and 112 cables. Each cable measures approximately 225 feet, for a combined total of 25,256 feet.
  • The High Roller features 28 spherical cabins that hold 40 guests.
  • Each cabin weighs approximately 44,000 pounds and includes 300 square feet of glass.
  • The cabin windows are doubly curved and fabricated from four sheets of laminated glass.
  • Fabrication of the wheel began in late 2011 and took place in several locations across the globe including China, Japan, France, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Colorado, California and Las Vegas.
  • The High Roller travels at one foot per second and take roughly 30 minutes to make one full revolution.
  • The wheel is lit with more than 2,000 LED lights.

Photo By: Wikipedia Creative Commons

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Sin and Save: Visiting Vegas on a Budget

February 28, 2018

If you’re planning on paying a trip to Las Vegas, you don’t need to be a high roller to enjoy yourself and get into the spirit of Sin City. If you arm yourself with some useful tips on how to get the best deals, you can enjoy a lavish visit to Vegas at a reasonable cost. Here are some of the best tips for a trip to Vegas that can save you a pretty penny without sparing the luxury.

Watch your timing

Firstly, avoid visiting Vegas at any time there’s a citywide convention taking place. Hotel rates are higher, which limits your options when it comes to booking the right room for you. The Las Vegas Tourism website, features a calendar of conventions to give you advance notice. Generally, rates are at their lowest in July and August, as the crowds tend to be deterred by the hot weather. Rates also fall after Thanksgiving right through early January.

Keep food costs low

Dinner at one of the city’s famous eateries can set you back $150 or more. If you’re dining alone, visit during lunchtime when you can expect more reasonable prices. Further, some restaurants offer a happy hour with 50% off appetisers. You could also visit some of the more popular venues early in the day, when food is often the least costly; yet at the same time, delicious and freshly prepared.

Drink at a discount (or free)

If you plan on gambling at the casinos, you can expect free drinks. The casinos serve up free drinks to gamblers, even at the penny slots. The Cosmopolitan and the Wynn provide the best in free drinks. But even non-gamblers can find up to 50% discounts at happy hours at bars and eateries all over Vegas, many located inside the most popular resorts in the city.

Enjoy the luxury you’ve already paid for

Don’t forget that you can, on occasion, enjoy the luxury of the hotel room you paid for. While taking advantage of room service, you could unwind (and, at the same time, save a few pounds) by catching up on your favourite shows or enjoying other online entertainment. There are plenty of free games online, for example, such as Miner Jump and Zombie Survival. There are no shortage of slot games online, either, which, unlike those in the casino downstairs, offer numerous bonuses. Bonus.ca features many a link to online casinos that accept Bitcoin as a valid payment method; and all with bonuses, to boot. Bitcoin is a form of payment that is becoming more popular in Vegas, with such outlets as Amusespot and Elite Visual Audio all accepting the virtual currency.

Save on entertainment

Buying a ticket for one of the city’s popular shows could set you back a small fortune. If you don’t mind making last minute plans, however, you can try Tix4Tonight, which lists deals on shows for that day. The website updates daily, and you could find such discounts as 50% off a ticket to see famous illusionist, David Copperfield. Try avoiding the most in-demand and newest shows, however, as they have a tendency to be priced higher than others, and have less seating options for groups.

If you use just some of these tips, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the trip of a lifetime without returning home with a hole in your wallet.

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On This Date: February 21, 2014 The Cromwell Opened on the Las Vegas Strip

February 21, 2018
The Cromwell

The Cromwell – artist Rendering

On February 21, 2014 the Cromwell opened on the Las Vegas Strip. The property started as the Barbary Coast which opened on March 2, 1979, then sold and renamed Bill’s Gambling Saloon. Bill’s closed on February 4, 2013 and was sold. It remained closed for renovations for over a year and after a $185 million remodel, it opened as a boutique hotel called the Cromwell. The Cromwell currentyl owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.

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On This Date: January 17, 2008 Palazzo Opens in Las Vegas

January 17, 2018

Palazzo Opened on January 17, 2008

The Palazzo is a luxury hotel and casino located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip at 3325 Las Vegas Blvd South between Wynn and the Venetian hotels. Many tourists believe that the Wynn, Palazzo and the Venetian are the best Las Vegas hotels in Las Vegas. The Palazzo has 3068 rooms and 105,000 sq. ft. of gaming space and cost over $1.8 billion to construct.

The soft opening of the Palazzo opened at 7 pm on Sunday, December 30 and the official grand opening took place on January 17, 2008.

Upon its completion, The Palazzo total floor area covering is 6,948,980 square feet beating the Pentagon as the largest building in the United States in terms of floor space, by about 383,000 square feet. The Palazzo is reported to be the eleventh largest building in the world in terms of available floor space and is also currently the second-largest building in the Western Hemisphere. The Palazzo property is LEED Silver Certified; making it the largest LEED certified building in the nation. For more information on The Palazzo, including restaurants, pictures, maps, and more, head over to The Palazzo at World Casino Directory.

Photo by: wikipedia.org

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On This Date: January 8, 1935, Elvis Presley Was Born

January 8, 2018
Viva Las Vegas Love in Las Vegas

“Viva Las Vegas” 1964 Movie Poster

Elvis Presley  was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, and was one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as “the King of Rock and Roll”, or simply, “the King”

Here is a list of Elvis engagements in the Vegas heyday  1969 – 1976.

April 23 – May 9, 1956, Elvis made his first appearance in Las Vegas at the New Frontier Hotel in the spring of 1956. Audiences in Las Vegas gave Elvis a cool reception.

July, 1963, Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret are in Las Vegas filming what would be Presley’s 15th film, “Viva Las Vegas.” The movie was released in June of 1964.

July 31 – Aug. 28, 1969, The King is back, Elvis returns to Las Vegas. He is booked for a four-week, 57-show run at the newly built International Hotel (later the hotel name changed to the Hilton Hotel then to the Las Vegas Hotel). The show breaks all existing Las Vegas attendance records. Elvis’ first live album is recorded during the shows.

January – February, 1970, Elvis returns to Las Vegas for a month-long run at the International Hotel. Once again, Elvis breaks attendance records.

Aug. 10 – Sept. 7, 1970: A month-long appearance at the International Hotel. MGM films some of the rehearsals and stage performance for its documentary “Elvis – That’s the Way It Is.”

January – February, 1971, A month-long appearance at the International Hotel.

Aug. 9 – Sept. 6, 1971 Elvis returns to Las Vegas and appears at the International Hotel to record audiences. During his month-long appearance he is given the Lifetime Achievement Award presented each year during the Grammy Awards. Elvis was 36 years old.

1972 – 1975 Elvis performs a few months per year in Vegas for the over the next 3 years at the International.

August 18 – September. 5, 1975 Elvis opens at the Hilton (now called the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino), but ends his appearances on Aug. 20, 1975, when he is flown to Memphis and hospitalized due to illness.

December 2-15, 1975, Elvis returns to the Hilton to make up for shows that were cancelled because of his ill health.

December 2-12, 1976, Elvis appears at the Hilton for a two-week engagement. It turns out to be his final Las Vegas appearances.

August 16,1977, Elvis dies at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. In Las Vegas, fans and friends mourn the passage of an entertainment and Vegas legend.

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Crazy Motorcycle Stunts in Las Vegas

December 31, 2017

December 31, 1967 – Caesar Palace
It all Started with Evel Knevel. On December 31, 1967, Daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump over the water fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Knievel’s jump was a 141 foot attempt and his longest to-date. When he hit the takeoff ramp, he felt the motorcycle unexpectedly decelerate. The sudden loss of power on the takeoff caused Knievel to come up short and land on the safety ramp which was supported by a van. This caused the handlebars to be ripped out of his hands as he tumbled over them onto the pavement where he skidded into the Dunes parking lot. As a result of the crash, Knievel suffered a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist, and both ankles and a concussion that kept him in the hospital for a month in a reported coma for 29 days.

September 15, 1980 – Caesar Palace
Gary Wells gained much media coverage, and much physical suffering, when he unsuccessfully tried to jump a motorcycle over the water fountains at the Caesars Palace. He sustained injuries to many different parts of his body.

August 9, 1988 – Binion’s Horshoe Parking 7th Floor to Mint Parking garage 6th Floor
Johnny Airtime teamed up with Joe Reed and they billed themselves as The Guardian and The Bandit. They launched themselves from a seven story parking structure and landed 120′ later on top of a six story building. No safety ramp or landing ramp was used! Upon landing, they had to crash into a net to keep themselves from falling off the landing structure. The jump was billed as “Super Jump II” and was on the Guinness Book of Records television program. The gap between the two buildings was 90′.

February 4, 1999 – Jockey Club Towers in Las Vegas
Robbie Knievel jumped the 130-foot gap between the two 13-story Jockey Club Towers in Las Vegas. To avoid falling off the second tower, Robbie intentionally crashed his motorcycle into hay bales.

May 4, 2006 – Caesars Place
Mike ‘The Godfather’ Metzger sets a Guinness World Record with a 125-foot long motorcycle jump that included a back flip over a fountain at Caesars Palace on May 4, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

December 31, 2007 – Rio Hotel
Australian stunt rider Robbie Maddison, jumps the distance of a football leaping a world-record 322 feet, seven inches in Las Vegas on New Years Eve obliterating the previous Guinness World Record of 277 feet by Trigger Gumm.


December 31, 2008 – Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas
Robbie Knievel was scheduled to jump the volcano at the Mirage Hotel. At the actual 200-foot jump, Knievel gave the appearance of jumping the volcano, but limited the stunt to a ramp-to-ramp jump in front of the volcano with fireworks behind him.

December 31, 2008 – Paris Las Vegas
Robbie Madison, live on ESPN in front of a world audience, Maddison successfully jumped 96 feet up onto the Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las Vegas and then descended a 80-foot drop off the monument to return safely to ground level. Robbie said after the jump that he may have broken his hand and had a gash to the bone in the webbing of his left hand.

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