Here's an Excerpt from my October 2005 trip report! Warning: This information may be slightly out of date.
HAUNTED VEGAS
Can you spell Hokey? I can.
Head to the Greek Isles. It was 8:00 PM. We sat in the lounge and watched bad karaoke for 40 minutes. It included two bad Elvi, an elderly Asian woman in a wheelchair singing Patsy Cline songs (she wasn't too bad, but you got to wonder what her story was), and other assorted middle aged Karaoke Kings and Queens.
Bad Elvis
At 8:45 we lined up in front of the theater for the start of The Haunted Vegas Tour. A few minutes before show time an usher showed up and asked us to form two lines. Anyone with a VIP ticket to get in the right line. I thought, our VIP status was about to pay off until EVERYONE got in the right line. OK…I was duped on that one. We were all VIP's.
We file into the theatre and watch a pretty silly pre-tour performance. There's a 'Tesla Coil' that lights a guy up, Regina the Mentalist and host, and the Pain Guy who drove a spike through his nose and swallowed a sword. Can you spell Hokey? I can.
After that fiasco, we all filed out of the theater and onto a non-descript tour bus. From the start I could tell we were in some trouble. We found out the Tour Guide was last week's bus driver. She had a shrill, grating voice. She couldn't tell left from right (One would think that was on every Tour Guide's final exam). Many of her 'facts' seemed to be made up on the spot.
Uncle David appeared to be in some distress. I realized we help him pour in 10 Bloody Marys and 4 champagnes and never gave him a pit stop. To top it off, a 300 pounder plopped his butt down in the seat next to Dave's. Every time the guide spoke, I could feel his pain.
The tour pointed out many sites of interest and interesting facts including:
Bugsy Siegel's hangout at the Flamingo, a discussion of Strat suicide Deaths, the Bally's (MGM) fireball that killed 90 and Tupac's Assassination. We stopped in front of Wayne Newton's House (I saw that Darla Loves Wayne carving by the way). The guide mentioned that Wayne had purchased the house the early 50's (Sure!).
Then we stopped at a park in Green Valley and everyone got off the bus. Supposedly the sight of a haunting from the early 1900's....a woman run over by a train. A cross was carved into an old tree at the park. We were asked too look for 'orbs' or anomalies in our digital photos of the area. We used 'dowsing rods' to detect paranormal activity around the tree. When the guide held the rods, they moved wildly and then pointed toward my crotch. When I held them they didn't move…I don't get it. Most important there was a restroom at the park. Unfortunately it was locked.
dowsing in the park
We loaded back on the bus. When the guide mentioned we were now only half way through the tour I think I saw tears forming in Uncle David's eyes. Vacant House across from Wayne's. This was supposedly the site of a cult killing. Looked just like an empty house to me. We finished up with stops at Red Foxx's House and Liberace's Tivoli Gardens.
By the time we got to Red Foxx's house, Uncle David was ready to stop the bus and run off screaming. He was hating it so much he couldn't stand it….the Shrill Voice, the Mis-information, the full bladder, the 300 pounder crushing him….but he gutted it out until the final…"Be sure to see our Rat Pack Show with the Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Milton Berle. He vowed to never again set foot in the Greek Isles. Our free gift was a color picture of the tour owner and the tour bus suitable for framing.
The Haunted Vegas Tour was bad. In fact, it was so bad it was funny and so funny we'll be laughing about it for years to come. And then funny things are good so it was both bad and good. Sorry if I've confused you. I can't recommend it, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world…how about that?
And just when we thought the story was over. When we got home and looked at our pictures….
Notice the person sitting OUTSIDE the bus looking in…and the huge white 'Orb' next to him…pretty scary stuff huh?
THE FINAL FRONTIER
We were all a little hungry so we drove to the Frontier. Don't think this one will be around forever. Made our way over to the coffee shop. We were all tired. I could sleep or eat. It made no difference to me. They show us to our seats and abandon us for 15 minutes. We leave and head back to Stardust.
