In the mid ‘70s, we flew into Vegas and landed on the tarmac. We deplaned outdoors and walked into an airport which was a large industrial-type building, with pipes and metal duct work on the ceiling. It was certainly not McCarran. It was messy and crowded. When did all flights go into McCarran and what happened to that building?

Any idea what happened to the large stained-glass decoration that was part of Barbary Coast and then Bill’s Gambling Hall, but was disassembled for the Cromwell renovation? It was one of the last bits of vintage Las Vegas at the corner of Flamingo and the Strip.

The early history of Circus Circus seems to be hard to access for me. Did they really have a slide as the entry and an admission fee?

When I went to the casino in Tampa, I was told that they could not comp drinks at the bar like in Las Vegas because they were not an Indian casino even though I was playing video poker at the bar. Are the Seminoles the owners of the casino? What are the restrictions to comp drinks? This was the same reason given to me at the Oxford Casino in Maine. They comp drinks in Connecticut at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. What are the reasons for not comping the drinks?

I gather you (we) are in for another round of construction around the Spaghetti Bowl. I hadn’t heard about that and I was a little surprised, since it seems like we just finished living through years of freeway construction. Didn’t they do the job right the first time?

I was wondering what is the status of the iconic Blue Angel? Is she still standing guard over the motel? I make a trip out that way on the bus every time I'm in Las Vegas to see her. I'm not certain what makes her so special to me but I just love going by and seeing her. I hope that if taken down, the statue will be erected somewhere else where people can still go by and see her.

Does Las Vegas have a zoo?

I first read Comp City many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, repeatedly referring to it over the years in order to maximize my comps. Given the residual effects of the Great Recession, the exponential progress of tracking/analyzing technology, and the almost-absolute stranglehold that the corporate mindset has on the gaming industry (which puts profits above all else including customer satisfaction/loyalty), I wonder how much of the techniques or even the practice of comp wizardry is feasible today. Any thoughts?

As a break from the norm, we decided to go with pictures rather than words today, since some kind readers sent us some cool links to visuals that complement a couple of recent QoDs, and we have more than a few on file ourselves or have since located additional images. So, take it easy today -- like we are, for a change!

What ever happened to the giant Big Six Wheel at Vegas World, and the "space junk" hanging from the ceiling?