With the fire at the Monte Carlo on 1/25, what are some of the more historic fires on the Strip?

We’ll be in Vegas the weekend of April 19-20 for my parents-in-laws’ 50th wedding anniversary. They live in Vegas and aren’t Jewish. But since we’ll be there the first and second nights of Passover, we’d like to attend a seder. Can you suggest where we might start looking for one?

In your recent Question of the Day where you provided the written responses to your poll regarding the worst trends people are noticing in Las Vegas, one reader included Wynn not comping some drinks in its casino as a negative trend. Have casinos really started not comping drinks to players, or is this just a Wynn policy for certain types of drinks?

As most of Vegas has been de-themeing away from family-centric themes toward more adult-oriented themes, I've been wondering what your opinion is on what's in store for the Excalibur. The medieval theme may have been novel when the casino was built, but now it's almost embarrassingly archaic (even the Luxor's Egyptian theme has more of a shelf life), and many people I talk to think the Excalibur is already the Circus Circus of the south Strip and that the prime real estate it occupies, coupled with its tired theme, means that it won't be but a few years before someone comes along to tear down and rebuild. Any thoughts?

We’re long-time LVA subscribers and my husband just got back from the Consumer Electronics convention. He says it’s leaving Las Vegas because it’s too expensive there. Is this true?

In response to QoD 1/17/08. You wrote, "It's safe to assume that all the casinos that fall under one corporate umbrella share information and, in fact, often have the same databases. It's not a stretch to imagine that competing casinos, as well, pass information back and forth, especially when it comes to surveillance, which, as we understand it, is a small, secretive (to the outside), but cooperative (to the inside) universe." Though this information is true, there’s a small gap (the difference between Death Valley and Mount Everest) of useful information that was not provided to the reader.

I'll bet we're not the only ones coming to Las Vegas for Valentines Day. Could you please give us info. on specials going on -- food, events, etc. Thanks!!

I recently read the following summary of major projects being built on the Strip: Wynn Encore, $2.2 billion, early 2009, 5,000 jobs; Cosmopolitan, $3 billion, late 2009, 7,500 jobs; CityCenter, $7.8 billion, late 2009, 15,900 jobs; Fontainebleau, $2.8 billion, late 2009, 9,700 jobs; Echelon, $4.8 billion, late 2010, 13,250 jobs; Plaza, $5 billion, 2011, 8,750 jobs; Crown, $5 billion, 2011, 7,500 jobs; MGM Dubai World $5 billion, 2012, 7,500 jobs. Where is everyone going to park? And with all of those new buildings, new jobs, more rooms, and more tourists, how are people going to get around? The Strip is already very slow most of the time. And where are all the people who are going to fill all these new jobs? Where are they all going to live? What about the water shortage? And what about other infrastructure? Is someone planning for all of this? Boom times indeed.

Your question on Las Vegas race tracks [QoD 1/22/08] reminded me that years ago I went to the then-MGM Grand and watched Jai Alai. I believe it was in 1980, but it could have been 1982. Was I dreaming or was Jai Alai there? I've stayed at Bally's my last three trips to Vegas (my host comps me a suite, so why not?) and I'm curious where it was located, and why was it there? I assume there was gambling involved, but I don't remember, I just know the group I went with wanted to go so, I just tagged along. Thanks.

I've heard there is a casino being built at St. Rose and Las Vegas Blvd. out in the south ... Can you tell us about it?