In a previous blog, I described the ancient bristlecone pines that inhabit the upper reaches of Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada. But neither these beautiful trees, nor Wheeler Peak (pictured below), second highest in Nevada at 13,065 feet, are the main attraction at Great Basin. That accolade belongs to Lehman Caves. For those […]
See Welcome Sign Tributes on our Webcam
The iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign has become the gathering place for people who wish to show their respects, via flowers, candles, and hand-written placards with personal messages of healing and hope. Behind the sign is a row of 58 white wood crosses, one for each of the people killed in the shooting. […]
Greater Vegas—State of Illusion Final
Bringing the Nevada-illusion theme back to Las Vegas in the present day for this fourth and final part of the series, we have casino gambling, an industry based, primarily, on smoke and mirrors. Though it’s touted as a benign form of indoor recreation, the price of admission gets higher year by year: what with resort […]
Greater Vegas—The Illusion State 3
In the Illusion State Part 2, I introduced the Sazerac Lying Club, a fictitious group of barroom storytellers in the tradition of taproom raconteurs everywhere for all time — in this case in 1870s’ Austin, Nevada. The whole thing was a flight of fancy from the dying boomtown’s newspaper editor who needed some text to […]
Greater Vegas—The Illusion State 2
In my last blog, I described Greater Vegas as an illusion, built on a foundation of falsehood and fantasy. This isn’t my own idea; it’s an outgrowth (indirect as it might be) from a long tradition of journalism in the American west, which incorporated elements of exaggeration, satire, ribaldry, and just plain fiction to fill […]
Ellis Island – Monday Lounge Brunch
Ellis Island does a creative brunch on Mondays. The “Monday Lounge Brunch” runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features bottomless bloody Marys and mimosas for $12. There’s also six entrée choices for $6.99 each. We can vouch for the eggs Benedict and the quiche. As […]
Las Vegas Story Slam
Anyone familiar with The Moth will understand the Las Vegas Story Slam immediately. Story Slam is a monthly meeting of people from all walks of life. Some get up to tell a story. The rules are, the story must be true, it must have happened to the person telling it, there are no notes or […]
Greater Vegas—The Illusion State
I’ve been a Nevada resident for 30 years, written numerous books about the Silver State, and am more at home here than in the other six places on two continents where I’ve lived, so I feel I’m qualified to say that no other state in this (currently dubious) union is built on more of a […]
Local Corner—Marché Bacchus French Bistro and W...
Local Corner—Marché Bacchus French Bistro and Wine Shop 2620 Regatta Drive, Suite 106, 702-804-8008 We’ve had an odd relationship with Marché Bacchus. It’s one of the most acclaimed non-casino restaurants in town, a perennial “Essential 50” selection (and even a Top 10 pick in the 2013 edition) of Eating Las Vegas, and a place where […]
20 Lessons Learned After 50 Years in Restaurant...
[Editor’s Note: This is another sneak preview of Eating Las Vegas 2018, which will be released in November. Author John Curtas estimates he’s eaten 20,000 meals in restaurants over five decades and the following 20 lessons he’s learned about dining out are presented in the form of advice you can take with you to any eatery.] […]
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