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Been in Vegas during any iconic moments?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Johnzimbo, Feb 21, 2020.

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  1. RTCraft

    RTCraft Low-Roller

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    Correct
     
  2. mikeinctown

    mikeinctown High-Roller

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    I was in Vegas for two consecutive nights that I didn't lose money. First time in 20+ years.
     
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  3. Coppertop Tester

    Coppertop Tester Tourist

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    I was playing blackjack at El Cortez in 1996 when that massive blackout occurred that affected the entire Western US. It was the first time I had experienced a blackout in a casino and because the card tables were not close to any doors or windows, it was a complete "can't see my hands in front of my face" situation. The freakiest part for me wasn't the darkness, but the shift from typical loud casino activity to total silence. When the lights came back on, it was a funny sight to see all of the dealers slumped forward, so their bodies covered their chip trays. I always wondered if any of them wound up being groped by opportunistic players. The blackout happened on Saturday and the next day, I kept running into California players at the card tables who were only in town for the weekend, but couldn't return home because the gas stations still had no power, so the pumps didn't work.
     
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  4. callahanha

    callahanha Low-Roller

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    I was in Vegas during 9/11 attacks. I arrived on 9/9 and was scheduled to head home on 9/13. I was finally able to get a flight home on 9/15, Walking the strip during the days after 9/11 was strange. It was the closet I've ever see to Vegas being a ghost town.
    I was also in Vegas when the Bellagio lost power and was sending guest to other hotels. Since they had no refrigeration, they were handing out free beers in the area where the piano player usually sits. I was the quitest casino I was ever in. No slot machines running or table games open. I don't remember the year that it happened, but I remember the newscast said it was caused by a squirrel eating through wires.
     
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  5. beuhner

    beuhner Low-Roller

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    I was in Vegas the night the tiger mauled Roy. We were choosing a show that night between Sigfreid an Roy and Penn and Teller. Let's just say I didn't get to witness the iconic moment. I was also in Vegas the night the performer in Ka fell to her death. My friend had been to the show the show the night before.
     
  6. MikeOPensacola

    MikeOPensacola El Jefe

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    Caesars Palace had a great event for the last episode of M*A*S*H back in 1982 or 1983. They had a bunch of big screens in a couple of their banquet rooms with a pretty decent spread of food and cheap drink tickets for booze, I think the tickets to get in were $25 or so. I remember having a lot of fun which was at the time a bittersweet occasion.

    :peace: :beer:
     
    Annual CCA (Casino Collectibles Association) Show at South Point
    Long Overdue Stay At The Golden Nugget
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  7. FormallyTD

    FormallyTD Big Time

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    August 31, 1997 my girlfriend and I exited the Denis Leary show at the Riviera and every marquee in town had posted that Princess Diana died in a car crash

    October 1, 2017 I left the Palomino, got in a cab and couldn't get close to the Elara due to the mass shooting. I had the cabbie drop me off at the Stratosphere around midnight/midnight thirty and I tried to walk back to the hotel. Was really the only person on the street and then I was told to get off of Las Vegas Boulevard because there was an active shooter once I got around Harrah's...but all of the casinos were on lock down.

    Knew a bowel door at Flamingo and a guy let me in. Got a FAB room and crashed.

    Sad days,

    On a high note I was in town when the Packers beat the f-ing Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, February 2011. America went apeshit (as did I).
     
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  8. emmada

    emmada Vegas addicted

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    On February 26th 2007, my wife was playing slot all day at The Barbary Coast. She loved that place. The next morning, we saw the casino was closed. People inside were working. We learn 2 days later, that place have change name to Bill's Gambling Hall and Saloon.
     
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  9. STS05

    STS05 Onward

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    I had been in Vegas the week leading up to the 2017 shooting, attending a conference at the Flamingo and then spending the weekend relaxing at the pool. I flew home Sunday night at 6pm. I had just walked in the door when my phone blew up with texts from family, friends and co-workers asking if I was ok. I watched some of it on TV and then went to bed. Watched more that morning. I almost went the concert series the night before, but decided to stay close to my hotel and got pretty wasted at Linq.
     
  10. Sniff009

    Sniff009 Low-Roller

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    Was in Vegas for the Marathon in 2017 as it was the first major event since the shooting. Honestly, I have never felt safer.

    Watched the end of the Super Bowl in my Paris room where Butler intercepted Wilson at the goal line. That was something because I thought for sure Seattle was going to run it in with Marshawn.

    I was in Laughlin walking to Golden Nugget when my friend texted me the TMZ report about Kobe...We got back to Fremont Street for dinner and when they officially announced his passing, I took these https://twitter.com/Sniff009/status/1221614723713552384 . When I got back on strip, most of the marquees still showed what I took on Fremont Street and the Linq High Roller were in Laker colors.
     
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  11. rcbeamer

    rcbeamer Low-Roller

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    A few, maybe not really "iconic" moments-- April '98 when the Aladdin was knocked down. We did the NYNY roller coaster in the early afternoon, and wandered around until they closed the Strip from Flamingo to Tropicana. It was strange to walk in the street. We got as close as we could, which was right in front of the Holiday Inn Boardwalk. A few helicopters flying around, and there wasn't much wind, so it took a long time for the dust to settle.
    April '00 for the Desert Inn's 50th anniversary party. They had fireworks launched from the golf course.
    A few days after Rodney Dangerfield's passing in Oct '04. The lights on the Strip were dimmed for 10 minutes (I think). Eerie. I had a cheap film camera, but no good pics turned out.
    I was in Casino Royale on Oct 1 '17 when the shootings happened. Of course that was iconic. I detailed that in a trip report I did here on VMB a few days after I got back home.
     
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  12. tmoney25

    tmoney25 High-Roller

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    We arrived the night of the Marathon. I think we would have landed around 5:00pm. We had no clue about the Marathon at the time. This was the first time I was going to tryout ride share and we hailed a Lyft. We get in, and he confirms that we're going to NYNY and he says "Okay, let me figure out how to get there". I'm thinking, use your GPS... what?... So I say "Normally we would head up to Tropicana and its straight down the road". I had a moment of panic when he says "Yeah, that is the quickest way but the strip is closed to traffic right now"... I was thinking "Great, now what's going on?". Then he said that there is a marathon and it is one of two times per year where the strip is closed to traffic. Much relief came after he clarified!
     
  13. HighLimitorBust

    HighLimitorBust Tourist

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    I took my ex girlfriend to Vegas for her first time. Checked into the room at Aria, and she said the windows seemed dirty. When we walked up to the windows, we realized it was smoke outside. Followed the trail and saw the Cosmo pool trees on fire! Had just started and saw the pool attendants shoving chairs into the pool to save them.

    Watched it until the fire department got up there, which took a while despite the fact that they have a fire station just outside. Welcome to Vegas, where you’ll see things you won’t see anywhere else!
     
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  14. Mudhen

    Mudhen Always in Dutch

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    I was there when they carried the Olympic torch up the strip (5/1/96), which was also the same time the Stratosphere opened (4/30/96). And I was there when they blew up the Sands, but I slept through it. And I was there for the opening of Paris, but I didn't attend (too crowded).

    Oh, and I was on top of the Stratosphere when someone decided to end their life by jumping off. Not a great way to start a Las Vegas trip. :(

    https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/05/08/man-jumps-to-death-from-stratosphere-tower/
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2020
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  15. JaDubya

    JaDubya High Roller? Nah...just a Roller

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    We had tickets to Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton. The UK (Hatton) fans were pumped. They had this band playing & people loudly singing “Walking in a Ricky Wonderland ” as they marched through the casino on the night before the fight.

    I was hoping for an epic battle with the boxers going toe to toe for 10+ rounds. I wanted the band to be playing & people to be singing throughout the fight because...those UK folks are fun. Instead this happened in the 2nd round & the place went silent.

    B944D63B-1365-4E46-B63A-3A565EA6C25C.jpeg
     
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  16. pebbles

    pebbles Micro Roller.

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    That’s the only fight I ever bet on. I won!
     
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  17. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

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    I went to a Riviera comedy show (which I always loved) and enjoyed playing the evening before it was closed for good.
     
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  18. bull1029

    bull1029 Mr. Vegas

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    In the mid-2000's, I was in town when the iconic Desert Inn was imploded. Did not see it live--I was staying downtown and it happened at 3 am, but still....
     
  19. vegasvette

    vegasvette High-Roller

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    My wife and I were in Vegas for a week in May of 1988. One day, we decided to drive to Laughlin just to see it. On the way to boulder highway, we stopped at a store to get something to snack on during the drive. When we got back in the car, we started to exit the parking lot. I looked to the southern sky and saw black billowing smoke in the distance. I backed out of the parking spot and felt the car move, like I hit another car. I didn't, but i saw a huge plume of orange smoke in the distance. I drove out of the parking lot and once again, the car bounced. And another large smoke cloud in the sky. We realized it was some kind of explosion and we abruptly turned around and headed north, not south. The radio reports were not clear on what chemicals were contained in the smoke clouds. We drove up to Mt. Charleston instead of Laughlin. Upon our return to Vegas that evening, we got the update on what happened. I've included a link here. In it, you can see the sound waves from the explosions that caused my car to bounce. It was the Morton Thiokol plant explosion. They produced rocket fuel at that plant. Scary stuff indeed.
     
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  20. jamesxnj

    jamesxnj VIP Whale

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    Had just checked into the Rio Sept 8 2015 and this was on the tv..
     
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