Belated Hello/Intro; Stroll Memory Lane/Old School Pics

Hello all!

Belated intro:

Recently returned to Vegas after a long, long hiatus from my good-old home away from home: LV.

Sorry to bore any with the details of my long absence, but for people interested in memories of Old Las Vegas, thought I'd share the following trip down memory lane:

As a teenager, my family and I would travel to Las Vegas and spend two weeks every Summer and a week during Christmas break over a four-year period from 1977-1981...and we would stay at the good-old El Morocco Motel and Casino.

Great memories of probably the best pool in Vegas at the time, 25-cent frozen yogurt, 50-cent Kosher style hot dogs, and 69-cent Shrimp Cocktails.

Recall walking across the street and frequenting the Palm Room in the Stardust...and playing Keno while dining on breakfast.

Killed time while the folks were playing the nickel slots at Slots of Fun in the Stardust arcade on classic Wedgehead pinball machines & in Circus Circus.

A favorite thing of my folks was to take us up to the top of the Landmark at Midnight (when they went on-sale) and dine on $5.99 New York Strip steaks.

We'd always stand in line at Caesars Place for a couple hours for free tickets to see the Merv Griffin Show in the Circus Maximus Theater (if I'm not mistaken)...saw acts like Jay Leno (as a young man with black hair) who drove his Harley onto stage, Sister Sledge, Cosby, Shecky Greene, David Brenner, Tiny Tim, and too many other 70s/early 80s acts to mention.

Fond memories also of going to the mall in the old MGM Grand and eating at Swenson's (or Ferrells) Ice Cream Parlor. Recall one sundae of theirs called the Earthquake with 7 scoops of ice cream.

Such a simpler time.

Had another hiatus from LV and didn't return till '85 and '87. Crowning achievement of that time was seeing Frank Sinatra perform in the old MGM Grand location in '87 or '88...so he was 71 or 72 by then (died in 1998 at 82).

I distinctly recall his voice by that time sounded every bit as good as every one of his '33 LPs (it's just that instead of holding his notes for 5-7 seconds, he'd cut them off after just 1 or 2 seconds).

Stayed at the Riv by then (as the El Morocco Motel & Casino was getting seedy); haven't been to Vegas since 1988--till just a few weeks ago!

Talk about an eye opener/culture shock from the sleepy little town I knew so well as a kid.

Rented a car and drove down the strip, and of course, didn't recognize anything.

Only Old School remnants I spotted was Caesars Place, Ballys (formerly the old MGM Grand), Slots of Fun, The Flamingo, The Peppermill, and of course the now boarded-up Sahara.

Only unchanged icon I spotted was Circus Circus, seems nearly frozen in time from the outside (didn't go in)...compared to say Caesar's, which is basically unrecognizable...same for the Flamingo.

Talk about a different world.

Thanks for reading this far if you have and appologies to anyone I've bored...just thought I'd mention these old memories and post a few Old School pics I've saved over the years.

Good luck on the floor.

FJD

 

Welcome, yeah a lot has changed since 1988. Have fun at VMB, lots of great info here.

 

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing your memories. Welcome to the board!

 

Welcome to the board and thanks for the history lesson.

 

Welcome to the board!!!

 

Thanks for the great pics

 

Thanks for the warm welcome!

A few more pics of the area back in the day.

FJD

 

Am I the only who had to google "cold duck"? It's on the 3rd pic of coupons, never heard of it till now.

 

Wow, $.40 for a hot dog with a beer, soda, or Cold Duck! I hadn't heard of Cold Duck since my parents served it in the late 70's, I forget what it tasted like, but I remember it was a sparkling wine. My folks would also serve Mateus Rose when we had company for dinner.

Welcome and thanks for the walk down memory lane and the photos.

 

Was exactly the same in my house: my parents drank the Cold Duck/Baby Duck and Mateus in the 70s...haven't really heard the terms since either! I still remember that funny-shaped green Mateus bottle!

Evidently both popular beverages at the time...crickets ever since the Big 80s.

Thanks for the welcome!

 

Welcome

You have brought back so many memories, and for that I thank you.

If you have any other pictures, please post. It would be so much appreciated.

 

Gonna pick up a bottle of each, both are at my local liquor store. $7 for Andre Cold Duck, such a deal!

 

Glad you enjoyed them...here are a some more.

The 3rd pic shows my favorite Sahara sign.

#4 shows that little mall that was just to the right of the El Morocco/Peppermill...now a Ross/CVS IIRC.

#5 shows Caesars the way I remember it in '77 or so...parking in front: how convenient...what a novel idea! Note the baby blue 1975 Buick Century (Kojak's car!) in the right front parking spot...that car is 100% identical to our family car down to the last option...but that is not my pic. That's where I recall us always generally parking...I like to think that's my family car frozen in time by some anonymous photographer!

 

A few more.

 

As Bob Hope would say - thanks for the memories.