The Neon Museum Las Vegas and Briliant!

Given that I am not much of a fan of the casinos, it might seem odd that I am such a fan of their old signs, but I really am. 

One of the highlights of our 2007 trip was a visit to the old sign museum, also referred to as the Boneyard. That trip predates the blog, but I did mention it in a later post:

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2019/03/revisiting-las-vegas.html

At the time, it was a dusty lot with a lot of broken (and one badly burned) splendor that was kind of sad and also fascinating, which was especially helped by the enthusiasm of the tour guide.

That was an afternoon trip, where we traveled far from the bright lights. (I don't think the location has changed, but more construction has filled in the gap over the last 17 years.) I mention that, because with our night trip this time around, nothing really looks similar.

But there has been so much restoration, it would not look the same anyway.

In fact, the museum does not open until 3 PM, but you are much better off going at night. With the guides I am sure the daytime tours are great, but night is when you can best appreciate what has been done.

The plan had been there all along. I remember there being a poster showing the historic La Concha Motel lobby, designed by Paul R. Williams. It seemed so improbably, but they did it!

After we had taken the tour, I realized I had seen all of my favorites (well, the burned leprechaun was missing, but while memorable, it wasn't necessarily a favorite) except for the shoe. It was now the sign!

It all impressed me, but it also made me really happy for them, especially since the staff is still so passionate and informed.

We learned about Vegas history and neon and even the evolution of the signage. 

That "refrigeration" there means air conditioning, and it was a big seller back in the day.

Neon is red, so when you see these blue tubes, it is argon.

Not everything is lit the entire time, but lit as you go along on the tour. This probably does save on electricity, but it also allows you to focus, appreciate, and not be blinded, which could be a real peril.

As amazing as it is to see what has been restored, there is still much that needs repair. Seeing the unlit hulks can still be pretty impressive, but they have one other way to give you the idea, and it is amazing.

Actually, it is Brilliant!

If you get tickets for Brilliant, they will lead you to the North Gallery (the regular tour is still in the Boneyard), where you will be surrounded by dark signs. Then the show starts.

Using project and animation and film footage, and set to music, it all comes to life. This guy sings.

One round ball travels on a roulette wheel, becomes a moon, and changes into a disco ball.

I don't have a lot of pictures of it (I was busy watching), but I include this one because one thing that was very clear -- from seeing signs in the Boneyard and in the Brilliant! show -- is that a golden nugget that is not lit is just a potato.

Along your path you will see a mural with some characters from Las Vegas history, along with more information. All in all it was a great experience.

The tours and shows do sell out, so arrange your tickets early. It is really worth seeing, and exactly up my alley.

COVID: This is all outside except for when you are checking in, but you can be in pretty large groups. I stayed masked, even outside.

Accessibility: For mobility, they are ADA compliant. The paths are smooth and easily traversed. I cannot rule out that there might be some potential seizure issues for brilliant, but there was nothing really strobe-like that I recall. Aversion to bright lights would be an issue, but ask if there are specific questions. Staff was very helpful, and they were busy!

https://www.neonmuseum.org/

Vegas Overview

This is my second-to-last post about our trip to Las Vegas, because I want to end on a high note, but I do need to also speak honestly overall...

It wasn't that great.

We did some things that we really enjoyed, but those were all things that we could do other places, as was pointed out specifically in some of the posts.

One of the good things about Vegas has been that you can find a lot of those things close together, but one thing that also worked in the city's favor was that the Strip had so much to look at, and everything has become more crowded.

This is partly infill, as new buildings have been crowded in, but the addition of Formula 1 has been worse.

That has led to the construction of bleachers all over the place, and then they started doing weird things to the overpasses. It was ostensibly to prevent busking, but the real reason seems to be to prevent anyone from being able to watch the race without purchasing tickets.

I understand that even the things we enjoy most exist for the purpose of making money, but it feels like the balance has gone. We were not even able to view the Bellagio Fountains, which I believe was the last of the free shows left.

I understand that the real money is in the gambling and drinking and debauchery, but I was never into those things, so it was everything else that appealed to me. That is slowly being stripped away.

I don't know if I will ever go back, and that's okay.

However, there was one thing that I was thrilled to see and that is uniquely Las Vegas. 

That will be the topic of next Saturday's post.

Las Vegas Strip -- Showcase Mall

Las Vegas has a plethora of restaurants. There are elegant restaurants and trendy spots and a lot of it is really expensive. Sometimes it can be nice to get a break from that. 

That is why were were excited to discover that there was a food court in the midst of the strip, right next to some of our activities.

The food court gave us seating, air conditioning, bathrooms, and a fair variety of food choices, including one that made the very logical pairing of bubble tea and bubble waffles.

Most of the offerings were pretty familiar.

There were two that surprised me. 

Dirt Dog is the official hot dog of Los Angeles, but they have a location in Las Vegas, and a Snoop's Dogg on the menu. 

Then there was Rock N Potato, with a wide selection of baked potatoes.

These are fancy. You can get one with a lobster tail on top.

I will note that you are still paying more than you would at the local mall. For example, the Sbarro did not have any of the special deals you get at Washington Square.

It was still less than even casual dining in a nearby casino.

There was also an appealing gelato place right when you entered on street level.

COVID: It was not too crowded, so we were able to keep some space. That is especially helpful as you have to take your mask off to eat.

Accessibility: There was an elevator and navigation on the top floor was decent. Bathrooms seemed pretty accessible as well.

It's not a reason to visit the strip, but it is handy that it's there.

https://www.vegas.com/shopping/showcase-mall-las-vegas/