Category Archives: offbeat tidbits

offbeat tidbits, Things To Do

Mexican Coca-Cola at Aria

If you are a fan of Mexican Coke (Coca-Cola, that is) and need a fix while
in Las Vegas, the obvious place to go is Coke World at the Showcase Mall (next to the MGM Grand). If you want to avoid the crowds, though, you can get it at Aria Elements, the Aria’s lobby shop.  If you are further North on the Strip, there is also large souvenir store in the strip mall at 3049 S. Las Vegas Blvd (just North of Wynn and Encore) that also carries Mexican Coke.

If you are not familiar with Mexican Coke, it is Coca-Cola bottled in Mexico that uses refined cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The result is a smoother, less syrupy drink. The best way to see what it tastes like, though, is to try it yourself.

Mexican Coke has been growing in popularity over the years and is even available on Amazon.com

offbeat tidbits, Things To Do

Art-o-mat Machines at the Cosmopolitan

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(updated June 4, 2015)
Here is another lesser known, but neat thing to check out while in Las Vegas.  The Art-o-mat machines located around the Cosmopolitan.  I have seen two   by the Wicked Spoon buffet on the 2nd floor. one on the 3rd floor by the sitting area at the top of the escalator (not far from the Secret Pizza place), one in the heavily trafficked area on the 2nd floor in front of Stitched and one on the ground level  by the Lucky Cat exhibit.

The Art-o-mat machines are reconditioned cigarette machines that now dispense art and jewelry in cigarette pack sized boxes for $5.  The inventory does rotate and everything appears to be handmade, so it is worth checking out on every trip as far as I am concerned.

Here are a few examples from a recent trip.  On the left is a hanging “mosaic whimsy” piece made by Janie Reavis-Cox from Stigler, Oklahoma.  On the right is a pair of earrings made by Crystal Ladd, who has additional pieces available at deflora.etsy.com.  We also found painted wood blocks, necklaces, and merit badges.

You can’t see the exact item you will get before you put your money in and pull the handle, but you can see a basic description.  Each item is only $5, so give it a shot.  It might just be the best gambling deal in Vegas.

To see a machine in action, check out this YouTube video.
Note that the machine in the video takes tokens and the machine that are at the Cosmopolitan have bill acceptors.

offbeat tidbits, Things To Do

The Brahma Shrine at Caesars Palace

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I am starting a series of posts on lesser known Las Vegas attractions and tidbits. The first post in the series is about on of my favorite Las Vegas sites.

The Brahma Shrine at Caesars Palace.  It is at the North end of the Roman Plaza, near Hell’s Kitchen, in front of Caesars Palace. It was made in Thailand and was installed with the supervision of Buddhist monks. The shrine is a replica of the Brahma Shrine at the Erawan Hotel in Bangkok.

There are a few plaques at the shrine with additional information.  This one reads:
“The Brahma Shrine is renowned throughout the far east, to people of all faiths, as a place of prayer which in turn bestows prosperity and good fortune on those who come to visit and make their hopes and wishes known.

The casting ceremonies for the four-faced, eight-handed statue of the Brahma were held in Bangkok, Thailand on November 25, 1983 and many important religious authorities and international dignitaries participated.”

I visit the shrine for moments of self-reflection, contemplation and centering.
Visitors can light incense sticks at the shrine and on occasion I will do that, too.  It is not the kind of thing you would expect to see in Las Vegas and does seem a little out of place. That makes it all the more notable to me. The shrine is being stumbled upon by more people now that Hell’s Kitchen is open. Ultimately, that is a good thing, but it makes it a little more difficult to have a private moment.

The next time you need to slow down and take a break from the action of Las Vegas, stroll over to the shrine.