Category Archives: Things To Do

Getting Around, Things To Do

Gold & Silver Pawn (the Pawn Stars store) via The Deuce bus.

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If you have not been to Las Vegas in a while, you might think that this would be really easy since the Deuce used to pass right by the shop.  That changed in November of 2010, so now, what would have been a very simple trip to Gold & Silver Pawn or one of the various wedding chapels in the area (like the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel) requires a little more walking.

Take the Deuce North (towards downtown/ Fremont Street) and take it to the Bonneville Transit Center. Walk East on Garces Ave for 3 blocks. Cross Las Vegas Blvd and immediately turn right. Gold & Silver Pawn should be visible in the middle of the block (East side of Las Vegas Blvd).

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If you are trying to get to Gold & Silver Pawn from Downtown/Fremont Street, take the Southbound Deuce to Clark Ave.  Gold & Silver Pawn will be 2 blocks ahead on your left. If you miss the Clark Ave. stop, you can get off the bus at the Bonneville Transit Center and use the same walking directions mentioned above.

You can also take the SDX (Strip & Downtown Express bus). The SDX has fewer stops (hence the Express), so if you take it, you need to use the Bonneville Transit Center stop and follow the same walking directions given for the Deuce.  For $8, you can buy 24 hour pass that allow you to take the Deuce and SDX.  You can also buy your ticket when you board the Deuce bus or via machines at the main bus stops. For more information about the buses, visit www.rtcsouthernnevada.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.

 

Dining, News Flash, Things To Do

Secret, no name pizza at the Cosmopolitan

You may have heard the rumors about a secret, unmarked pizza place at the Cosmopolitan. Everything that you have heard is true, although when you get there you realize that they aren’t really trying to hide it or keep it a secret. It just doesn’t have a sign or a name.

It is located in the 3rd floor restaurant zone and is down the hallway immediately to the right of Blue Ribbon Sushi. They offer good, basic, readily foldable New York pizza by the slice for about $5.  You can also order a full pizza, but that takes a while. There are stools and a ledge that can accommodate half a dozen diners, so you are probably not going to be able to eat there. The Cosmopolitan has a lot of open space as well as a few very comfy sitting areas on the 3rd floor, so the lack of space at no-name pizza really isn’t a problem unless there is a long line to get into the Marquee nightclub (which is also on the 3rd floor). If you go on a club night, be prepared for long lines to get into no-name pizza, too. It does stay open late and is becoming the place to go after a night of partying at Marquee.

Getting Around, Hotels, Things To Do

Getting Around Las Vegas: Free Shuttles to and from the Strip

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(updated November 15, 2017)
The two cheapest ways to get around Las Vegas are to walk and to catch the various free shuttles. Here is a list of free shuttles.

The Rio    (updated November 15, 2017):
The Rio shuttle is no longer running.

The Palms  :
The Palms offers a free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes  from 11am – 8pm from the Palms main valet  to the Caesars Forum Shops  and then back to the Palms. The Palms shuttle is available  to all. Continue reading Getting Around Las Vegas: Free Shuttles to and from the Strip →