Chapter 4 of our El Cortez Spotlight series When Jackie Gaughan arrived in Las Vegas in the early 1960s, Fremont Street was a street caught between memory and ambition. The Strip was rising fast to the south, promising fountains, fountains, and even more fountains, but downtown remained the beating heart of the city’s older rhythm. The El Cortez, already decades old, was quietly waiting for … Continue reading Jackie’s Kingdom
Part 2 of our El Cortez Spotlight series In the spring of 1945, the desert heat arrived early, pressing down on Fremont Street like a secret. The El Cortez had been open barely four years, and already it was changing hands. The war was nearly over, soldiers were trickling back west, and Las Vegas-still small enough that everyone knew the sheriff by name—-about to inherit … Continue reading Bugsy’s Brief Inheritance
Part 1 of our El Cortez Spotlight series Before Las Vegas had a skyline, it had a railroad stop, a few bars, and a stubborn belief that anything could grow in sand. The year was 1905, and the town existed mainly because trains needed a place to pause between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. When the locomotives stopped, dust rose; when they left, silence … Continue reading Fremont Street Before the Glitter
Discovering the Charm of The Neon Boneyard: A Hidden Gem in Downtown Grand Las Vegas When you think of Las Vegas, images of glitzy casinos, extravagant shows, and vibrant nightlife undoubtedly come to mind. However, nestled in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas is a venue that offers a unique glimpse into the city’s colorful history and artistic future: The Neon Boneyard. This outdoor museum … Continue reading Neon Museum
For travelers captivated by the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Fremont Street in Downtown is an iconic destination steeped in history. One of its most colorful landmarks was Sassy Sally’s, a casino that embodied the exuberant spirit of the old Las Vegas Strip. While the establishment no longer exists under that name, its legacy endures, woven into the evolving fabric of Fremont Street’s dynamic … Continue reading The Storied Past of Sassy Sally’s in Downtown Las Vegas
Vegas and Paradise 