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City Cast Las Vegas

It’s been a heavy week of news in Las Vegas, and our thoughts are with the victims of both recent mass shootings and their loved ones. The <a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/like-a-war-zone-homeless-man-recounts-when-5-shot-2958242/">first</a> happened last Friday, December 1st at a homeless encampment near Charleston Boulevard and Sandhill Road that saw four injured and one killed. The <a href="https://www.unlv.edu/announcement/unlv-strong/honoring-victims-wednesdays-tragedy">second</a> at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Wednesday left 3 faculty members killed and one injured, currently in life-threatening condition. And on Wednesday, six Pro-Trump fake electors were <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/nevada-gop-fake-electors-indicted-for-falsely-claiming-trump-won-states-2020-election">indicted by a Nevada grand jury</a> for pledging Nevada’s electoral votes to Trump, despite lacking the authority to do so. Co-host Dayvid Figler is joined by executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson and Nevada Current reporter April Corbin Girnus to share what we know so far about these developing stories, as of Thursday afternoon. An update: Since recording this episode on Thursday afternoon, we’ve <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/three-victims-in-unlv-shooting-were-faculty-members-officials-say">learned more</a> about the alleged shooter, including the fact that he sent 22 letters to faculty in both Nevada and North Carolina, and <a href="https://twitter.com/LVMPD/status/1732931532242014584">left a document</a> "similar to a last will and testament" in his Henderson residence. Per LVMPD: "If anyone has any information or was at Beam Hall on Dec. 6th you are urged to contact the homicide section at 702-828-3521 or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com." We’re on social media: Follow us @CityCastVegas on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/">Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter <a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/">here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Gun Violence at UNLV and Homeless Encampment, and Fake Electors Indicted

On Wednesday morning, a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/unlv-shooting-las-vegas-live-updates-rcna128402">mass shooting</a> at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas saw three people and the shooter confirmed dead along with another victim hospitalized. Executive Producer Sonja Cho Swanson, Producer Layla Muhammad and co-host Dayvid Figler take a measured look at how our city responds when public shootings occur, and relay stories of the confusion and chaos that unfolded hour by hour earlier in the day. We also assess law enforcement’s press conferences, and why the community needs real data as quickly as possible. One quick update to this rapidly-evolving story: More details have emerged about the shooting suspect, <a href="https://lasvegassun.com/news/2023/dec/06/ap-las-vegas-shooting-suspect-was-a-professor-who/">who some sources say</a> was a professor from North Carolina who had recently been turned down for a job at UNLV. Student Counseling &amp; Psychological Services are providing crisis support services to students both in-person and via telehealth. Please contact 702-895-3627 or caps@unlv.edu to access support services. We’re on social media. Follow us @CityCastVegas on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/"> Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter<a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/"> here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

What We Know About the Shooting at UNLV

The hype around the Sphere has been endless — and by all accounts, seeing a show at the Sphere is actually pretty mind-blowing. But how do you get the most out of your Sphere experience, and are those hefty ticket prices worth it? To find out, we sent producer Layla Muhammad to see the immersive Aronofsky film "<a href="https://www.thespherevegas.com/shows/the-sphere-experience">Postcard from Earth</a>" at the Sphere. She debriefs with co-host Sarah Lohman, and they talk about how to get the best seats, where to find the best food, and just how creepy the robots in the lobby are (spoiler: very). We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/"> </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/">Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter<a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/"> </a><a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/">here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Your Guide to Shows at the Sphere

About an hour away from Las Vegas on the south Nevada/California border sits the Amargosa Valley. Named for the Amargosa River, the area made headlines earlier this year concerning lithium mining efforts in the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Now, according to Amargosa Conservancy executive director Mason Voehl, is the best time to see the basin that offers a variety of attractions and natural wonders. From sand dunes to hot springs, a date farm to an opera house, Voehl tells co-host Sarah Lohman why visiting the Amargosa is essential for Las Vegans. Places mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ash-meadows/visit-us/locations/ash-meadows-nwr-">Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge</a><a href="https://www.chinaranch.com/">China Ranch Date Farm</a><a href="https://travelnevada.com/off-roading/amargosa-big-dune/">Big Dune</a><a href="https://www.amargosaoperahouse.org/">Amargosa Opera House</a><a href="http://www.tecopahotsprings.org/">Tecopa Hot Springs</a><a href="https://www.shoshonevillage.com/death-valley-lodging-shoshone-inn/">Shoshone Inn</a><a href="https://www.shoshonevillage.com/crowbar-cafe-and-saloon/">The Crowbar Cafe &amp; Saloon</a> We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/"> Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter<a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/"> here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

An Insider's Guide to the Amargosa Valley

Forget New York — Las Vegas is the real city that never sleeps. Our city has a <a href="https://www.zippia.com/advice/psychological-effects-of-working-night-shift/#:~:text=Las%20Vegas%20has%20a%20higher,other%20city%2C%20at%2016.53%25.">higher percentage</a> of night-shift workers than any other city in the country. But while our bars, restaurants, and grocery stores once catered to both the graveyard shift and sleepless tourists with round-the-clock service, 24-hour venues are getting harder and harder to find. Co-host Dayvid Figler and contributor Brent Holmes, both lifelong Las Vegans who grew up with graveyard shift parents, share their favorite witching hour stories, debate whether we can still call Vegas a 24-hour town, and shout out their favorite 24-hour spots that are still clocking in at all hours. We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/">Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at <a href="tel:7025140719">702-514-0719</a>. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter <a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/">here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Is Vegas Still a 24-Hour City?

So it turns out that the London Sphere might still have <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/msg-sphere-london-khan-gove-planning-newham-b1123652.html">a chance after all</a>: the UK “Secretary of Leveling Up” is requesting another look at the plans. As residents with front-row seats to the Sphere spectacle, we discuss: Who’s making the right call here? And do we want Vegas to keep the only MSG Sphere in the world? Co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with contributor Vogue Robinson and executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson to talk about the week in news. We also discuss Dr. Miriam Adelson’s sale of $2 billion in Sands stock to help fund her <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/29/why-dallas-miriam-adelson-las-vegas-sands-texas-mark-cuban.html">purchase of the Dallas Mavericks</a> (and what that means for both Las Vegas and Texas). And finally, we discuss a head-scratcher of a press-release (Las Vegas is apparently the <a href="https://hvacgnome.com/blog/studies/best-cities-candle-lovers/#rankings">15th best city for candle-lovers</a>?) and what our line of Vegas-scented candles would smell like. We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/"> Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter<a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/"> here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

The London Sphere, the Adelson-Mavs Deal, and a Vegas-Scented Candle

When someone asks about the “quintessential” Las Vegas dining experience, you might say the buffets or high-end restaurants on the Boulevard. But in a conversation from this summer, internationally ranked competitive eater and local Derek Hendrickson tells co-host Dayvid Figler why “there’s nothing more Vegas” than a food challenge. So if you are looking for an activity to do with your holiday visitors or wanting to test your own limits, Derek ranks the top food challenges in Vegas and shares some tips on how to clean your ridiculously large plate. We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/"> Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter<a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/"> here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Vegas Food Challenges Ranked by a Competitive Eater

The dust around our city’s very first Formula 1 Grand Prix has settled, and the countdown clock for next year’s F1 has begun (359 days, to be exact). But what lessons can we learn from both the spectacle and the debacle of this year’s event? Co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel and Casino, which sits outside the F1 loop. They have a frank conversation about both the upsides and the downsides of F1, who this year’s event mainly benefitted, and how F1 can do better next year. You can hear more from Jonathan on his podcast, <a href="https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/podcast/">On The Corner Of Main Street</a>. We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/"> Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter<a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/"> here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

How F1 Can Do Better, Per the Plaza CEO

December is crammed full of festive gatherings, holiday events, and entertainment catering to both locals and the holiday tourist crowd. To help us sort through the noise, writer Eric Duran-Valle from TheList.Vegas sits down with co-host Sarah Lohman to talk about the events, eateries, and outdoor must-sees that he’s most excited about this month. Event recs:Dec. 7-16: Cowboy Christmas at Las Vegas Convention Center (<a href="https://www.nfrexperience.com/cowboychristmas/">link</a>)Dec. 8: N8NOFACE at The Usual Place (<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/n8noface-at-the-usual-place-tickets-706275307457">link</a>)Dec. 10: TubaChristmas at Town Square (<a href="https://www.tubachristmas.com/readtcloc.php?TCState=NV">link</a>)Dec. 16 &amp; 29: Marc Rebillet at Brooklyn Bowl (<a href="https://www.brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas/events/detail/marc-rebillet-g5vjz9mqi8sye">link</a>)Dec. 17: Solstice celebration at Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve (<a href="https://thelist.vegas/event/solstice-at-the-bird-preserve/">link</a>)Now - Dec. 20: North Pole Express in Boulder City (<a href="https://nevadasouthern.com/event/5732/?event_date=2023-12-01">link</a>)Now - March 30, 2024: Pink Floyd Anniversary Show at CSN Planetarium (<a href="https://csnplanetarium.square.site/public-shows">link</a>) Places to go:Step Ladder Loop (hike)Raintree (hike)Fletcher Canyon (hike)Valley of Fire (hike)Fortification Hill (hike)Winnie &amp; Ethel’s Downtown Diner (restaurant)Little Avalon (cafe) Check out these events and more on <a href="https://thelist.vegas/">thelist.vegas</a>! We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/">Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at <a href="tel:702-514-0719">702-514-0719</a>. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter <a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/">here</a>.

Your Guide to December in Vegas

Las Vegas might be the tourist capital of the world, but not everyone comes away happy. So executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson collected some of the most extreme 1-star reviews from disgruntled visitors and today, co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman go head to head in a quiz game show. Can you guess which iconic Vegas attractions these 1-star reviews describe? We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/citycastvegas/"> Instagram</a>. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas,<a href="https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/"> here</a>.

Do These Vegas Icons Deserve 1-Star Reviews?

Chef DJ Flores is doing something exciting at 

. Like many of the chefs off-Strip opening up new concepts, Flores is a graduate of high-end casino restaurants, and marries his fine-dining expertise with a deep dive into his Mexican culinary heritage. “

” refers to a traditional agricultural system — at its base, it’s a plot of land that every home once had, which grew maize, beans, and squash in a regenerative cycle that nourished both the soil and the families that tended it. More philosophically, it represents the wisdom of ancient farmers who worked with the land instead of against it.

Flores is taking a similar approach to corn: He sources heritage varietals and employs nixtamalization, an ancient technique that extracts more nutrients and flavor from the kernels. His tortillas are fragrant and pliable. On the day I went, they were serving tortillas made with 

 corn, a deep gold colored grain with notes of butternut squash. We feasted on dense blue corn pinole pancakes, and chilaquiles redolent with heaps of fresh cilantro. My favorites, though, were the huevos rancheros, two perfectly jiggly eggs doused in a warm, tomato-y broth that I unrepentantly slurped up after finishing the eggs; and the black bean tetelas — tender pockets of corn wrapped around black beans like a Christmas present. Flores is part of a growing movement of chefs who are looking to the past and the future, holding both in perfect balance, with gems like Milpa as the result.

The modern and ancient mix at chef DJ Flores' restaurant.

An Off-Strip Gem Mixing Old and New Mexican Cooking in Las Vegas.

It's Back to the Future at Milpa

Food & Drink

Living in Las Vegas pretty much entails leapfrogging from one climate-controlled cube of constructed space to another — home to car to office to bar to restaurant to mall to this or that concert venue or family attraction. That sounds bleak and lame, but I’m down with it. The great stupid genius of this city is in its stubborn, hubristic terraforming, and I say let’s celebrate it. Honestly, I’m waiting for the day we just clap a giant dinner bell over everything from Summerlin to Sunrise Manor and make the whole place an immersive, walkable, urban-themed terrarium experience that in a delightful Borgesian twist is, ta-da, indistinguishable from a real city.

Until then, one of my hobbies is enjoying our many richly fake spaces à la carte (shouts to the Bellagio Conservatory, Springs Preserve, Fashion Show Mall), and one of my favorites is

. Opened way back in 1994, it’s a massive cliff waterfall guarded by animatronic bears, wolves, owls, and mountain lions, all set up in a misty, jungly atrium ringed by shops and restaurants. But it’s during the daily light-and-water show that Mystic Falls truly comes alive. The funny thing about artifice is how it 

) — and in that very insistence bursts its own seams and becomes kind of silly. During its daily show, Mystic Falls does just that, burgeoning into a kind of volcanic spasm of fervid, apocalyptic camp as the music booms and laser lights slash across the dancing spouts of water, and the robot menagerie erratically sways and poplocks to the echoing beat. This is the great, nightmarish indoors, and it is quintessentially Vegas.

So, yeah, Mystic Falls is philosophically chewy, but I should also say that on a practical level, it’s also a fun hang. There’s a cozy atrium bar that’s a fine perch for catching a buzz while catching the show, and don’t sleep on the underrated Angry Butcher Steakhouse if you want dinner with ringside seats. Mystic Falls’

 runs through Dec. 23, but don’t fret if you miss it. Its “standard” show is a fanciful riot of New Age synth fugues, dancing kokopellis, and echoey eagle screeches — and is as real fake-Vegas as it gets.

Where better to celebrate this city's "stubborn, hubristic terraforming"?

Mystic Falls Is the Real Essence of Fake Las Vegas.

The Real Essence of Fake Vegas: Mystic Falls

The Appreciation Index

As of next week, the Fremont Street Experience will have been open for 28 years. So here’s a shout-out to the time before that, receding deeper into memory every day, when anyone — including, it seems, a carload of 

 on a pre-hibernation toot — could drive down Glitter Gulch for an immersion in classic Las Vegas.

That began to change in the early 1990s, as the Strip, energized by the Mirage and the onset of the megaresort era, began siphoning off downtown’s clientele. Before, “80% of the people who came to Las Vegas made at least one trip to see Fremont Street,” 

. “By 1989, 1990-91, those numbers had flipped so that less than 20% were coming downtown.”

The area was said to need a super-size entry in the “experience economy” to avoid being decimated. And because modern Las Vegas’ best practices dictate that you can solve any problem by throwing spectacle at it, a 

 became the solution (a frankly better one than Steve Wynn’s proposal to replace downtown streets with canals). 

And the view from the skyboxes is that it worked. “We turned it around with the Fremont Street Experience,” casino owner Bill Boyd told author Geoff Schumacher for his book “

But “turned it around” has a different meaning to those Vegas longtimers who still mourn the raffish, human-scaled, uncapped Glitter Gulch, and for whom the modern Fremont just doesn’t bear comparison.

The garish attraction saved downtown, if not Fremont Street.

Remembering Downtown Las Vegas Before the Experience

Before the Experience, There Was Just Fremont Street

Las Vegas History

Winter is coming — Dec. 21 is its first day. While that typically doesn’t mean snow days in the valley, it still gets damn cold — especially if you’re a bougainvillea. There are some easy steps you can take to help your flora hang on until spring. Here are a few tips we glommed from the 

 Prune or transplant a damaged plant until well after the coldest part of the season; otherwise you'll risk doing even more damage — or killing it altogether.

 If you have real grass, set your sprinklers on a midmorning schedule; our winter has lots of afternoon winds that hamper watering accuracy; and it gives the water time to soak in before night’s colder temps.

 When you water, do your best not to get water on leaves and petals.

 Fertilize your fruit trees late in the winter.

 drain outdoor hoses, don’t leave faucets and spigots dripping, indoors or out, says the Water District. Our winters aren’t generally extreme enough to make that necessary.

 Pile a few inches of mulch around the bases of your plants to provide extra cold-weather insulation.

 Overwater your succulents, which tend to be dormant in the winter anyway. Water plus freezing weather often equals rot, say botanical experts.

 Plan ahead. The Water District: “February is usually mild enough to allow you to plant petunias, pansies, snapdragons and other cool-season annuals …”

Simple steps to protect gardens and grass.

Winter-Proof Your Yard

Las Vegas Life Hacks

 my labradoodle wearing fake antlers, the desert bighorn sheep is as close as Las Vegas is gonna get to reindeer. Here are a few facts about Nevada’s state mammal, 

 these herbivores to survive in arid deserts: Their light coloring reflects 40% of the sun’s rays; their complex stomachs maximize the nutrition in tough desert plants.

 a bighorn can go for months getting their necessary electrolytes from their diet instead of by drinking water. During summer, they can go for up to three days in 100 degrees between drinks.

 that desert bighorn can lose up to 30% of their fluid weight and still function; for many species 10% is enough to trigger dehydration.

 As with many males, boy sheep try to impress girl sheep through head-butting contests. They’ve been observed to last more than 24 hours, with as many as five clashes per hour. Swipe right on your fave, ewes!

 have horns that curl fully — so much so that they sometimes break them off against rocks to improve their field of vision. Ewes have a half-curl.

 Least concern. In 2022, Nevada issued nearly 300 desert bighorn sheep ram tags.

 is climate change — not only because it’ll dry up water sources, but because it will impact the nutritional value of the grasses, shrubs, cacti, and acacia they survive on.

They're as close to reindeer as Southern Nevada's gonna get.

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn Sheep Around Las Vegas

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn

Urban Almanac

Once the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas now gets plenty of rest — it seems fewer bars and restaurants are open all night. As the witching hour shuts down, is Las Vegas losing something essential? We asked City Cast Las Vegas contributor and man about town Brent Holmes.

As someone who grew up in Las Vegas and later lived weird hours as an artist, what’s special about our city’s notorious accessibility and convenience around the clock?

“I can't imagine my schedule being (tied to), ‘Well, everything closes at 10,’ and no longer being able to have access to whatever odd, nefarious itch I have in the middle of the night. I need some Cap’n Crunch, it's 3 in the morning — I'm gonna go get me some Cap’n Crunch.”

It seems like a lot of places, like grocery stores, now have locks on their doors that they use! Can we even call ourselves 24/7 anymore?

“I don't think we really are. There's not the weird lounge act at 2 in the morning just killing it, right? They were really, like, 

 playing it. And that was the thing — there was this culture of entertainers getting off shift at 9 o'clock at night, and they would just pop from gig to gig, lounge to lounge, event to event, and hang out, play, drink, have a great time.”

Do you think we'll ever become a 24-hour city again?

“I hope so. I hope we're not headed the way of, you know, Albuquerque. I would like to see this city vibrant and strange at all hours. It's one of the most important things about our cultural identity — that this is a city that not just never 

. We've always got something new for you, and it has a superb effect on the locals. There are people living their entire lives at night here. And it's really beautiful that way.”

Is It Still Las Vegas If It Isn't 24/7?

Brent Holmes on What's Lost If Vegas Isn't a 24-Hour Town

3 Questions With

When people think of the glories of Summerlin, chances are whatever they have in mind falls within the boundaries of this neighborhood: the restaurants and entertainment of Red Rock Resort, the commercial sprawl of Downtown Summerlin, the Aviators’ ballpark and the Golden Knights’ practice rink.

“Gardens Park is a delight for dog walkers, parents with kids, and more,” says one reader, who notes, “There's even a regular group of ladies who get together and practice dance.” Reader Chrystal Watters (“This is my square of city! I love living there.”) favors Willows Park. She also touts the 215 West Beltway 

There’s more to do than shop, see a baseball game, or watch hockey practice — though those are all fine options. Downtown Summerlin frequently hosts concerts, fairs, and community events. Especially this time of year. Watters says: “The holidays are a great time — 

 in Downtown Summerlin, the ice-skating rink, 

 at the ballpark.” In addition to bowling and movies at Red Rock Resort, there’s 

A major draw of South Summerlin is that it’s near so much: “Hiking at Red Rock is a quick drive,” says Watters. “You could even bike there if you’re motivated.” There’s a shooting range just up Charleston if that’s your cup of tea. Firearms enthusiast? The 

 shooting range is just as close. For art, books, and events, the versatile 

What isn't there to do in Summerlin South?

Get to Know One of Las Vegas' Most Active Neighborhoods

Get to Know Summerlin South 

Neighborhood Guides

Time again for our occasional pop quiz about the natural wonders of this city and state. Answers after the questions. Good luck!

1. Which other state also claims the mountain bluebird as its state bird?

(a) Montana (b) Wyoming (c) Idaho (d) Florida

2. What does the prestigious Cornell bird lab suggest we do about the above?

(a) Continue sharing the bluebird (b) Adopt the sagebrush sparrow instead (c) Adopt the calliope hummingbird instead (d) Challenge the other state to a bird-off

3. Near Caliente is a fossil deposit with what are believed to be the oldest specimens — 250 million years old — of what creature?

(a) Ichthyosaur (b) Wooly mammoth (c) Lounge lizards (d) Trilobites

4. Which of the following isn’t the actual name of a local cactus species?

(a) Stinging Pete prickly pear (b) Teddy bear cholla (c) Jumping cholla (d) Scarlet hedgehog cactus

5. Enough wild turkeys live in Nevada to warrant hunting seasons in the spring — including out near Moapa. Are they native to the state?

(a) Yes (b) No (c) We talking about the bird or the bourbon?

6. The only place in North America to find a Virgin Valley black fire opal is in a remote corner of Nevada. It’s so rare because …

(a) It required an unusual combination of ancient volcanic elements (b) It occurs in small, unpredictable veins (c) It only formed inside prehistoric wood

 be a good band name, however. 5. (b) They were 

Test Your Knowledge of Las Vegas + Nevada Nature

The caption on this 1968 gem is straightforward, but the dream contained within is expansive. It harkens back to a time when promoting Las Vegas to the world through unusual and sometimes provocative staged photos was its own artform. Yet compared to today's more bombastic promotions, they seem downright wholesome. These three archetypal Las Vegans from the 1960s (big white-hat chef, themed showgirls) aren’t particularly famous. Their Google traces are limited to facts like Orie being the star of the Thunderbird Hotel revue “

” (undoubtedly bolstered by the popular youth-oriented TV program of the day) and Carl’s 

 30 years later. Yet what a untypical/typical November day it must have been, posing with a likely uncooperative turkey (no word on its next act, though the photo implies much) to get that perfect, enduring Las Vegas shot.

A chef, showgirls, and a gobbler — a throwback Thanksgiving.

A Very Vegas Turkey

Writing about the eclectic, possibly cursed complex of peculiar businesses on Fremont and Las Vegas Boulevard is invariably as chaotic as the experience of going there.

Quick history: Cost $100 million. Dysfunctional, closed-off, open-aired, three-story rotunda design. Scores of businesses closed since it opened in 2002. 

 When it debuted, then-mayor Oscar Goodman said, “Neonopolis is going to be great for downtown, the 

Yet it perseveres with a compelling anti-charm that makes the Commercial Center look like the Bellagio — 

 they cut down the trees. Neonopolis is a hard sell, I know, but in any of the 20 still-operating businesses are people doing yeoman’s work to give you something good (hello, Don’t Tell Mama and The Nerd bar). It’s a formula for random moments of unique enjoyment nonexistent anywhere else in Las Vegas.

And while I can’t guarantee you’ll catch one of those moments on a visit to this vortex of disorder, I can say that Neonopolis is the hottest trainwreck in Las Vegas, and it has 

A wedding chapel inside a 24-hour Denny’s with newlyweds enjoying champagne alongside Moons Over My Hammy.

Demeaned customers made to wear hospital gowns by vinyl-clad nurses in a restaurant called Heart Attack Grill, whose mascot 

 with an intentionally obnoxious staff that purposely demeans customers and provides bad service.

An “international” food court that smells like every deep-fried food in history ever made all at once.

A “country show” advertised by a poster of a bare-chested man in a tuxedo jacket wearing a cowboy hat standing in front of a ladder.

Massive signage for a 2013 nightclub that only lasted two months.

The “Movie Prop Experience.” That’s it. That’s what it’s called. No clue.

 wedding chapel, specializing in “fake Vegas weddings to scare your family.”

 be scared. Embrace the chaos and joy that is Neonopolis!

Neonopolis is a crazy mashup — just like the city around it.

Embrace the Funkiest Commercial Plaza in Las Vegas!

Embrace the Chaos of ... Neonopolis!

You could make your own pie dough, roast your own pumpkin or par cook your own apples; you could roll out crusts and latticework and crimp and pray that your crust doesn’t have the dreaded soggy bottom. But why? Thanks to all the culinary talent in town, you can order your Thanksgiving pies from pastry specialists with pick-up locations all over the valley. (And if you’re wondering why some are so much pricier than a Costco pie, 

Boom Bang, helmed by “Top Chef” alum Elia Aboumrad-Page, has Thanksgiving dessert offerings that are sure to start a conversation: The pumpkin pie ($35) eschews the traditional butter crust for a Graham cracker base, and comes topped cardamom whipped cream and toasted pumpkin seeds. Preorder at least 48 hours in advance by emailing Elia@boombang.restaurant. [Henderson]

Taking the concept of “pie” to its full logical extent, Crust n Roux sells sweet pies, savory pot pies, and pizza pies. Order a gorgeous latticework apple pie ($32), or opt for a six-pack of mini pies ($18). And, hey, if your turkey doesn’t come out right, you can order pizza, too. Order 48 hours in advance — but they’re open until 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, so call if you’re in a pinch. [Town Square]

If you’re feeling extra spendy, you can preorder an “extra silky” pumpkin pie, a bourbon pecan pie, or a salted caramel apple pie for $66 each. Dominique Ansel is, of course, creator of the famous cronut, so you might as well get a few of those ($18 for two) as well. Pick-up on Tuesday-Thursday. [Strip]

Dubbed the “punk rock bakeshop where everything is FAT,” Fattys is selling four kinds of pie this fall: classic pumpkin, double-crust apple, maple pecan, and cherry crumb. Each pie is $25, but order in bulk for a good deal (four for $50). Delivery-only on Nov. 22, deadline to order is Saturday. [Delivery]

Founded in 1959, Freed’s is a Vegas institution, with six locations around town, and its classic pumpkin pie ($24) is a sure hit. Pick-up on Tuesday and Wednesday. [Various locations]

Michael Gillet, a two-starred Michelin French pastry chef, opened his own storefront in the Southwest in 2019. This Thanksgiving, in addition to pumpkin ($25), apple ($25), and pecan ($32), you can also order a lemon meringue ($28). Preorders close Sunday. [Rainbow & Sunset]

Media personality Jeremy Washington is known for his sweet potato pies ($14), which are typically lighter and less dense than pumpkin. But if pie crust isn’t your thing, you can opt for sweet potato cheesecake ($25) or sweet potato cookies ($6). Preorders close 

, pick-up at Gritz Cafe Tuesday. [Historic Westside]

Who says your Thanksgiving pie has to be pumpkin? Paina Cafe sells ube custard pies ($19) and chocolate haupia pies ($25) for a tropical, Pacific Islands twist on fall. Preorders are open until they run out. Pick up Monday-Wednesday, as well as Thanksgiving Day. To order, click on “Browse our stores”. [Two locations: Chinatown, Enterprise]

Pastry chef Andrea McLean, a CSN grad and Bouchon alum, started Pop n Pies in the depths of the pandemic. You can order one of her four autumnal pies ($30) via email or Instagram DM, for pick up Tuesday or Wednesday. [McLeod and Sunset]

You could bake your own Thanksgiving pie — buy why?

🥧 Where to Order Thanksgiving Pies in Las Vegas

🥧 Where to Order Thanksgiving Pies

 be in the vicinity of the Las Vegas Grand Prix between now and Sunday morning, you’ll want to know when the affected roads are closing and reopening. Hopefully this helps.

Las Vegas Boulevard, Sands, Spring Mountain eastbound exit ramps on I-15, Flamingo, Harmon, Koval. (

👉 Marginally helpful map, FAQ, and more at the 

If you absolutely have to be near the Grand Prix, here are the streets to avoid.

Know Your Las Vegas Grand Prix Road Closures

 to learn that there are beavers in the Las Vegas Wash? 

What’s the state mammal of Oregon and New York doing in a desert place like this?

 North America’s largest rodent, the beaver is generally thought of as a riparian dweller, not a creature at home in a Mojave waterway flush with treated wastewater, dissolved pharmaceuticals, and lawn runoff.

But, in fact, beavers — which have been in North America for at least 7 million years — have lived in the Colorado River system for a long time. Back in 2001, a UNLV grad student reported 

 in a 19-mile stretch of the Las Vegas Wash; as 

 reportedly now live in the Wetlands Park.

Beavers grow to be up to 70 pounds; their famous wood-shredding front teeth are, perhaps oddly, 

, and they are reclusive and not particularly aggressive, which may explain why no local high school has picked this animal as its mascot. They do have a luxurious, two-layer coat, which Americans of a different era and headwear sensibility prized for hatmaking. 

: “Demand for furs for hats drove beavers nearly to the point of extinction, and the North American species was saved principally by a sudden change in style.” Yay, fashion?

Are you surprised learn that there are beavers in the Las Vegas Wash?

Did You Know Beavers Live Near Las Vegas?

Our Wood-Chewing Friends in Wetlands Park

Nevada Independent reporter Jacob Solis is a self-described Formula One superfan. We recently had him on the (🎧) 

What makes you excited about F1 being in Las Vegas?

“Well, there's really no other sport like Formula One. This isn't NASCAR. This isn't even IndyCar. In IndyCar, every team uses the same chassis and one of two engines. It's functionally the same car team to team. Every F1 team basically has a completely bespoke car. Because of that, you have a wild variance in the kinds of (aerodynamic) concepts the teams pursue. These cars are some of the fastest on Earth, and they're going 200 mph down the Las Vegas Strip. Truly, it's going to be insane.”

“The Vegas tickets are not just expensive — they are expensive 

. I was talking to a guy who tracks F1 ticket prices, and essentially Vegas is almost four times as expensive as the median F1 ticket. A $2,000 ticket in Vegas is almost twice as expensive as Monaco or Mexico City, the other most expensive races. … From people I've talked to, it's mostly about the kind of clientele they want. They think they can get a lot of high rollers.”

What will be the measure of whether this is a success?

“I think a lot of long-term Formula One fans are disillusioned with the way the sport chooses its tracks. Vegas is clearly a money thing. Europeans who have been fans for decades look at that, and they look at races in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan — rich oil republics with questionable human rights records that have been added to the calendar as money considerations. So I think for this sport, they need to show that Vegas is there because the racing can be worth it. I think for the city, it needs to just not be a disaster from a logistical perspective, right? Shutting down the city needs to be worth the money it generates. Those are two measures of success; one could happen, the other might not.”

Listen to the Full Episode

Will fast cars + iconic Strip setting = intense fun?

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