If you’ve lived long enough in Las Vegas, you’ve gotten the phone call: “Hey, I’m coming to Las Vegas this week. Can I stay at your house? Can you show me around? Let’s party!”
Of course, most of us don’t live on the Strip, we have jobs and we can’t party all the time.
But I’m almost certain we can all name a favorite, or at least an infamous, place. A place that you can point to and say, “this is where so-and-so did this, or I saw that.” There are places all over the valley burned into our memories.
So if you had a chance to fashion a tour, one that would actually interest a visitor, where would you go?
Joe Schoenmann List:
The Oasis Motel
1731 Las Vegas Boulevard South
This is where actor David Strickland from the TV show "Suddenly Susan" committed suicide in 1999.
It is also where World Series of Poker champion Stu Ungar was found dead in 1998.
9631 Old Mill St, Alamo, NV
"When went to Area 51 one night to watch bus loads of people from L.A. camp out there for a night"
"We woke up at 6 a.m. and saw all these little lights flying over where Area 51 was. So that is a great place to go."
Schoenmann also related the story of trying to retrace the steps of Andrew Cunanan, the man who killed fashion designer Gianni Versace in 1997. Cunanan spent time in Las Vegas before he left for Florida where he shot and killed Versace outside the designer's home in South Beach.
Schoenmann went to two gay bars at the time, Flex, 4371 W. Charleston Blvd. and The Apollo Spa, 953 E. Sahara Ave, where Schoenmann was told he couldn't come in without stripping down and wearing nothing by a towel. Despite his reporter instincts to get the story, he refused.
No one at either bar could remember seeing Cunanan.
Another memorable moment:
"Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1111 W. Bonanza Road, a bullet zipped by city editor Annette Caramia’s head and lodged in the wall on Labor Day, 2008, while she was outside smoking," Schoenmann recalled.
John L. Smith List:
5375 Kyle Canyon Rd
The lodge is a great place to get away from the heat in the summer and enjoy a warm beverage beside a roaring fire during the winter.
More on Mt. Charleston: gomtcharleston.com
Mountain Springs Saloon
19050 NV-160
"Up there you'll not only see mule deer, but you'll also see some wild horses and they also have a great juke box. And it's a lot of fun on the weekends."
More on Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area:
310 NV-161, Goodsprings, NV
"If you go on the back road to Sandy Valley, in that mountain area right there, dropping into Sandy Valley, there are also bighorn sheep you'll see."
401 Ville Dr, Boulder City
You can see the bighorn sheep gather here and cool off in the shade. Make sure not to approach them, but definitely have your camera ready.
Springs Preserveand Nevada State Museum
333 S Valley View Blvd
"Some folks when they say, 'I've got people coming to Las Vegas everything has to be a $100 steak and an expensive show' but the reality is a lot of the things that are there that locals can take advantage of they are really affordable and they're lovely"
Listener, Facebook and Twitter List:
Ed: The Hard Hat Lounge, 1675 S. Industrial Road
Michael: Bonnie Springs Ranch, 16935 Bonnie Springs Rd
Paul: Pinball Hall of Fame, 1610 E Tropicana Ave
Kimberly: Frankie's Tiki Room, 1712 W Charleston Blvd
Cherie: The Peppermill, 2985 S Las Vegas Blvd
Jarrett: The Dispensary Lounge, 2451 E Tropicana Ave
Phil: Luv-It Frozen Custard, 505 E Oakey Blvd
Mark: Lonnie Hammargren's House, 4318 Ridgecrest Drive
John L. Smith, columnist, Las Vegas Review Journal; Joe Schoenmann, co-host/producer, Nevada Public Radio
