LasVegas360.com - Local Las Vegas Blog

Lee’s Sandwiches

July 13, 2011

Lee’s Sandwiches is known for serving traditional banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) as well as European style sandwiches on their fresh baguettes and croissants made fresh daily in their restaurant. They also serve an abundant assortment of various types of drinks, smoothies, coffees and desserts.

The restaurant is modern, bright and clean. There are a few inconveniences such as they only accept cash so you cannot use your debit card. However, they do have an ATM available. Also, their drinks have no refills and the largest size is about the size of small Carl’s Jr. cup and costs $2.29 And although the bread they use is made fresh it has a chewy crust that can give your jaw a workout.

If you want to try a banh mi sandwich try the #5 , it is the grilled pork and it is delicious. A mixture of marinated grill pork, fresh vegetables, including a little cilantro and some sliced jalapeno for a splash of heat. All this for a low price of $2.99.

Lee’s Sandwiches is located at:
3989 Spring Mountain Road (702) 331-9999
Near Valley View Drive
Open 24/7

Posted by: Editor

Food, Locals

Lovell Canyon, Nevada

July 12, 2011

GPS Position: N36^o 01.136, W115^o 33.696 (WGS 84)

Lovell Canyon is located about 25 miles West of Las Vegas at the southern tip of the Spring Mountain Range. Lovell Canyon is situated near the historic Spanish Trail. Stretching from New Mexico and California, the trail was a principal means of reaching the Pacific Coast by Spanish traders. Later the Trail became Nevada’s first route of commerce in 1829 when trade was initiated between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail was later used by the wagons of the “49ers” and Mormon pioneers. Old cabins and mining camps are dispersed around the entire area.

Lovell Canyon

To visit Lovell Canyon from Las Vegas travel north on I-15 to the Blue Diamond/Pahrump exit. Turn right (W) onto State Route 160. Follow this route over Mountain Springs Pass for 24 miles (passing the Potosi Mtn turnoff en route) to the signed, paved, Lovell Canyon road. Turn right (N) and follow this narrow road into Lovell Canyon.

Rocky Gap

At the 7.5 mile point along the Lovell Canyon road, there is a large camping area immediately across from the Rocky Gap road turn-off marked by a small sign “549” just off the pavement. This is a good place to off-load ATVs etc. or to camp. Off-road vehicles may continue on Rocky Gap road to the Red Rock Summit.

Lovell Canyon

Further North in Lovell Canyon there are many other off-road trails to find and explore. It is recommended to obtain a map of the area to locate the trails.

Lovell Canyon Valley

A view to the East across the Lovell Canyon Valley. The Spring Mountains are in the distance.

Road map for this trip

Posted by: Webmaster

Way Off the Beaten Path

2 Comments

Rhyolite Ghost Town – Nye County, Nevada

July 11, 2011

GPS: N36° 53.884′ W116° 49.781′ (WGS 84)

Rhyolite was born in 1905 and was once the third largest city in Nevada. The town reached a population of over 10,000 by 1908. Gold was discovered in the hills surrounding the town which was part of one mining stampede after another in Nevada. There are numerous ruins and relics scattered throught the area including a bank, school house, jail and railroad depot. There are also a few intact structures used by a small number of present day residents. There is also present day gold mine located near Rhyolite which ceased operations in 1998. The tailings from the mine just about overshadow the town. For more information about Rhyolite, please refer to http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nv/rhyolite.html

To get to Rhyolite from Las Vegas, travel Northwest on US 95 for 116 miles (2 hours, 45 minutes) to Beatty, Nevada and turn West on SR 374. Rhyolite is located about 4 miles west of the town of Beatty, Nevada on HWY 374. Signs will guide your way. The trip time is about 3 hours.

Rhyolite Cook Bank

This is the Cook Bank, which was eventually absorbed by the First Rhyolite National Bank. A United States Post Office was also located in the basement and operated there until 1919. It was the last business to close in Rhyolite. And that was quite a task for the Post Office, because they were selling parts of the Cook Bank Building in 1910!

Rhyolite

A full view of the bank. It’s one of the largest buildings still standing in Rhyolite.

Bottle House

One of the first buildings you will see is the Bottle House. There is register, free information and a tour guide booklet of the town. Be prepared to spend about 15 or 30 minutes with the caretaker, he is a BLM Volunteer who loves to give tours around the Bottle House.

Rhyolite

One of few buildings in the area with an intact roof.

Jail was built in 1907

The jail was built in 1907 out of concrete with four steel cells.

Directions to Rhyolite

Posted by: Webmaster

Off The Beaten Path, Way Off the Beaten Path

1 Comment

Virtual Strip Tour: Fashion Show Mall to the Stratosphere c.1999

July 10, 2011

Our tour of Las Vegas in 1999 continues down the Las Vegas Strip past Spring Mt. Road. This portian of the Strip has seen the biggest changes over the last 10 years. Right on this corner, the construction of the Palazzo, and a complete remodel of the Fashion Show Mall. New resorts sprang up Wynn, and Encore, and some removed and imploded. The following hotels were imploded between 1999-2010 The Desert Inn, Frontier, Stardust, and El Rancho.

Some of this change has not all been good. The Fontainebleau 85% complete went bankrupt and sits empty and partially complete. Where the Stardust stood, is the partially built Echelon Place, rusting away in the desert and the Sahara Hotel just recently closed (2011). On the upside, new non-gaming condos sprang up near the Riviera Hotel area and Donald Trump finally got a Hotel/Condo in Vegas but not a coveted gambling establishment.

On the corner of Spring Mountain Road and the Las Vegas “STRIP”.

The Fashion Show Mall (c. 1999)

The Dive Restaurant at the Fashion Show Mall located at Spring Mountain Road and Las Vegas Blvd.

The Fashion Show Mall looking toward the Frontier Hotel and Casino.

The New Frontier Hotel across the street from the Desert Inn

The Desert Inn

The Desert Inn and the Frontier

The Desert Inn

The Stardust Hotel

The Riviera Hotel

The Riviera Hotel & the West Ward Ho

The Riviera Hotel home of the Crazy Girls

The Riviera Hotel & the West Ward Ho, Note: This is a tribute to the Crazy Girls Show ad campaign that was featured on billboards and taxis around Las Vegas, forever immortalized in bronze. (NO “IFs” “Ands” OR…)

The Riviera Hotel across the street from Circus Circus.

Circus Circus

The Algiers across from the Riviera and Circus Circus.

This was the original Thunder Bird Hotel, was renamed to the Silverbird then to the El Rancho (imploded in 2000). Across the street the original El Rancho, the very first hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, opened on April 3, 1941 it was later destroyed by fire in 1960.

This was the Las Vegas’ first water park (Wet and Wild) now closed.

This spot was the where the original El Ranch Hotel & Casino stood. the only thing left here is a few trees- and this photo was taken 40 years after the fire burn it to the ground. The Sahara Hotel, Stratosphere Tower and Wet ‘n Wild stands in the background.

The Sahara Hotel and Casino just closed in 2011 and still looks like this.

Sahara Hotel & Casino

In front of the Sahara Hotel and Casino

On the corner of Sahara and The Strip, Sahara Hotel, Holy Cow Brewery (closed), and the World’s largest Gift Shop (still there)

Up the street, heading north is the base of the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, once own by a character named Bob Stupak who build the first hotel there called Vegas World.

Posted by: Webmaster

The Strip, Vegas

Food Trucks Invade Downtown: East Fremont

Every second Saturday starting at 6pm downtown, off Fremont Street East, there is a street party going on featuring Las Vegas’ high end food trucks called Vegas StrEATS. It is a food festival bringing in upscale food trucks to the downtown area with a very unique blend of food, music and art.

The Vegas StrEATS festival opens at 6 p.m. and runs until 2 a.m. The food is delicious, affordable and there is no admission charge. Vegas StrEATS is held across the street from the El Cortez Hotel Casino on 6th street. The festival is a mix of Vegas locals, eclectic hipsters, artists and a few downtown tourists. It can take 15 minutes or more to get your food because everything is made to order, but it is well worth the wait. Also, there is nowhere to eat your food once you get it. They set up 4 cocktail tables, but that wasn’t enough to support the large crowd and there are no benches or even walls to sit on. You can sit on the curb, which is not comfortable or the easiest place to balance a platter of sliders and fries. There were tents with various vendors selling everything from local art to costume jewelry, a DJ and graffiti artists creating works of art for the crowd.