This may be really asking for it, but what are some of the strangest sights you' ve seen in Vegas? Keeping in mind, of course, that this is a town with the NYC skyline on one corner, a castle on the second and a giant lion across the street.

Here's my latest.
After we checked into the Imperial Palace last month, we were strolling thru the casino, when I noticed an older man with a quite luxurious white beard.

Then I saw another one.

Then a third - and they all seemed to have a fondness for wearing red!

You guessed it. It was a Santa Claus convention. I remembered then reading they meet at the IP every February. It made the news last year when a member married his Mrs. Claus at the convention, complete with Christmas carols, fake snow and christmas presents.

I do have to say I did not notice them gambling a lot. They're members of "Naturally Santa, Inc" which encourages their santas to have a natural beard and belly, and to avoid inappropriate behavior.

It was strange though to see all these "santas" in civilian clothing passing through the casino! I guess they really do know if we've been bad or good.

So - what's your story?

kes

Binnions used to have a very good seafood buffet on the second floor. I was eating there with several friends once. There was a guy in a booth just over my shoulder. He was constantly on his cell phone and there was a steady flow of young ladies (not the ones you'd take home to mama) in and out of his booth.

We had our ideas of what was going on?


Once I was walking from the MGM to the Trop. A young couple were outside the door into the Trop, she was crying and complaining to him that now they couldn't even get a room for the night. I saw them in the casino playing a bit later!

Drive west on Flamingo towards Sams Town. Turn right on Sandhill. Start looking in the back yards of the houses on the right. I don't know how to describe it.

Homeless guy changing his pants (no underwear) at the corner of the Jerry's Nugget parking lot.

This past trip on our last day we kept running into this strange girl downtown. First we saw her at the Las Vegas Club, we noticed her right away because it early afternoon and she was walking around in what looked like her bra, sweat pants and very high heels. She seemed really out of it. But the strange part was when I went into the restroom at Binions and there she was again this time using the restroom with the stall door wide open! Then came out and stood in front of the mirror adjusting her thong with her pants around her ankles...???? Later that night we saw her again at the LVC she sat at the bar and was approached by some guy who bought her a drink then handed her his room key then he left! The funny part was she couldn't find her way upstairs and kept walking past the elevators until she finally went up! Just strange how we kept running into her.

Oh come on, JMT. Please try to give us a clue! Its gonna be a long time before I can make that drive!

The one many years ago in the Strip Casino....
A man walked through toward the elevators with a blow-up sex doll (blownup) under his arm....

Kes, it's stuff in someones back yard. Lots of stuff, and big back yard. To me, it's junk, to the owner, I think it's serious stuff. It's pretty patriotic. One item is a HUGE chunk of a Statue Of Liberty. It has left a larger impression on my mind than anything else I have seen in this modern day Sodom and Gomorrah that we love so much. I keep trying to figure out what the objective is and what I am missing. OTOH, I really don't want to know.

Maybe I should check out the front yard.

Thank you, Joe. Maybe one of those digital camera whizzes out there will take the drive and post a few pictures for us.

I love seeing that sort of stuff. Here in NY there was a fellow near Syracuse who made all kinds of folk art, really strange stuff, covered his backyard. Problem was, his yard was right along the NYS Thruway and people kept stopping to take pictures. Finally NY put up "No parking-standing-stopping" signs about every 10 feet on that section of the xpressway

Hey Joe, that MIGHT be Lonnie Hammergren's place. He's our somewhat eccentric past leuitenant governor, and also a neuro surgeoun with a wild backyard............not sure, but it sounds familiar

JMT.....That is the home of well-known neurosurgeon Lonnie Hammergren , also former Lieutenant Governor of Nevada. If you take a drive into the neighborhood, the front of the house looks just as normal and well kept as the rest of the neighbors. Lonnie has been collecting all that junk for many years. It's obvious that they don't have a homeowners association in that neighborhood.

A more familiar story that involves Lonnie Hammergren

Thanks Tater and Cajun. I've heard that might be it, but nobody I knew could confirm it.

Surely you two long time residents have a strange sight to share.

I was standing outside of IP and watched this poor bugger walk over to the garbage can and root around till he came up with a half eaten hot dog and half cup of liquid. He enjoyed the meal as he went on his way.
One other time I stopped in front of the Flamingo (a definate no-no) went to the back of the car to take a video of Ceasers when I heard someone walk up to me and the guy say's "gimme your camera" I turned and took his picture and told him I have him on video with sound. He swore and took off. I still have it on film.

I'm sure we've seen some that I cannot remember at the moment. However, one comes to mind. A man outside the Barbary Coast taking a full bath with alcohol hand wipes. Couldn't miss it while we were waiting for a shuttle.

One was in Atlantic City at a very nice restaurant in Caesar's. A gentleman(in a sport coat)scoffing up all the breadsticks at his table and placing them in the inside pocket of his sportcoat. No plastic bag, no paper, just breadsticks with garlic, onion and crumbs.

Beth

It was a couple of years ago in a pretty decent cafe (yes,downtown,Magnolias) we were having an early dinner and there was a =/- 30 year old man watching from a close table...drinking coffee only. My wife ate about one half her meal leaving meat,baked potato,and vegetable on the plate.I had scarfed mine down....As we were leaving, tip on table, he leaned over and quitely ask if we minded him moving to our table? No problem says me!, but as we were leaving he was eating the rest of my wifes meal.....I didn't see what happened to the tip...$5 bucks....When we were at the cash out he was being taken away by security......

We have been here so long that nothing is a strange sight to us anymore. :p

OK.....There was one strange sight I saw about 6 months ago. I was sitting at Gordon Biersh having lunch with some nice folks I know from PA. When all of a sudden in walks a Texan and he joins us at the table and says he's movin' to Vegas. I thought the guy was pulling our leg, turned out he DID move to Vegas. :p

"What goes on in Vegas, stays in Vegas, and this is the entertainment capital of the planet soooo, look for everything and expect anything.

I don't really remember anything weird, either........I guess even weird stuff seems normal here!
One night we were having dinner at the Skye Room, now the Ranch, at the top of Binions, and I dropped my napkin. Bent down to get it, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see hair on the floor. ????? Turned around to look, and it was Crystal Gayle having dinner at the next table. Sitting down, her hair was on the floor. I remember thinking that I think I'd put mine on top of my head before I'd let it rest on the floor, but maybe it was a business type dinner, and she had to look like Crystal Gayle. Aquaintences of ours say their neigborhood is very noisy..........Tiger roars........It took them a while to get used to it when they moved in. They live in same neighborhood as S & R.

About a dozen years ago I stopped at the Holy Cow after work.

After several brews I left the place for home about three in the morning.

I decided to head south down the Strip when all of a sudden I see to big ships heading north on the Strip.

I didn't dare tell Mrs. LVC what I saw out of fear she would sign me up for A/A.

As it turned out; the two ships were heading to the pond in front of Treasure Island for their pirate battles.

Another strange sight in Las Vegas. I haven't seen it yet. There was an article about it in the RJ today. It has to do with the light on the Luxor and the millions of moths that are present as a result of the past weather.

Apparently the moths are attracted to the light atop the Luxor. They swarm to the light and fly up and down through it's beam. The result is supposed to appear make it look like the light beam is swirling and changing shapes within the beam. People from as far away as Summerlin noticed the changes in the light beam.

I'll probably check it out on Saturday night.