Selling Travel September 19

my trip to...Las Vegas 65
In the firing line
Steve Hartridge spends a day in revitalised downtown Las Vegas,
exploring some of the must-see attractions away from The Strip
The mechanic in the dirty
overalls looks up from behind
the boot of a rusty Oldsmobile,
clenching a heavy-duty spanner. He
takes a menacing step towards me.
“Stop right there, and drop the tool,” I
command, my CO2 pistol now drawn. But
he ignores me and moves a pace closer.
“Drop to the floor NOW or I will shoot,” I
yell, my extended arms pointed directly at
him and my finger twitching on the trigger.
He makes a sudden move – and I fire.
The mechanic drops to the ground and is
motionless. A voice from above says:
“Well, done, you have successfully
completed your training”.
With perspiring palms, I emerge into the
light of the foyer of the Mob Museum
(themobmuseum.org), having just
experienced one of the facility’s newer
attractions: the Use of Force Training
Experience, based on the type of instruction
that real Las Vegas law enforcement officers
receive. Featuring ‘criminal actors’, the
‘situations’ are very real-to-life and my heart
is still racing.
I am spending a couple of days seeing
some of Las Vegas’ alternative attractions,
away from the bright lights and malls on
The Strip. I say alternative but the Mob
Museum (full name The National Museum
of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement)
is now a must-see stop on any Vegas trip.
Since it opened in 2012, it has regularly
added interactive attractions – you can even
‘electrocute’ yourself in an ‘electric chair’ – to
its exhibits that tell the warts-and-all story
of organised crime’s impact on Las Vegas
and its unique imprint on America.
Before leaving I drop into The
Underground, a basement-level Prohibition
history exhibition and speakeasy, for a
bourbon shot in its distillery.
Up in bright lights
It’s a short Uber ride to the Neon
Museum (neonmuseum.org), a ‘boneyard’
spread over a 2.6-acre outdoor area, also
located downtown.
The headline acts are the 150 or so
oversized decommissioned and nonrestored
neon signs that once lit up
casinos, hotels and other businesses in
the city. It’s an eclectic mix of the kitsch,
burlesque and retro-modern – think
Golden Nugget, the original Aladdin’s lamp
from the Aladdin Casino and the Silver
Slipper – for which the city is known.
Take a tour after sunset to see some of
the signs lit up. The visitor
centre is housed in the restored lobby of
the defunct La Concha Motel.
A taste of downtown
That evening I explore more of the
revitalised downtown area on a food tour.
I have been on several of these, in various
cities, where the tiny portions on offer
have left me looking for the nearest
Subway on the walk back to my hotel.
But that’s not the case on a Lip
Smacking Foodie Tour (vegasfoodietour.
com), which makes stops at up to four top
restaurants. The idea is to introduce
visitors and locals alike to the best
signature dishes and exciting new tastes
in Las Vegas, whilst a guide imparts their
knowledge of the city through a series of
anecdotes about its rich history.
At each restaurant, I am treated like a VIP
as I am shown to a reserved table and
served three or four signature dishes. After
eating curry at an Indian, pizza at an Italian
and Dim Sum at a Chinese – all top-notch
restaurants – there is little room for
pastries and cake at our final stop.
It’s been a full day, but I have had a
fulfilling taste of Las Vegas’s ‘other side’ in
more ways than one.
The Neon Museum
The Mob Museum
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