Take a stroll back in time, like way back in time, when Las Vegas wasn’t even a tiny pin prick on a Nevada state map, let alone the gaming and entertainment mecca of the world. Remember those days when people used to talk about “Cruising the Strip” so they could check out all the lights? I do. Growing up, that was one of my favorite family memories. The Strip just isn’t the same of flashing lights like it used to be, but you can go back in time and re-experience what that was like back then. Sort of.
The Neon Museum, or Boneyard as some call it, is located in an enclosed dirt lot not too far from Las Vegas Boulevard. You begin your tour in a shaded, gated area (which will then become your last chance for shade) where a tour guide will greet you with a waiver and a bottle of water, go over a few rules and give you a rundown of what to expect.
This is one of my favorite museums, yes, there are plenty of museums in Las Vegas, you just have to know where to find them. The grounds itself are segmented into several eras of neon and fluorescent lighting, dating back to the late 1800s, and some of the very first signs ever used in the city of Las Vegas. The tour guide leads you through the early signs of business in Las Vegas, all the way through when Bugsy Seagal and the mob ran the place, the Casino days, the Family Fun Town time and present day Vegas ala Steve Wynn and the Wall Street re-design of the Las Vegas Strip.
If you are a history buff, you will especially enjoy the interjections the guides offer of the historical over view of how the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas grew and changed hands and how fads and trends came and went, yet simple marketing gestures remained through the decades. It really is a fascinating trip down memory lane, and serves an educational purpose for those interested in learning more.
Tips:
Though younger children are permitted, this tour really is geared more towards those at a 4th or 5th grade level. I made the mistake of bringing my 5- year old daughter and 7-year old son. My son was somewhat intrigued while my daughter complained the whole time.
If you are planning on booking this tour in the summer, make sure to go as early as possible. There is very little shade and lots of direct sun. It’s Vegas; it’s hot. Bring a hat, water and wear sunscreen.
There are no bathrooms at the Boneyard, so make sure to do all potty stops before hand. The tour itself is just about an hour, and you won’t want to miss a thing!
Book your tour prior by visiting the Neon Museum website. It is a non-profit organization, and a $15 donation fee for ages 12 and up. You can bring cameras, but there is not commercial video or photography allowed without permission. This is a super cool place to photograph, so make sure you have lots of battery life and room on your memory card.
Do you remember the old lit up and neon signs? Which was your favorite Las Vegas neon sign?
When I was about 10 years old, my mother got my brother, sister and me dressed up in our Sunday best, and announced we were going to the mall! What?! Yes, that’s right. We got dressed up for a shopping trip to the Fashion Show Mall. My mother had set rules about what we could and couldn’t wear, when and where. When we started public schools without uniforms, we were only allowed to wear jeans on Fridays. When we went to church, girl were not allowed to wear pants, and when we went to the Strip, we had to get dressed up. My, how things have changed. However, my love for the Fashion Show Mall has not.
Long gone are the days of Goldwaters and Robinsons-May, and the little food court at the end of the mall. Now it’s a high-class fashion center filled with top brands, great food, and lots of energy.
Location is key. The Fashion Show Mall is located off the I-15 and Spring Mountain, and once you navigate through the 5 lanes of traffic, you are on your way to the convenient parking structures. Depending on which end of the mall you want to be on, both the Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus valet is super quick and easy.
Fitness fanatics can take in one of the complimentary classes offered at lululemon athletica, get a quick run up and down the Strip or work the stairs at the front of the mall in the early morning hours when no one is there- that is of course, except for those who are just coming home, and that makes for a great distraction! If you are fitness freak, lululemon atheltica offers free yoga classes on Sundays, or the front of the mall is a great starting point for a run on the Strip.
You’ll go for the shopping,you’ll stay for the food. Some local favorites like Grimaldi’s Pizza and Red Velvet Cafe will tempt you with their homemade specialties. Red Velvet offers vegetarian and veagan dishes, and do not leave there without sampling their chocolate chip cookies. (Eat first, ask if they’re veagan later.) Nordstrom’s Cafe and the NM Cafe are both exceptional and perfect settings for lunching and lounging. For more familiar staples, California Pizza Kitchen and Johnny Rockets is available, and if you want to take it up a notch…head out to the front of the mall where the fancier restaurants are like Capital Grille, Maggiano’s, Ra Sushi, and Burgers and Shakes reside.
Shopping. Need I say more? Some of my favorites like Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms and lululemon athletica call the Fashion Show Mall home. I also love popping into some of the smaller chains that I wouldn’t normally frequent, mainly because I shop on-line. It’s always fun to check out Betsy Johnson, J. Crew, the Banana Republic Concept Store, and now Top Shop and Free People are on my pop-in list!
I love that the Fashion Show Mall offers so many things for everyone. And, I especially love there are places to enjoy the great weather and views of the Strip without having to get all involved in a Hotel/Casino/Resort situation.
You can keep up with the haute happenings at the Fashion Show Mall through their website, Facebook page and Twitter.
What do you know about this amazing company I just fell in love with? In college, one of my besties came by way of Chicago. She always had these cloth bags that looked like a Provencal pattern. She mentioned once or twice and how much she loved the line, but I never thought much about it. To me, it seemed like an ultra-conservative Mid West kind of trend. Living la vida loca in Las Vegas and San Diego, the country-esque looking prints didn’t really seem to fit well with my fashion choices at that moment…I wore skin tight silver pants and a black madriff top to my 21st birthday party. I was more leather and lace than cotton and pearls.
Can you imagine this outfit with a pretty Vera Bradley bag?
As a thirty-something year old mother, I am finding that, though, I still like to rock the trends and dress a little edgier than most, I also find comfort in the classic, preppy looks that keep me going from coffee meeting to pick-up to grocery store and soccer practice. I wasn’t super familiar with the Vera Bradley line or company until I was invited to attend their travelling fan convention, Be Colorful, that took place in Las Vegas at the Red Rock Hotel and Casino this April.
I had been told it was a “neat” event, and that it was “fun”. So, I penciled it in. I was open to learning more. My nanny plops her light green Vera Bradley tote on my counter every day, and though I thought it was “cute for her,” I didn’t pay much attention to it other than that. Let me tell you, I am now one of Vera’s biggest fans.
Upon walking into the convention room at the Red Rock Casino, immediately my day got brighter. Barb Bradely Baekgaard, Co–founder and Chief Creative Officer of Vera Bradley, was on stage, with a beautiful light green background embellished with the Vera Bradley signature logo. She was sharing stories and chatting the audience up as if they were all BFFs. I sat down and noticed that I was the only woman in the room not carrying several Vera Bradley totes, or even one of them! It was a dreary, rainy day in Las Vegas, so I was dressed in dreary rainy day clothes…denim leggings, taupe sweater, brown cowboy boots. So not Be Colorful chic. Thankfully, shortly after I sat down, each member of the audience was gifted a brand new, colorful scarf from the latest Spring collection…inject color!
Vera Bradley injected some color into my dreary day with a Priscilla Pink scarf!
As I looked around the room, and listened the the VB fans, I started to miss my daughter. Oddly enough, I ran into my nanny and her mother! And, as the day went on, and more stories were shared from both the audience and the employees, I started to feel like I had really been missing out on something. Heidi Floyd, a Vera Bradley employee, shared her triumph over breast cancer, and how it was a life long journey for her to support others who were affected by it. Her own mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had all died from the disease before the age of 40. She was determined to live her life, and to live one longer than all the women before her had. We were all in tears as she shared not only her story about dealing with the cancer during her pregnancy, but the support she received from her company co-workers and Barb Bradley herself. It was a beautiful story. In fact, the company was so touched by the story, when they were creating Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, they asked Heidi to become their Ambassador so she could share her stories with millions of women.
Then Kris Connell, from Real Simple magazine, came on the stage to tell us about how to turn Old Things into New Uses. Though she shared some great tips, I think she was even more impressed with the tips from the women in the audience. Speaking of the women in the audience, it was remarkable to note that these women are VB Fans! The Be Colorful tour travels throughout the US with their Flower Power wagon, and they stop every 6 months at a new location giving fans in that neck of the woods a chance to experience Vera Bradley first hand. It’s like a trekky convention but with really sweet, nice women, inspired and fashionably preppy, looking to buy up every last bit of Vera Bradley they can get their hands on. They connect with their sisters, mothers, friends. They connect with the people they met at the last Be Colorful event. They bring their daughters! I really felt the lack of my little girl not being there with me. Especially when they announced the Mission Statement, “To be every girl’s best friend.”
I brought along fellow VegasBlogger, Lala Sams, and we had a fabulous day without the kiddos, I must admit. We enjoyed lunch, we chatted, we shopped, we won prizes. It truly was a great place to be with your BFF. We walked out of there bigger fans than we ever thought we would be. When I got home, I started going through all of my amazing new Vera Bradley pieces, and understood the other reason as to why they were going to be my new BFF. Every piece was carefully thought out, designed and created to work for a woman. Besides the fact that the patterns and colors reflect the latest trends, the pieces work. I love my new Summer Cottage tote. Not only because it’s aethitcally pleasing, but because it has the right amount of pockets on the inside, the exact right size to fit my phone, sunglasses, and Arinca gel (I did mention I’m a thirty-something year old in the midst of a fitness challenge!). The snazy little tablet case I won reminded me of the French provencal patterns from when I studied abroad, but it also has this perfect little pocket for business cards, which I tend to lose. The coin purse has a mini-coin purse inside. Who thinks of these things?!? I’ll give you two answers:
A Woman
Your BFF
Check out Vera Bradley on-line, Facebook and Twitter. Learn more about the Be Colorful event and try to make it to the next stop near you! It will be a fabulous time, I promise!
Mother’s Day is coming up! A Vera Bradley bag is the perfect gift!
I was compensated (2) tickets to attend the Be Colorful event in Las Vegas, along with some really amazing Vera Bradley products. However, all thoughts, opinions and words are all my own.
Summer Cottage
The Vera Bradley collections have cult-like followings! What is your favorite Vera Bradley piece or pattern?
