Last night was the first annual Las Vegas Lites Neon Tour sponsored by the Los Angeles based Museum of Neon Art.  The busload of travelers started their tour via bus at noon in Los Angeles and  arrived in Las Vegas about 6:00 pm.   After dinner, they began their Neon Lites tour on an open-air double decker bus.   The tour started from Caesars Palace.   Their tour guide was Classic Las Vegas pal, Eric Lynxwiler.  Another CLV pal, RoadsidePictures, was on board as the unofficial photographer.

The tour, as we understand it, took a little over three hours and was a success.  Look for them to do it again next year.  The Museum of Neon Art, each summer, offers week-end (Friday and Saturdays) Night Neon Tours of Los Angeles (aboard a double decker bus with Eric Lynxwiler as your guide) and these are wildly successful.  We know, we've been on one of them.

Our good friends here in Las Vegas at the Atomic Age Alliance, had one last winter as part of their Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic and it, too, was a rousing success. 

Which begs us to ask the question, why isn't the Las Vegas Neon Museum offering week-end night time bus tours of Las Vegas?

We hope to have pictures later today that show some of the sites they stopped at! 

The Bus

It's Classic, It's rare, It's still lit.  One of our faves.

An angle you don't usually get from Atomic Liquors.

Thanks to RoadsidePictures for allowing us to use these images. 

Summertime is always fraught with trouble, especially here in the West where we have drought conditions and high temperatures.

Fires start easily and can wreck havoc and destruction in their wake.  It's tough enough when they are acts of nature but doubly hard when they are started on purpose by arsonists.

Early Friday morning, in Henderson, an arsonist started eight, possibly nine (yes, you read that right) fires.   KLAS-Channel 8 is reporting that shortly after 4:00 am, firefighters reported Eastern and Serene and found a vehicle, a house and several dumpsters on fire.

One of the dumpster fires could easily have burned down a new shopping center.  One home is completely in ruins.  All eight fires began in the same area at roughly the same time.  Damage is estimated at $600,000 and fire investigators are asking for the public's help to identify people of interest.

Looking for info on Las Vegas Fireworks Displays for 2008.

Click here 

The Las Vegas Hilton will have a fireworks display just after dark.

Summerlin's 9th Annual Star Spangled Spectacular
When: July 4 -- gates open at 4:30 p.m., concert 8:00 p.m.
Fireworks will folllow the concert.
Where: Hills Park in Summerlin
Prices: Adults are $25 in advance; Kids ages 6-12 are $20. Prices go up at the gate.
More Info: 895-ARTS

The Las Vegas Philharmonic,

under Music Director David Itkin, opens its ninth season with the "Star Spangled Spectacular." With Associate Conductor Richard McGee, Itkin will lead patriotic tunes and marches in this family-style Independence Day event. The finale, starting with the "1812 Overture," will display a full fireworks show by legendary pyrotechnics company, Zambelli Internationale.

Visit the Las Vegas Philharmonic onlineara

59th Annual Boulder City Damboree
When: July 4
Where: Boulder City
Schedule: Pancake Breakfast - Bicentennial Park - 7am
Parade - Nevada Way - 9am
Damboree Ceremonies and Midway Booths - Broadbent Park- 11am
Fireworks Festivities - Veteran's Memorial Park - 6pm
Visit the Boulder Dam Damboree online

Henderson Fourth of July Fireworks & Celebration
When: July 4, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Water Street at the Events Plaza
How Much: FREE
More Info: 702-267-2171

All of Henderson will be celebrating this prestigious holiday in the Water Street District at the Henderson Events Plaza and beyond. There will be music for everyone with Jazz on the Events Plaza stage, The Henderson Symphony Orchestra at the Justice Court park stage and Randy Anderson on the Convention Center front lawn stage featuring "line dancing in the street" by Birdie Bridges on Atlantic Avenue.

There are plenty of things for the kids. Dinner will be easy with food vendors and all those great snacks and sodas too. The fireworks will begin at 9p.m. with front row seating on the Events Plaza.

Water Street,
The Henderson Events Plaza and Amphitheatre
Justice Park
The Henderson Convention Center Lawn
200 South Water Street

Freedom Fest 2007 - 4th of July Celebration
When: July 4, 4 to 9 p.m.
Where: Freedom Park at Nellis AFB. 
Food, entertainment, Kidz Zone & fire works. 
FREE event to all DoD ID card holders.

Las Vegas 51's and Fireworks
When: June 30 and July 3, after the game
Where: Cashman Field 
Admission: $13 (for the two days) 
More info: 702-798-7825

O u t  o f  T o w n  ::::  F  I  R  E  W  O  R  K  S

Laughlin's Annual Rockets Over the River
When: July 4, the festivities begin just after dusk
Where: Laughlin
How Much: FREE to the public along the Laughlin River walk
More Info: 800-227-5245 or 702-298-2214
Enjoy one of the most spectaular fireworks display in the West choreographed to fabulous patriotic music simulcast on various local radio stations.

Please note that the County's Red, White & Boom has been cancelled and is being replaced by Red, White & Splash -- smaller community events at the following county pools:

The Las Vegas Advisor is reporting that Las Vegas visionary Kirk Kerkorian has called off his idea of bidding on the Bellagio and the MGM CityCenter currently under construction.

In other news, the MGM-Mirage announced today that they will build another multi-million dollar resort in partnership with Kernzer International.  This resort will be built on 78 acres at the corner of Sahara and Las Vegas Blvd. South. 

KLAS-Channel 8 is reporting that Adam "Pacman" Jones faces two felony counts of coercion for his role in a brawl and triple- shooting at the Minxx strip club over the NBA All-Star weekend that left the club manager paralyzed and two others wounded.  He has been suspended for next season.  He has not been charged in the shooting outside the Minx Club that left Thomas Urbanski, club manager, a paraplegic.  The family is still deciding whether or not to file charges against Jones.  He has been charged because he interferred with security guards being able to do their job.

Urbanski is undergoing treatment in Colorado.  His father has moved from his retirement home in Florida to Las Vegas to be of help to his son and daughter-in-law. Thomas Urbanksi is expected to return home to Las Vegas sometime in July.

Our good friends over at the Las Vegas Advisor (http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/) have announced that television star/icon Tony Danza is joining the cast of The Producers as down-but-not-out Broadway Producer, Max Bialystock.

They are also announcing that Kelly Clarkson's Sept. 29th show at the MGM Grand has been cancelled.

These guys are in the know so visit their website for more info!