Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006 | 7:33 a.m.
Tuesday night I finally broke down and rode the Las Vegas Monorail, which did not - break down, that is.
But I did learn firsthand that one of the issues dogging the slow-moving people mover is a lack of convenience, particularly at the station that sits above the Drive across the street from the Sahara Hotel on Paradise Road. The Drive is the "autotainment" attraction that is a business partnership among General Motors, the Las Vegas Monorail and the Sahara Hotel. This station seems to be the most locals-friendly of all Monorail stops, as it sits off the Strip on the corner of Sahara Avenue and Paradise Road.
But be reminded, or forewarned, that you can't park at the Drive. Big issue. If you attempt to enter the Drive, you meet a sign directing you across Paradise to the Sahara. Getting back to the Sahara is not easy - if you head north on Paradise toward Sahara Avenue, you can't (legally) make a U-turn back toward the Sahara Hotel. So you have to make a left westbound on Sahara, then another left southbound on the Strip, then a left across Las Vegas Boulevard (always a treat) to return to the Sahara Hotel.
Most locals required to perform such vehicular gymnastics will simply drop the Monorail option once they hit the Strip. But I wound up using the Sahara Hotel's valet parking service and scrambled back across Paradise to the Monorail station at the Drive. I boarded and inched along the route from the Sahara to MGM Grand and back. But, at least from my experience, if parking were made easier the Monorail's relatively high ticket price ($5 each way) and sluggish rate of speed (I think I can outrun it) would have been tolerable.
NoteMart
Wayne Allyn Root - or should that be Sen. Wayne Allyn Root? Someday, maybe. The master sports handicapper, author and self-styled "Republican Millionaire" was honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars on Tuesday at New York-New York's ESPN Zone. One of his unrealized dreams is "to join John Ensign as a senator for Nevada," he said just before his star was unveiled to a large group of friends/dignitaries filling the ESPN Zone banquet room. One of those paying tribute to Root was Nevada gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, who said, "Wayne Allyn Root is living the male dream - he's made a living watching sports," which prompted chuckles and a smattering of applause
As many other Strip shows have been comping up showrooms to fill seats, two of the city's most successful long-term productions are still packing them in: "O" at Bellagio and "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay are still at, or near, 90 percent capacity
Speaking of tickets (or, rather, writing about them), Wynn Las Vegas is offering an uncommonly generous 10 percent commission to its staff for selling tickets to shows at the hotel. At the moment that covers "Le Reve," and this is either a way to reward aggressive ticket selling or to boost tepid sales for the show, or both. Also, we're told that the opening for "Spamalot" will not be until the spring of 2007 at the earliest. It was originally scheduled to open in February
Tiara update: The contract negotiations for the 2007 Miss America Pageant would make a better reality show than anything organizers have planned leading up to the show. In the latest installment of this saga, organizers might not be able to announce the 2007 site (expected to be the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts) at the Miss America Outstanding Teen pageant in Orlando, Fla., because the contract has still not been approved by Miss America Organization officials. Ideally, Miss America Organization President Art McMaster would be able to make the Big Reveal at that pageant
Still iffy on the dates here, but the Backstreet Boys are to perform at the Luxor in the relatively near future. The Boys are expected to be booked either Oct. 6-7 or the weekend of Nov. 10-12. They will be part of the hotel's "Spotlight Series," which opens this weekend with the "Drew Carey Improv All-Stars," who perform Thursday through Sunday
Chef! Right on: On Tuesday J.W. Marriott Executive Chef Bruce Knapik prepared lunch for cancer patients and staff at the Nevada Cancer Institute's Sunflower Cafe as part of the institute's guest chef program, which is provided by the Epicurean Club of Las Vegas
While waiting for my car to be fetched at the Sahara valet, I spotted a blue GTO convertible (a '65, I think) with the plate AMAZING. I deduced the vintage muscle car was owned by Sahara headliner Amazing Johnathan. I was even more confident in that deduction when Johnathan climbed into the car with a couple of friends and roared out of the hotel.
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