Luckily we weren’t so lazy we pulled the covers and pillows over our heads, but let curiosity drive us from our bed to the balcony. Although mainly blocked by the new Wynn Encore, we still had a good enough view of the implosion to make it another memorable night just “off the strip.”

It wasn’t long ago that we had full view of the marvelous demise of the old Stardust Casino. Even though we were not afforded the full view this time around, this implosion party perhaps delighted all the more because of the complete unexpectedness of it.

Isn’t that why we love this town? You never know what’s going to happen – and most of the time the surprises are pleasant. Thank you Las Vegas again!

Related Stardust Goes Down in a Blaze of Glory

The area is technically part of the Humboldt-Toiyaba National Forest, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA). Before you get too excited over the romantic descriptions of Las Vegas’ own Alpine Village, be prepared that it is not Switzerland by any stretch of the imagination. The forest is a little dried out, although the trees are tall and fairly dense.

At 8,000 ft, the temperature is easily 20-30 degrees cooler than the Valley which feels very nice in August, thank you very much. About half way to the top on Kyle Canyon Road, you will pass the Hotel on Mt. Charleston, a newly remodeled Aspen style hotel, event and conference center with a water element in front and views of the high desert from the bar. It is cooler here than the Valley, but still very distinctly desert terrain. A picturesque church is just across the road, complete with tall white steeple. Soon after you pass the Hotel, you are at the turn to drive over to the winter sports area where you can actually ski in the colder months after Christmas.

There are a couple of camping grounds on your way to the summit, lying just off the road in the very narrow valley that supports all the resident population of the vaguely defined area known as "Mt. Charleston."

As always in the land of dry vegetation, there is signage warning of the level of fire hazard. The fire station located next to the Old Village affords some protection.

Several settlements crawl up the hills and huddle along Kyle Canyon Road snaking its way up the incline. Some are very high-priced ($1 Million +) with fantasy architecture of mountainous style while others are packed into tiny communities like Old Village, complete with its own Lilliputian school and long communal row of mailboxes. Don’t be looking for bargains here. Entry level seems to be about $400K and that is for a fixer-upper on a postage stamp lot. There is a lot of real estate for sale though, so who knows what kind of bargain you could pick up in these distressed times.

At the top of the road is Mt Charleston Lodge with American fare and a decent bar that specializes in exotic coffee drinks. Those are for the winter months when you can actually experience snow, downright cold temperatures and appreciate a crackling fire in the orange, cone-shaped fireplace centered in the dining room. An outside deck surrounding an A-frame lodge welcomes you on warmer days with views stretching down the steep, green gorge to the brown Las Vegas Valley far in the distance. Small tables laden with handicrafts invite your attention as you enter into the which nestle nearby on the edge of a ravine.

There is usually plenty of parking in front, although on any given weekend, the slots can be filled with Harleys. This is not a biker bar, though. We’re talking about that generation of Hog lovers that first developed their affinity back in the 60’s.

The Lodge rents cabins year round. With log siding, green metal roofs and country decor, they are a great place to spend a few days with family and friends, hiking on the adjacent trails, relaxing in the oversized spa-tubs, lazing around the fireplace (gas) or hanging out at the Lodge Bar.

Our family celebrated a downright nippy Thanksgiving with a home-styled meal in the restaurant and long relaxing evening watching silly old videos and sipping hot rum.

Activities in the area include hiking, horseback riding, skiing, camping, "spa"ing, resting, eating, drinking etc.

For more on area trails, check out hikinglasvegas.comtotalescape.com

For more info on SMNRA and recreational possibilities, go to fs.fed.us.

For horsebackriding, go to mountcharlestonridingstables.com.

For ski and snowboarding, go to skilasvegas.com

Hotels: mtcharlestonhotel.com, mtcharlestonlodge.com 

The Golden Nugget supplied a craps table and music was provided by DJ Mike White. We were treated to some live trumpet with a Latin jazz feel to accompany the electronic. The trumpet player, Rico Sanchez, also produced the event through Access West Marketing. A highlight of the evening was the performance of Las Vegas’ own Uncommon Connection, a small group of highly skilled breakdancers. This was their first professional performance. The Downtown Cocktail Room, their own Grand Opening just last week, was represented by lovely young girls in red knit dresses.

The Verge exhibited a Loft model, modern and spacious with floor to ceiling glass. They will begin accepting reservations on Mon Mar 19.

I personally enjoyed watching the crowd – hundreds of beautiful young persons, handsome guys and slim girls in short skirts and wonderful shoes. I could have done a photo album on the amazing footwear. I have no idea if men even notice such things, but feet were definitely the fashion statement of the night.

Related Verge Grand Opening Tonight with Mayor Goodman, Downtown Grand Openings, www.downtownlv.net, www.access-west.com, www.triplegeorgegrill.com, www.VergeLiving.com

Related Downtown Grand Openings

Related Stardust Goes Down in a Blaze of Glory

The helicopters began to appear at 2:00 am, first two, then three and finally four, circling and hovering, mirroring our own anticipation. After the evening’s kaleidoscopic light show, what would the last moments look like? As if to say to the public, “We were wrong. This is Las Vegas afterall, and the world deserves our special kind of show,” the regulators and the organizers put on a fireworks display of grand and glorious scale. With starbursts in the night sky and rockets shooting from the Stardust herself, the signal that the end was near brought applause and cheers from a grateful public. The final moments were marked by a giant blazing countdown on the side of the tall shell, 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, and then she came down in a towering cloud of stardust that filled the night air.

From one humble citizen comes words of THANK YOU for a glorious finale to an era, and for living up to the grand reputation that brought me to Las Vegas in the first place. We have a responsibility to the world always to be over the top – and you did just fine last night.

Related Date of Stardust Scooped, Stardust Implosion

Photos of Stardust Implosion on the Web

Should I have kept this to myself and enjoyed the show from the privileged vantage point of my balcony? Will I be responsible for mass pandemonium this fateful Tuesday? Am I a threat to National (or at least City) Security? I could bother myself with these doubts, but basically I don??????? like secrecy when it involves the government. It just plain makes me nervous. I sorta feel like it??????? my patriotic duty to spread the word amongst my fellow citizens. Who am I to decide who is fit to witness a big construction project?

So if you want to pay last homage to the august Stardust and don??????? want to wake up in the morning to a void in the skyline, my bet is on March 13, 2:00 am. Maybe this isn??????? such a big deal in the scope of things, one implosion in Las Vegas vs. all the explosions in Iraq, but for me it??????? the idea that Big Brother wants to control my access to the Truth. It??????? become a matter of principle. I???????l defiantly watch the show and hope that you will join me from whatever vantage point you have. But stay away from actual site, be smart and safe.

Related Stardust Implosion