Las Vegas is a unique city to visit. It’s name means The Meadows and it was an founded in 1905 when it became a stop on the railroad line that linked Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. The city became incorporated in 1911 as part of Clark County. Many different historical events happened between then and when Bugsy Siegel arrived to town in the mid 1940’s and built the first hotel on the strip, The Flamingo.

Many of you know the story of how I met one of my closest friends Brad. It really is one of my favourite travel stories. We met at a black jack table on the last night of one of my trips back in 2003, at the Sahara hotel. I have said it many times, I never imagined that playing $1 black jack would be the start of a friendship that is still going strong today.

In March 2011, I had read that the hotel was going to be closing. Of course we had a conversation about it and how it did bring back good memories of our meeting there those years ago.

In May 2011, I was celebrating my 40th birthday with a trip to Los Angeles and then onto Vegas for a few days with Brad. On the day that we arrived in Vegas we were talking about the Sahara and we thought we had heard it was closing in May. We were right, the last day it was opened was that day, May 16, 2011. Off we went back to where we met.

It was open, but the only people that were in there were people like us, catching the last bit of nostalgia of a hotel with quite a bit of Vegas history.

Home to Vegas legends for many years, Jerry Lews, Dean Martin, Liberace, Don Rickles and much more. As millions of others I tuned in every year to the MDA Jerry Lewis telethon which took place from there for years (starting in 1972).

We walked around, played some slots and some black jack at the few tables that were still open. I walked behind a black jack table for a phone and I was told, you can’t be back there. What were you going to, ban me from the casino? Photo taken, moving on.

I will remember that day. Vegas was not on the original trip plan. We were supposed to drive the coast from LA to San Francisco, but our plans changed and Vegas was added instead. We would not have been able to go back to where we met on that day.

Our meeting in October 2003 will always be something I will remember as well as the last dance at the Sahara.