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Picture by Kolohe |
The "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign was designed by Betty Willis and has been a Las Vegas icon since it was installed in May 1959. When asked why she did not copyright the sign, Betty said: "When I designed it, the average life span of a sign was about ten years, so I thought it would be gone long ago."
Currently, the sign is located in the median at 5100 South Las Vegas Boulevard, diagonally across the street from a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle dealership. The only problem with viewing the sign is that many visitors staying in Las Vegas want their picture by the sign, causing massive traffic jams in the area.
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Unknown Photographer |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
Available at the Harley-Davidson dealership across the street are new and used motorcycle sales, rental bikes, parts, service, and merchandise. When we visited the shop, they appeared to do brisk business in merchandise sales. Who wouldn't want a Harley-Davidson Las Vegas souvenir T-shirt?
Information at Harley-Davidson states: "We ride for the freedom, the adventure, and the feeling of conquering the unknown that only comes from..straddling a bike, and riding without a destination in mind...We ride because the thrill of riding can't be matched. The wind whips around you, every bump in the road is felt...Here at Las Vegas Harley-Davidson, we understand why you ride. It's different for all of us, yet we're equally drawn to the unique world, the spirt of camaraderie, and the unbridled passion that only riding offers." After sitting on a few Harleys, Kolohe and I were ready to rent bikes and hit the road. Unfortunately, Kolohe doesn't have a motorcycle driver's license, and after my recent shoulder surgery I only have the use of one arm; so we decided that our ride would have to wait for awhile.
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
The Little Church of the West Wedding Chapel is located adjacent to the Harley-Davidson dealership and is the oldest building on the las Vegas Strip. It was build to be a replica of a typical pioneer town church. The Church has been moved numerous times as adjacent Strip properties have been expanded and demolished. It is the only building on the Strip to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most Strip properties are demolished before they are 50 years old.
A number of movie actors were married in the Church, including Betty Grable & Harry James, Zsa Zsa Gabor & George Sanders, Judy Garland & Mark Heron, David Cassidy & Kay Lenz, Redd Foxx & Ka Ha Cho, Richard Gere & Cindy Crawford, Billy Bob Thornton & Angelina Jolie, and many, many more. Since opening, over 250,000 couples have been married in the Church. The Church was also the place where Elvis & Ann-Margret recited their vows in the movie Viva Las Vegas.
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Picture by Kolohe |
As we were leaving, we found ourselves in a parade of buses that we think was the Las Vegas Raiders leaving for an out-of-town game. Also, traveling down Las Vegas Boulevard was an unique shopping cart that hauled passengers, rather than groceries.
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Picture by Kolohe |
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Picture by Kolohe |
When leaving the area, we noted that the back side of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign advised everyone to "Drive Carefully Come Back Soon."
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Picture by Kolohe |
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