The Sahara
Hotel and Casino in Vegas is set to close in May, and man I’m going to miss that dump. Sure, it was old and dingy. Sure, it was a little off the beaten path. Sure, I always checked the closet, the shower, and underneath the bed for dead bodies and/or murderers anytime I stayed there. But, you know what, it was cheap. And in a city that’s dominated by overpriced billion-dollar resorts, I appreciated Sahara’s value.You never knew what you'd find when you stayed at Sahara
Perhaps I’m more sentimental about Sahara because it’s where I stayed for my 21st birthday in 2004 (which also happened to be the weekend of the Kentucky Derby). And again to celebrate New Year’s Eve in 2006. And still once again over a long Memorial Day weekend last year. I guess what I’m saying is that Sahara was always there for me when I couldn’t AFFORD to stay anywhere else. Rooms at the big-name Strip resorts were running more than $400 a night for New Year’s weekend, while I got THREE nights at the Sahara for less than half that total. And you know what? I kind of enjoyed making up stories about where each knife slash and stain in the carpet came from.
These slashes were clearly from a drug deal gone awry...
Ok, so maybe it was annoying that the TV never seemed to work properly, and, yeah, I was always a little scared that the elevator was going to give out at any time, and okay fine, the NASCAR-themed stuff in the lobby wasn’t really for me. But having $5 single deck blackjack available right downstairs was a treat worth making sacrifices for. The dealers and the clientele weren’t stuffy like any of the other Strip hotels. I had some of the most interesting conversations of my life while playing table games at the Sahara.
I'm pretty sure we upgraded to the "Deluxe" tower to get this sweet pad
It wasn’t luxurious, but it was always fun. And in Vegas, that’s really all I’m looking for. So it’s with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to my OG Strip hotel. Thanks for the memories…
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