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| - So I just visited Lake Las Vegas on a whim. I had always seen special rates for the Hilton ( formerly ritz) and Westin ( formerly Hyatt) . I heard Elton John and Celine Dion had houses on the lake back on the day, so I figured it would be a classy upscale place to explore.,
It's not a close drive from the vegas strip. If any thing its a long uneventful drive up past a bunch empty lots and abandoned shops. Finally you'll drive through some hills and see the waterfalls and newly minted signs indicating the resorts and casino ( the Casino is closed ).
First thing when you arrive is you think , Is this place even open? parking your car in an empty parking lot is only the beginning of this surreal and bizarre experience.
After aimlessly trying to figure out how to get to the hilton ( there are no signs or other people indicating the direction of the lake ) , I finally went up to the third floor to a neglected walk way that connected the parking to the back entrance of the Hilton. Upon arrival you pass by the village which is desolate quiet and has an eerie feeling that people are watching you.
The whole place seems like a fake movie set; with lovely lighting a quaint Disney like fairytale village . But no one is there. I came on during new years, but all I saw were a few people walking there dogs in the distance and some bored looking couples.
The whole village is empty. There are signs pointing to the casino which is closed, as well as rentals at the dock ; but again it's hard to tell which places are open and which are indefinitely gone into bankruptcy or just have their doors closed .
Strange thing is the few stores that are open don't even look open, and seem to not have any one working there. You have to investigate, kind of reminds me of an episode of the twilight zone. I just keep thinking aliens or some locals from the cult are going to come out and murder you.
However, on the plus the surreal is part of the strange appeal . It's absurdly quiet; you can hear the wind and doors creek. The lake itself is very shallow , which probably explains why there aren't much motor sports to do. It's a sad brown color, but is very beautiful at sunset.
Part of it does feel like an abandoned movie set , or perhaps an old European villa hosting vagrant gypsies , but its oddly calming and unsettling at the same time.
The one saving grace was the Mexican restaurant Villa Sonrisa. Though it appears closed, you go inside and find an very warm and inviting staff. I hope that they can make it through, or somehow are getting away with an insanely cheap rent.
Otherwise, like the ritz and casino adjacent it too will have to close down shop.
The whole town is probably the result of an overly enthusiastic investor that didn't realize the location is terribly out of the way. And with no entertainment , no casino, no shopping, no restaurants, and no water for water sports, no one will go to this fantasy get away resort town.
I was planning to visit calico on the way but, but if anything this was much more the authentic ghost town . Overall rather depressing, but in that you can be alone with your thoughts and mourn all the money wasted in vegas and excess nights of drinking and gambling in a broke empty town and rethink the decisions you've made in a drunken haze.
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