So many great things have come and gone from Las Vegas over the years. At least, that’s what people tell me. Before my time in Las Vegas, there were already lost Vegas icons upon my arrival.

I didn’t find Las Vegas until the late 1990s and early 2000s. By the time I found some of the “classic casinos,” they were dumps. 

I never made it to Stardust. By the time I visited Sahara and the Riviera both properties felt as though they should be condemned by the health department.

Casinos like Imperial Palace, O’Sheas, and Bill’s Gambling Hall (I’m too young for Barbary Coast) did nothing for me when they were open. I don’t think I visited any of them more than once so closing was meaningless.

History has never been my thing. It took years of people sharing their memories for me to understand what I missed in Las Vegas.

I don’t feel like I missed anything but I understand why others do. That’s a big step for me. 

Lost Vegas Icon: Goodbye Hard Rock

For full disclosure, I planned for this to go another direction but we’ll save that for another day.

There’s one Las Vegas casino that closed in my time that meant something to me. Unfortunately, the closing had minimal effect on me.

My great memories at the Hard Rock were from the early years of the casino. You may remember I said goodbye to the Hard Rock a few years ago.

The casino where I had so many great memories spent so many years falling into irrelevance that I never missed it the way others miss the casinos from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

The old Hard Rock has been refreshed but putting lipstick on a filthy pig didn’t do anything to restore Virgin to the glory days of the property. I visited once and even though I’m in the area often there’s zero reason to go again.

Unlike people who miss casinos like Stardust, I haven’t had a feeling of seeing a place in Las Vegas that I still loved go away. I thought that might happen to me, but… 

Goodbye The Mirage

Long goodbyes in Las Vegas help ease the pain. My memories of The Mirage run deep and that won’t change.

I’ve had great times at the casino and I’ll never lose those memories.

The Mirage also appears in one of my favorite movies. Did you know that “Vegas Vacation” is only 26 years old? It seems so much older when it’s on TV.

Thanks to Hard Rock taking forever to transform The Mirage, I likely won’t have strong feelings when the casino changes brands. 

Just about everything at The Mirage is the same as it was five years ago. I visited The Mirage a few times during G2E and had a fine time. 

A fine time isn’t a great or memorable time. The Mirage served its purpose and everyone working at the casino that I interacted with was helpful and attentive.

Props to the staff for keeping The Mirage alive but I didn’t feel any kind of vibe that makes me look forward to my next visit. At this point, I’d like Hard Rock to shut it down so we can end this era of The Mirage. 

Update: As I was writing this Variety published an article about a mountain being built on top of the volcano. That’s definitely a vibe. It’s not a good vibe but it’s a vibe. You can read about it here.  

Ironically, when The Mirage changes it will become the new Hard Rock Las Vegas. I can’t wait to make new memories at a casino brand that gave me so much joy in the past. 

What Las Vegas casinos do you miss? Drop a comment here or on social media.