Made for each other: Vegas and a T. rex
Thu, Oct 1, 2009 (midnight)
Aww. Isn’t Samson a cute little fellow?
Courtesy of Bonhams & Butterfields
A T. rex skeleton nicknamed Samson will be auctioned off at the Venetian on October 3:
No city needs a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton more than Las Vegas. Don’t get me wrong: I think every place should have a fossilized remnant of history (which reminds me—since Strom Thurmond is no longer with us, let’s ship a T. rex to South Carolina, too). And yes, Vegas already has just about everything a tourist seeking engorgement could want. But that’s kind of the problem, isn’t it? We’re the city where anything goes, where we’re pinning our immediate future on a $9 billion albatross at a time when housing values are in the commode, when our politicians use their parents’ money to buy someone’s silence, when city officials focus more on a never-gonna-happen sports stadium than on the homeless problem. Maybe it’s time for a constant reminder of what happens to societies when there are no rules, when the big and powerful take whatever they want, when caution gets thrown to the wind. So let’s all chip in and buy Samson and stick him right next to the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. It might not usher in the next generation of social responsibility, but it’ll prove that we at least considered it at one point in our history.
In the spirit of Venice, The Venetian is a little piece of romantic Italy right here in Las Vegas. The Venetian is an "all-suite" hotel, with rooms accented with plush linens and Italian marble. The 4,027 suites are divided into two towers: The 36-story Venetian Tower that offers guests a taste of luxurious Las Vegas and the Venezia suites, which guarantee 12 floors of high-end elegance. The top five floors are the hotel's highest level of luxury with its private access, concierge lounge, upgraded features and even a dedicated staff.
Entertainment at the Venetian includes shows such as Tim and Faith - Soul2Soul, featuring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and Rock of Ages.
The flagship of Venetian nightlife is TAO, an ultra-hip nightclub located inside of TAO Asian Bistro. V Bar is The Venetian's super smooth ultra lounge, made by the owners of New York City's club Lotus and Los Angeles' super swank Sunset Room.
The Venetian features 19 restaurants including Thomas Keller's award-winning French restaurant Bouchon, Mario Batali's B&B Ristorante, Aquaknox for fresh seafood and the 42,000 square foot TAO Asian Bistro. There's also the food court inside the Canal Shoppes for those looking for a quick bite.
Guests can float along The Grand Canal Shops in an authentic Italian gondola ride and pass stores like Burberry and Kenneth Cole along the way. And if you haven't caught a real celeb, on the street in Vegas, you can head over to Madame Tussauds to check out a wax version.

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