Black Friday on the Strip

OK, I've been a bad blogger. I've been gallivanting in the most unlikely places in Nevada for an upcoming NYT piece, so forgive me as I must attend, occasionally, to the sort of thing that pays the bills. Also, I didn't expect my aircard ot be so slow in bumf***. In fact, I don't quite have any idea why that was the case.

Anyhow, allow me to catch up a little. On Friday, I grabbed my Little Brother, Jamie, and took him first to a sneak peek of the new Viva McDonald's up north of the stalled Echelon site on the Strip. I didn't really know what to expect, but this invite for a media event on 12/9 and a public opening on 12/11 that I'll miss because I'm off to NY next week made me curious:

Well, it turns out, it's really just a McDonald's. With music and LED screens. And the same menu as any other McD's. See, here's the big sign...


...and the front screens...


...and the interior bank of screens...


...upon which the manager has promised some special exclusive McD's video content that will become an event akin to the Bellagio Fountains. Really. He made that analogy.

Granted, the interior is prettier than most McDs...


...but otherwise they didn't really give me much to work with. Was it the most expensive McD's ever? No. Largest? No. Busiest? No. Busiest on the Strip? No. How much did it cost? Can't tell you. OK, then!

After that, Jamie and I hightailed it to the Four Seasons to check out the annual gingerbread village display that raises money for the Nevada Cancer Institute. They sell each house, starting at $300. That was pretty darned cool.

Here's the impressive basic information about the creations by Jean Luc Daul, the property's executive pastry chef:

If it's hard to read, they used 350 lbs of sugar, 90 lbs of chocolate, 360 eggs and 180 lbs of honey, among other ingredients. And look at what they produced! Here's an overview:


This is the Coco Chanel...


...and the vet's office...

...and City Hall...

There was this big carousel in the middle made "entirely of chocolate and sugar," according to this press release. Here that is with Air Force-bound Jamie...


Atop the carousel is the only evidence of Hanukkah...


But I don't mean to knock the endeavor. It was well worth the time. I mean, look at this detail!


It's open until Dec. 25.