You know that replica of Michelangelo’s David in the Appian Way Shops at Caesars Palace?

Yes, that Michelangelo's David in the Appian Way Shops at Caesars Palace.

The dude has really big feet.

Huge.

We’re just saying.

There’s always something new in Las Vegas, and that includes downtown. The historic area north of The Strip has been bustling with activity in recent months, and we’re not just saying it’s bustling as an excuse to type the word “bust” a couple of times. Probably.

During our last visit to the Golden Gate, the oldest operating casino in Vegas, we noted they’ve recently opened a high limit salon. And it’s precious.

Photos of the dancer-dealers is allowed, with their permission. Which we're 31% sure we were given. Hey, it's loud in there.

The “intimate” high limit room has two shoe blackjack tables and one double-deck game. We hear the room may add a baccarat table in the near future.

The room features plush, high-backed chairs, in case your feet get tired from all the, you know, sitting you’re doing while playing blackjack.

Comfy.

The new high limit room isn’t all that high limit when you compare it to The Strip, with two tables having a $25 minimum and another with $50.

The tables are manned, or rather, “personed,” by the casino’s popular go-go dealers. In fact, the only tables we saw personed by male dealers in the entire casino were at the craps tables. This blog does not generally have a problem with this trend, as long as the dancer-dealers know what the heck they’re doing.

Let us know if you spot anything new in downtown Las Vegas, and we’ll use it as an excuse to visit and snap some pics.

PBR Rock Bar & Grill inside The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is mounting the mechanical bull of Vegas nightlife and riding it for all it’s worth. Which, this blog realizes, might be the worst metaphor in recorded history. Let’s not allow that to deter us from the matter at hand.

The popular PBR Rock Bar restaurant has already added a DJ booth (the paint was still fresh when we snagged the pic below), and plans are in place to divide the restaurant into two parts as the evening progresses (with a sound-proof wall, so diners won’t be disturbed), providing a mix of laid-back dining and the Vegas nightclub experience.

Tip: Tilting your camera makes things seem even cooler.

Additions are still being made to the decor, but the area pictured below will serve as a dance floor for night owls seeking to shake their badonkadonks off, whatever those might actually be.

This is where this blog will be exhibiting its mad badonkadonk skilz.

The area is expected to feature high-top furniture for party animals to keep their dogs from barking too much as the night wears on.

The club portion of PBR Rock Bar will even have its own entrance, directly across from the popular Earl of Sandwich restaurant.

It's a photo of a door! Hey, not everything can be front page news.

Bonus, the more adventurous can still make their way from the dance area to take on PBR Rock Bar’s hydraulic mechanical bull. This would seem an opportune time to share our video of bull-riding maven Karie, who we took no enjoyment in taping, believe us.

Visit the official PBR Rock Bar site, where you’ll find all the latest news as well as a healthy supply of scantily-clad rodeo clowns. We try not to ask.

PH Towers Westgate, the timeshare resort next to Planet Hollywood resort and The Miracle Mile Shops, changed hands back in November 2011, but we haven’t blogged about that until now because this blog has been busy researching a variety of “frozen cocktails” and “sure-fire craps betting systems.”

This would be the "before" photo.

The resort formerly known as PH Towers Westgate is now called Hilton Grand Vacations, at least according to the new sign.

The "After" photo. Or the "Now" photo, whichever you prefer.

We read somewhere that the full, official name of the place is “Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club.” Technically, Hilton refers to it as “Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel Center Strip.” Which kind of just rolls off the tongue, don’t you think?

There are several Hilton-run places to stay in Las Vegas, the names of which elude us mainly because the Pulse of Vegas blog is the official blog of several Las Vegas hotels that would appreciate your business much more than some timeshare with an identity crisis.

Or something.

Perhaps not surprisingly, this blog loves casinos: The eye-popping carpeting, the slang, the clicking of gaming chips, the whole nine yards. This blog also happens to love dogs.

So, we were especially thrilled to discover the Dog Casino.

Why should humans have all the fun?

We quickly whipped out our wallet, stuffed with Blazing Sevens winnings from the night before, and acquired the Dog Casino to share it with you. We also thought it would make a great Mother’s Day present, but that’s beside the point.

While we didn’t immediately see the casino tie-in to this “fun interactive game,” we were comforted by a blurb on the box that said the game is slobber-proof.

Even the most modern human casinos in Las Vegas aren't especially slobber-proof.

The Dog Casino, it turns out, is like a puzzle for your pooch. The box gives fair warning that it’s challenging. Along with photos of dogs in hats. The international symbol for skill level in dog casinos.

Don't let these cloned dogs in graduation hats intimidate you.

So, here’s the “casino.” It’s a set of bones that rest on the top of a game board thingy.

Irrelevant Vegas trivia: Craps dice are often called "bones."

Doggie treats are placed in small drawers along the edges of the game, and they can only be opened when the corresponding bone is removed.

Remove the correct bone, and dogs get the equivalent of a slot machine jackpot, but without the irksome tax obligations.

Forget this ticket-in ticket-out business. It's treat time.

If all this seems a little complicated, don’t worry, there’s a training manual for pet owners included (as well as a CD we didn’t actually use).

Yes, there's some reading involved. People still do that, you know.

We found the Dog Casino game in a local store here in Vegas for a hefty $64.99, but it sells for much less online (in the $40 range). Our local store split the difference.

While the similarities to a real casino are a tad tenuous, we still think this is a fun way to see just how clever your dog is. Like the box says, it’s challenging, and our test subject, Bonnie (below), seemed to prefer receiving her treats the old-fashioned way.

Mom loved her Mother's Day present, by the way. The jury's still out for Bonnie.

If you dig dogs, too, you might want to read up on the dog-friendly PetStay program available at a number of Las Vegas hotels. Yes, treats are included. Delivered the old-fashioned way.

Caesar’s in a chef’s hat and apron in honor of Vegas Uncork’d.

Confirmed: Roman emperors liked to spoon.

See more about Vegas Uncork’d here.

Holly Madison, the pulchritudinous star of “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood and “Holly’s World,” has further assured her place as the official-unofficial face of Las Vegas by being named Miss Atomic Bomb 2012.

Las Vegas never met a photo op it didn’t like, so in honor of the 55th anniversary of the original Miss Atomic Bomb, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority had Madison recreate a 1957 photo taken by Las Vegas News Bureau photographer Don English.

Holly Madison just radiates sex appeal.

Holly Madison’s version of the photographic homage to Vegas kitsch was captured by Darrin Bush, also of the Las Vegas News Bureau. Bush has been with the Las Vegas News Bureau for an astonishing 23 years. Read more.

The release of the updated Miss Atomic Bomb photo marks the 65th anniversary of the Las Vegas New Bureau, which captures photos and video of special events, entertainment and the resorts of Las Vegas known around the world.

Showgirls have a certain glow about them, don't they?

The model in the original Miss Atomic Bomb photo (above) was a showgirl, Lee Merlin, who was working as a Copa Girl at The Sands at the time of the photo. Apparently, Vegas fans have been trying to track Merlin down for some time. Read more here and here. A lesser-known version of Merlin can be viewed here. Get more on this intriguing story at LasVegasAdvisor.com.

Here’s some news coverage of the Miss Atomic Bomb 2012 unveiling.

If you’re not all that familiar with Vegas history, you might wonder, “Atomic bomb? What’s up with that?” We hear you. Well, in the 1950s, there was quite a bit of above-ground nuclear testing done in Nevada, and creative Vegas marketers made the most of the tests by playing them up with viewing parties and all things atomic. Flamingo Las Vegas, for example, even served a popular Atomic Cocktail. Yay, capitalism!

For 12 years, an average of one bomb every three weeks was detonated in Nevada, with flashes seen as far away as Montana. Read more about Sin City’s part in the atomic bomb craze. Las Vegas even has its own National Atomic Testing Museum attraction.

Now you know! Thanks to Holly Madison for being such a great sport, and for making us an offer we couldn’t diffuse.

There’s so much to see at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, you may even forget there are stores.

Our photos are so awesome, we're thinking of blogging for a living.

Seriously, there are stores. (More than 160 of them.) Please buy something so they can build more incredible things for this blog to photograph.

Thank you.

This blog is an alleged expert about all-things-Vegas, yet, inexplicably, we’d never heard of the “Les Clefs d’Or” honor until one was presented to Jas Vitale, a concierge at Caesars Palace.

Jas (pronounced “jazz”) Vitale was given the prestigious Les Clefs d’Or (French for “the keys of gold”) award after a rigorous series of tests and interviews confirming Vitale meets an elite standard of knowledge and service.

Jas makes things happen at Caesars Palace.

Les Clefs d’Or, by the way, is pronounced “lay clay door.” The Les Clefs d’Or designation is given by a concierge organization of the same name. Which we also didn’t know existed. This blog really needs to get out more.

We stopped by Caesars Palace to meet Vitale and to ask him about his favorite Vegas concierge hook-up of all time.

Vitale says, “Last year, I helped the Princess of Saudi Arabia. She was staying at another hotel at the time, but wanted to meet Celine Dion. She’d tried everything, and 35 minutes after I heard about it, she was all set with a meet-and-greet. I heard later the princess had tears in her eyes when they met. And I got to tell my six-year-old daughter I’d helped a real princess.”

Les Clefs d'Or recipients are easy to spot by these sweet gold key pin thingys.

“For a concierge, ‘no’ is not an answer,” says Vitale. Just another reason to love Las Vegas (and Caesars Palace), baby!

In April, Caesars Palace hosted the 2012 Pan American Congress of Les Clefs d’Or which drew about 500 attendees from across the U.S. and around the world. Caesars Palace now has five Les Clefs d’Or concierges on its staff.

We love Vegas newness, but this blog also loves it some Vegas oldness.

Today’s random photo is a close-up of a classic slot machine.

This slot machine was so pretty, we were tempted to lick it. The feeling passed.

The colors. The textures. The history! Video screens are great, but sometimes, you just want to get your hands dirty.

This vintage slot machine is on display, along with other classics, at the Golden Gate in downtown Las Vegas. The Golden Gate is the oldest casino in Vegas. It opened in 1906.

Here’s today’s hook-up: Las Vegas hotels in the Caesars Entertainment family are currently having a 72-hour sale with deeply-discounted rooms up to 30% off. Hint: That’s a lot. Go directly to the OMG.

We were so looking for an excuse to share this photo we took again. Vegas, you so pretty.

Just visit the 72-hour sale page thingy (which should be its official name, frankly) and browse through the various Vegas hotels, keeping an eye out for the word “Promo.” You can sort by hotel, room type, arrival date, all that.

Like most limited-time offers, this one’s intended to create a sense of urgency. This blog is usually far too cool to fall for that marketing ploy, but in the case of 30%-off rooms, what the hell. Cool isn’t putting money in our pockets, but this sale might.

So, check it out. These limited-time offers are sometimes extended, but sometimes not, and availability is limited in either scenario, so we recommend you get all up in that while you can.

Or ignore this blog completely. Because you don’t like having additional money in your pocket for drinking and gambling, apparently.

You just never know what discovery’s around the next corner when you’re in Las Vegas.

For today’s random photo, we ambled around to the north side of Paris Las Vegas and were reminded what an impressive building it is.

It's like being in Europe, but in Las Vegas, you get ice in your drinks.

The eye-popping exterior of Paris Las Vegas is reminiscent of the Louvre. At least that’s what we read on the Internet. And as you’re aware, everything on the Internet is 100% factual.

We’re adding “Architecture” to our list of “Free Las Vegas Shows.” Yes, we understand buildings aren’t technically “shows.” But this blog doesn’t live by society’s rules, and we can make whatever lists we want. We’re rebellious like that.

Remember that classic trick question, “What color was George Washington’s white horse?” Well, here’s a new, Vegas-inspired one to test your brain power: “How many floors is the 51-floor Rio Las Vegas?”

If you can’t see this one coming, you should probably get out of the house more.

As you may have guessed, the Rio Las Vegas doesn’t actually have 51 floors, despite what you might have heard. Here’s why. Vegas hotels often have funky floor numbering systems because of superstition. In the case of Rio, there are no floor numbers in the 40s. Chinese guests consider four unlucky because the Chinese word for four sounds almost exactly like the Chinese word for death.

So, to avoid the bad mojo, well, take a look.

No, this is not the result of "Penn & Teller" hijinks.

Defying another superstition, and unlike a number of other Las Vegas hotels, the Rio does have a 13th floor.

The fear of the number 13 is called "triskaidekaphobia."

Those with a keen eye will note Rio Las Vegas does have a fourth floor, as well as a 14th, 24th and 34th. Please don’t ask why. This is not an exact science, and we suspect finding out the answer would involve “effort” or “reading,” and this blog is not a fan of those pursuits. Moving on.

This brings the number of usable floors at the Rio to 41, not 51. There are a couple of floors above the 41st, but those are accessible only to hotel personnel.

Don't believe everything you read.

Now you know!

Does the fact the Rio doesn’t have 51 floors make the view from the VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub any less stunning? Of course not. You’ll want to see this photo if you’re at all skeptical.

Here’s a bonus Rio Vegas fact. There’s a puzzle featuring the hotel’s sign. We know. We saw it on a shelf once (see below). If you can’t find it in your local department store, you can probably locate it on an eBay near you.

Are we a font of useless information, or what?

Oh, and for the record, that George Washington question isn’t as silly as you’d think. Washington had several horses, but the one referred to in the riddle was gray. There’s no “white” color designation for horses, although an albino would come close.

Now you’ll know more than all your party guests about Rio Las Vegas. And George Washington’s horse. Pity them, for they know not about this Las Vegas blog.

It was loud. It was liquored up. It was a little bit sad. Kind of like O’Sheas casino itself, come to think of it.

At noon on April 30, 2012, O’Sheas casino on the Las Vegas Strip closed its doors, and boisterous fans showed up in droves to knock back one last shot, to place one last bet and to express their appreciation to Brian Thomas (below), the casino’s shot-dispensing mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun.

One last time around the bar for Lucky.

As the clock ticked down on O’Sheas closing, customers and staff said their farewells, and spontaneous chants along the lines of “O’Sheas! O’Sheas! O’Sheas!” broke out throughout the casino. Hey, O’Sheas has always been about fun, not about rhyming. And, technically, “O’Sheas” rhymes with “O’Sheas,” so let’s move on.

The last hand of poker to be played at O'Sheas.

It was a bittersweet gathering for the most ardent fans of O’Sheas, as well as for its diminutive mascot. The closing of O’Sheas marks the end of a 23-year run for the beloved watering hole known for its low table minimums, cheap hooch, quirky entertainment, cheap hooch, beer pong and, oh yeah, the occasional hooch.

Roulette chips are counted and boxed up.

A new O’Sheas will open as part of The Linq in 2013, of course, but that didn’t seem to matter to those who turned up for the original’s last fling. O’Sheas T-shirts and shot glasses were distributed liberally, and die-hard players wagered until the bitter end.

This was the last spin of the roulette wheel at O'Sheas. We kind of don't want it to stop, and thanks to animated .gif technology, it doesn't have to.

Everywhere one turned, there was a last something. A last spin of the roulette wheel. A last hand of blackjack. A last hand of Strip Poker. (Because it’s played near The Strip. Why, what were you thinking?) A last game of beer pong. A last roll of the dice. (It was a seven. Isn’t it always?)

This blog is going to miss you most, O'Sheas craps table.

Fans also signed a memory wall. This blog feared it would be ruined because some nimrod scrawled his name across it during the casino’s final weekend, but there were so many more signatures that followed it, the new ones obscured the irksome one almost entirely. A photo of the wall will be installed in the new O’Sheas, a wink to the past and all the guests that has made O’Sheas so utterly unforgettable.

That's a lot of O'Sheas love.

It was gratifying to see such a genuine outpouring of love for O’Sheas during its waning moments. At one point, we calculated Lucky was being hugged at a rate of eight times per minute.

This blog is a big fan, Lucky.

Lucky got a little weepy right about the time this blog did, just before the doors closed and the “Caution” tape went up.

"Remodeling" should probably be in quotation marks.

That’s because O’Sheas was more than a casino. It had heart and character and an energy you can’t manufacture. And did we mention the cheap hooch?

Lucky will be fine! We just did this in black in white for dramatic effect.

Sure, change is good. But we get to grieve a little for a lost friend, too, right?

Here’s to the good times, the crazy times, the times we’re sort of glad we can’t quite remember. Here’s to O’Sheas.

The hours until the closing of O’Sheas may be growing fewer (the beloved casino closes at noon on April 30, 2012), but if you move quickly, even if O’Sheas is gone, it won’t be forgotten.

We just learned O’Sheas has issued limited-edition (just 3,000 were produced) gaming chips commemorating the end of an era on the Strip.

Chip collectors, like this blog, lose their gourd over stuff like this.

The $5 chips, “Celebrating 23 Great Years,” haven’t been put into circulation, so you’ll need to visit the casino’s cashier cage to get one. Collectible chips like this don’t tend to last long at face value, so you’d better move it!

In other news, the entirely awesome Lucky the Leprechaun (real name: Brian Thomas), the mascot of O’Sheas, had a live online chat with his fans today, and we were there!

O'Sheas fans love them some Lucky.

Lucky assured his legions of fans that he’s not going anywhere. The next iteration of O’Sheas will be part of the $550 million dollar Linq project, an entertainment, retail and dining corridor set to open in 2013. Read more.

When asked by a chat participant how you close a casino like O’Sheas, Lucky responded, “With lots of police.” Nice!

Of course, all work and no play makes Lucky a dull boy, so he took advantage of the Flamingo Go Room (O’Sheas doesn’t have rooms) where the online chat was held.

Please note: This blog is not liable for injuries sustained while jumping on Las Vegas hotel beds.

Lucky’s going to be busy as the final days of O’Sheas tick by. He’s going to be working noon to midnight each day during the casino’s final weekend.

The “Final Countdown” celebration begins in earnest on April 28, starting at noon. Guests will be able to get discounted memorabilia and drink specials galore, and live entertainment will also be on tap.

Guests can be a part of O’Sheas history by signing a memory wall which will be photographed with Lucky and placed in the new O’Sheas inside the Linq.

Construction on the Linq is in full swing, a fact we confirmed by grabbing this pic from atop the monorail platform behind Imperial Palace. Yes, we had to purchase a monorail ticket, so, technically, this photo cost us $5. You’re welcome.

Vegas doesn't do anything on a small scale. Except Lucky. Wait, that didn't come out right.

There is so much going on with the Linq project, we can’t even keep up!

For example, an entire poker room at Imperial Palace is gone as of today. Well, not gone, moved (to near the hotel’s sports book). Nevertheless, the new wall pictured below seemed to go up overnight.

What just happened? The site of the former Imperial Palace poker room. Linq, you'd better be awesome, because you're creating some havoc on the Strip.

We couldn’t resist strolling through O’Sheas again. Especially because April 26 is National Pretzel Day. And the food court at O’Sheas, you know, sells pretzels. Don’t try to make sense of it. We’re very emotional about O’Sheas closing at the moment.

Yes, we'll even miss you, giant, dusty pretzel replica.

We’re also going to miss the lack of pretense at O’Sheas.

Which, given the photo below, may be the understatement of the last 23 years.

We're going to miss you, too, craps table duct tape.

So, yes, we have some mixed feelings about the demise of O’Sheas. If we can pull ourselves away from our gaming chip collection long enough, maybe we’ll add to our list of Things We’ll Miss When O’Sheas Closes.

Is this blog going to miss taking photos of little people in bath tubs? Oh, hell, yes.

Share your O’Sheas memories on the casino’s official Facebook page, and we’ll see you at O’Sheas. Actually, we’ll probably see three of you, but you know what we mean. It’s O’Sheas.