Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Life at 10,000 feet


Double Eagle Casino
Cripple Creek
LinkThe Double Eagle Hotel is the "Bellagio" of Cripple Creek. I'm in a warm, quiet room on the second floor, but beneath me there's a flashing gambling casino, open 24/7. The sun is just coming up behind the mountains in a cloudless sky, and although the temperature is 5 below zero it's going to be a beautiful sunglasses required day up here.

The Cripple Creek webcam is on top of this hotel, so click here and hit refresh for a live view of town. The link should work-- don't let yourself get overly-stimulated viewing the downtown action :-)

Gambling (or I should say gaming) changed Cripple Creek forever in 1991 when Colorado voters allowed the town to establish legalized gambling. High tech casinos sprang up behind the original building fronts on Bennett Avenue, which were carefully preserved for historic atmosphere. This gives the disorientating sensation of walking through an old brick storefront into a jangling, banging, ringing, miniature Vegas-style casino. Outdoor lights are prohibited on the facades, except at Christmas (below) when the casinos go all out for a few weeks.



Bennett Avenue Casinos during the holidays

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