....that the vacant land in your photo (across from the Sahara) was the site of the original El Rancho Vegas, the one that burned down in 1960. The 1980's El Rancho Vegas was south of the Riviera/north of the Desert Inn, and originally that property was the Thunderbird, then the Silver Bird. The Silver Bird had my all-time favorite sign in front of it. I walked up to it in 1976, and thought it was the coolest thing in the world!