I first visited the Stratosphere in October 1998. I got free tickets to the observation deck from the slot club and took the ride up. It was a spectacular view although I was a little hesitant at first because of the height. A funny incident occurred when the elevator door opened and a lady crawled out on her hands and knees saying, "It's so high! It's so high!" She actually crawled to the glass windows and refused to stand up. I guess if you stand up it makes you higher? I learned some people are really afraid of heights.

Here are three Stratosphere phone cards I've accumulated over the years:

The left is dated 2003, the middle is 2002 and the right is 2006.