A sign posted at St. Mark's Square at the Venetian hotel-casino notifies visitors of the reason for the drained canals, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013, in Las Vegas. Management has closed the waterways for several weeks for maintenance. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
LAS VEGAS — It’s not often you can use the term “dry” to describe a Las Vegas landmark. But, tourists hoping to cruise down the Venetian hotel-casino’s indoor canals are finding them tapped out.
The canals were emptied earlier this month for a once-every-14-years resurfacing. They are expected to reopen in October.
On Thursday, Italian muzak echoed off of cement mixers and construction tools were strewn around the bottoms of the waterways that meander through the Venetian’s shopping mall.
Tourists leaned over the ornate stone and iron railings, surprised to find the hotel’s most famous landmark running dry.
British honeymooners Will and Ann Marie Husbands had booked the hotel in part because of its ersatz waterways. They were debating whether they could brave the 100-degree weather to take their planned gondola ride on the outdoor canal, which is still flowing.