Las Vegas


In 2007 I moved with my family to Las Vegas to be a PhD candidate at UNLV. When "It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there" came out of the cliché factory, somebody probably had Vegas in mind. Some people enjoy the kitsch, and some roll their eyes at fake pirate ships and gondolas in shopping malls. But sometimes I had to take off my hat to such well-executed cheese. If I had a hat. And if I wasn't in a public place, where people would say, "Why is that idiot taking off his hat at nothing?" So you see, life can be complicated.

 


My pastor said, "The next time someone tells you it's a dry heat, tell them to put their hand on a stove element. That's a dry heat, too." It gets toasty here. Fremont Street. Some people say that Vegas is just cheesy girlie shows and gambling. It's not true. There are also cheesy <i>male</i> shows. Jazz band in the evening at the District outdoor shopping court, Henderson. There<i> is</i> life outside the strip after the Wal-Mart closes. Circus Circus. It must be one of the only buildings I remember from my last trip in 1986. In relation to the rest of the strip, that's the age of the dinosaurs. The New York New York. Give me your sick, huddled masses yearning to ride it all on a hot 14 to 1 payout, baby! The desert plains near Red Rocks. Mountains aren't exciting to some, but at least they aren't made of fiberglass or have neon on them. Yet. Spiky field near Mount Charleston, northwest of Vegas. In the Bellagio's souvenir shop I saw a plush cactus toy. I wonder how well they sell. The architecturally outrageous Writing Center, where I worked as a consultant at the university. Paris casino fountain. I suppose this is Neptune, thinking, "What am I doing here in the desert?" Matador at Sunset Station Casino, throwing the bull like the rest of the patrons. Sorry about that. Red Rocks Park, west of Las Vegas. "Why is it called Red Rocks, teacher?" My wife wouldn't get out of the car. "But it's perfect for a picnic!" How can people say that Vegas is tacky when there's fancy French writing on the buildings? One of the casinos near sunset. I don't gamble myself. Not that I had much choice on a grad student salary. Walgreen's logo on Fremont Street. To get noticed in Vegas, even a fire truck needs neon! Ceiling columns at the Venetian. This is how to confuse archeologists in five centuries when they dig it all up! The Mirage. The pool was filled with ducks who had run out of credit. "Just put it on my bill!", they said. Sorry about that. Las Vegas strip skyline at night from the airport. It was really amazing the first night we came to Vegas. Now I just imagine ten million hamsters in wheels powering the whole thing! Bellagio fountains. The water jumps with the music. Fortunately it wasn't speed metal or the whole strip would be wet! Next to the Harley Davidson Cafe. The main question in Vegas is, <i>which</i> Elvis is alive? A 19th-century train at the Clark museum. It's<i> all metal</i>—it felt like it had its own gravitational field. Rabbit, Clark County museum. What they drink is beyond me, but there were enough of them. Town Square shop. Nice Spanish architecture, even if all you notice in summer is the shade. A row of cacti at the Springs Preserve. We never saw any springs. So much for <i>preserving</i> them! Waterfall and lake at the Mirage.. well, I'm <i>assuming</i> it was a waterfall and lake.. it was the <i>Mirage</i>. New York New York Casino. A casino so nice, they charge you twice. They try to play up the "ferocious tigers" angle at the Mirage, but they're cats. They <i>sleep</i>. Town Square. It feels a little weird getting sunburned at the <i>mall</i>, but that's the way it is. Venetian ceiling fresco. Centuries ago, when you won at Keno people made quite a fuss about it. The beautiful halls of the Venetian. The renaissance Italians would be impressed by the workmanship, less impressed that it wasn't for a cathedral but for a casino. Ceiling painting, Caesar's Palace lobby. All these things on the strip no one sees because they're not at slot-machine level. A Nevada sunset—according to my wife, "the only good thing about Vegas." And that was before summer had come. It was an interesting experience. Come back soon.. right <i>after</i> payday. And be sure to drive carefully.. because the locals sure don't. The Strip, Las Vegas. The streets near the university usually have panhandling bums, but never here. Either there are restrictions, or else perhaps impersonating Elvis is more profitable. Gondola ride at the Venetian. You can also have a ride inside the mall in a fiberglass canal in the aisle, but these are tourists of refinement who want the authentic experience. Inside the Venetian Hotel mall. The ceiling has blue sky and clouds, so the weather is nice all the time. What I want to see is a mall that simulates thunderstorms. The light beam rising out of the Luxor pyramid (just like the ones in Egypt). The brightest light beam in the world —used for this. Saturday night crowd on Fremont Street. It wasn't as crowded as the picture suggests, but there was so much neon and blitz that you nearly needed sunglasses. Vegas. Eiffel replica and Arc d'Triumphantly Loose Slots. People tell me it's nearly authentic, but the street needs to be <i>much </i>dirtier!   Mount Charleston, northwest of the city. After the California fires in , local authorities said, "It's just a matter of <i>when</i> here." Enjoy your stay. Daytime at the District. In summertime, hoses in the trees shoot out a cool mist. "Don't get steamed." New York New York neon. Times are tough; even lady liberty has a night job. "Give me your masses yearning for a pint of Guinness." The interior of Caesar's Palace shopping area. It's full of sculptures and art and has a circulator escalator, just like the Romans had. Gilley's (now gone), on the northern, rougher end of the strip. In Vegas, I don't want to know what a $44.95 room looks like, assuming it's ever available.. The Venetian fountain at night. It was very quiet; I could hear the water running. For the strip, that's quiet. Underneath glowing neon, Fremont Street. "Water fountains and dazzling lights everywhere... let's see, have we missed anything else we can waste extravagently?" Tower replica, Paris Casino. To be faithful to the original, we just have to hate it for its first twenty years! Caesar's Palace at night, where there's a whole lot of rendering unto Caesar going on. Treasure Island's "family" siren show on the strip at night. My image of sirens was never strippers, but that's I guess that's what pirates would prefer anyway! Treasure Island pool. Every time I enjoy conspicuous excess like this I imagine Vesuvius rumbling. Front Page Band, live at the Stratosphere. All the 70's disco music you can stand for a night. Nobody does cheese like a Filipino band! The world's largest chocolate fountain, Bellagio. I guess after third or so the list drops off pretty fast. The north end of campus. UNLV tries to conserve water with lots of rock and cactus gardens. Stumble back to dorm carefully! The spires of Cambridge always remind me of my school days. Fireworks on the strip for July 4th. This actually was the view from our driveway. One zoom lens can save you hours of looking for parking. Picnic tables outside Caesar's Palace. You need to be comfortable for a long day of watching people thrown to the lions. The neon entrance to Fremont Street at night, with the usual subtle Vegas minimalism. The drink you see when you leave should be coffee to sober you up! "The Fremont Experience" Are you experienced? 500,000 watts and a giant light show. The videos are usually scenes of —no!— girls and gambling. Vegas still goes through the motions of appearing to be family-friendly, and Fremont isn't bad— until you pass the oh-so-subtle gentleman's club. Roman arches under the artificial sky in Caesar's forum shopping court. They thought of having flames erupt from Pluto's fork but decided it might be tacky. Boulder City— this is what the dam holds back: Lake Mead. Every year it gets a little smaller and the lakeside property has to <i>move</i>. Band playing at Jazz on the Lake, Montelego Village. The big bands were all way over a hundred dollars a ticket, but there's lots of live music in Vegas. Train set, Bellagio Casino atrium. The Bellagio has different flora and toys or displays for different seasons and celebrations, such as—uh—Trainmas? The Leid Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The architecture isn't Cambridge, but it's nice that they <i>try</i>. Stanford is actually not very attractive.. Sunset Station. I can think of 100 places I'd rather spend the day than in a casino, but without them there would be no Vegas. Sphinx, Luxor Casino lobby area. I think I can make out the ancient hieroglyphics on the wall behind: "Remember... to.. tip... your... waiter..." Red Rocks Park. Hands up—who can't see a cactus without imagining Wile E. Coyote falling on it? I thought so. Beware of the burros, Red Rocks park. It's not permitted to approach them. I don't know why; perhaps they'll try to hitch a ride to the casino. It <i>is</i> Vegas.

 

Las Vegas
If you just want to walk and look, there are enough sights, sleaze, and cheese to keep you dazed for a good weekend. But to really experience Vegas you need fiscal fitness. Gambling, transportation, drinks, and the casino night shows can get very expensive quickly.


This'll be the player
Venetian Hotel Gondola (March 2007) 0:19 Jazz on the Lake, Montelago (July 2009) 0:30
Bellagio Hotel Fountains (December 2007) 1:00 UNLV Snow Storm (December 2008) 0:33
Friday Night on Fremont Street (July 2007) 0:44 Sirens at Treasure Island (July 2008) 0:49
Fremont Light Show (July 2008) 0:19 July 4 Fireworks (July 2009) 0:32
Snow at UNLV
On December 17, 2008 there was a blizzard in Las Vegas! It's not that snow was new to me, but it was really interesting to see it in such a hot, arid climate. Here are some campus pictures I took of UNLV that day.
Autumn Yellow Berries in Snow Cactus in Snow Cactus Melting Snow Diagonal Snow Excited Bird FDH Front in Snow Near the Writing Center Red & Snow Red Leaf Front FDH Sky View Snow Cover Roses in Snow White Walkway FDH Cactus Fronds Tiny Yellow Hoarfrost on Campus Dusting on the Lawn