What’s the  enduring charm of Las Vegas to you?


“Vegas is the most extreme and allegorical of American settlements; bizarre and beautiful in its venality and in its devotion to immediate gratification.” (Joan Didion)

I’m not a gambler, drinker or lover of nightly hedonism in my normal life. So why do I continue to book some extended time on our road trip vacations to enjoy Las Vegas with its attention deficit  pursuit of “gold and bold”. Actually I enjoy accepting  the challenge of “getting out there” in Vegas to find something new or interesting in the right moment at an affordable cost.

But don’t get me wrong! I have no desire to drag Ruth and myself on foot along the strip tirelessly from one resort to another to exact my hedonistic pleasures at this stage of my life. But I’m in a city where everything seems to continually change. So I might simply do some “window shopping” around the grounds of the casino during our three day stay at the Rio Resort Hotel to discover some interesting visual impressions. Or I can just take a long gaze out of our hotel room window located several stories over glitzy Las Vegas Boulevard to discover a striking architectural innovation. Scanning the street activity around my vehicle location while idling at a red light or a curiously looking around while I await my breakfast at a local diner might also yield some revealing images of human interest as well. 

Of course, we’ve scheduled at least one of these days visiting some desirable locations along this world famous Las Vegas Boulevard strip. Such places will include the Bellagio Hotel with its outdoor fountain displays and indoor botanical gardens, the elegant Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian resort and a concert featuring Foreigner at the Venetian Theater. Sadly, one historic landmark of interest, the Tropicana Hotel, will be closing its doors permanently during our visit to soon undergo demolition for the scheduled move of the Oakland A’s to a new stadium on this site in the foreseeable future. 

So check out my latest photos compiled after we completed this latest road trip stopover in Vegas. Do you notice anything that might “shake up” any current thoughts and actions pertaining to your daily routine?