American Southwest 2007 - Las Vegas

Because of the heat (over 115F in the afternoon) we didn't spend too much time driving or walking in Las Vegas. We visited some of the big, themed hotels. At their core, they are nothing more than gambling halls and shopping malls, but some of them are quite impressive. We thought that the Venetian did a particularly good job of capturing the right look. In modern times much of the real city of Venice already seems miniaturized with a theme-park ambience, so it may be a better subject than most for this treatment. One thing that has changed in Vegas since the last time I was there is the indoor air quality. Advances in ventilation and air conditioning mean that, although people still smoke like chimneys in the casinos, the suffocating haze that was once the most outstanding and revolting element of many of these places is now a thing of the past (at least in the big hotels on the strip). It is now possible to stroll through a casino, and even to spend some time gambling, without feeling that you have to jump into the shower immediately afterwards.

The highlight of our stay in Vegas was Cirque du Soleil's "Beatles Love" show. It was an amazing blending of music, acrobatics and dance, and one of the very rare times when I have found myself truly wishing the show wouldn't end.

Steve prepares to enter the Love Theater to see Cirque Du Soleil.

It seemed as though the whole town was under construction. Everywhere we
looked, there were huge cranes, traffic detours, and more than the usual chaos.

It was hot out there!

Steve poses with the world's largest chocolate fountain at the Bellagio Hotel.

Vegas is filled with faux landmarks from around the world. Here's a view of the "Eiffel Tower" outside Paris, Las Vegas.

Paris, Las Vegas, the Venetian, and New York, New York are among the hotels that try to recreate the ambience of city streets.

Of course, there's the "Sphinx" outside the pyramid-shaped Luxor Hotel.

We were impressed by the attention to detail at the Venetian,
where singing gondoliers take tourists along the canals. Here,
a street performer poses as a statue.

Here's the Vegas version of St. Mark's Square. It's indoors; the
sky is a ceiling that changes to simulate different times of day.
There's no cathedral, but the lamp posts look familiar.

The Venetian imitates the Italian Renaissance tradition of elaborate ceiling paintings.

What would Michelangelo think?

From our room at the Wynn, we had quite a view of the city.