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Places

A visit to Las Vegas

Situated in the Mojave Desert, its Spanish name means “The Meadows” because of the wild grasses and desert springs originally found there. An oasis in an otherwise dry and unwelcoming place, it became known to Native Americans over 10,000 years ago. It was discovered by the modern world in 1829, when a young Mexican scout named Rafael Rivera put it on the map. Settlers were slowly but surely drawn there and in 1905, it became a city. In 1911, it was incorporated.

Its growth back then was limited by the small water supply, but in a couple of decades, things were about to change in a big way. The year when Las Vegas came to be known as the place we know it today was 1931, when it legalized gambling and reduced residency requirements for divorce to six weeks. This move was “blessed” later that year when construction on the massive Hoover Dam started nearby. This meant the city now had access to an incredible water supply and it began to grow in spite of the Great Depression, helped by the influx of workers who stayed there to work on the Dam. The workers wanted to have fun when they weren’t working and thus Las Vegas began to gain its reputation as Sin City. After WWII, the big real estate developments began and the Strip as we know it today began to take shape. Hotels, casinos and stores, each bigger, more colorful and more lit than the other, dotted the ever-changing cityscape. And let’s not forget the appearance of heavy-duty, commercial air conditioning units in the 1950s, which can be credited with the tremendous growth in human settlements in what were uninhabitable areas. None of the large real estate developments in any of the hot places in the world would function without air conditioning.

Here is a gallery of photographs I took back in 2010 during a visit to Las Vegas. Drab during the day, its colors washed out by the desert sunlight, this place truly comes alive at night and it stays that way till morning. Throngs of people always crowd its sidewalks and the car traffic slows to a near halt on the Strip due to gawkers. If you’re going to visit, I recommend you do it during the cooler seasons (autumn, winter or spring). Visit the shops and museums during the daytime and save your evenings for walking around on the Strip and taking in the lights and the entertainment. It is unlike anything on Earth at night. The place screams abundance and availability of anything and everything. It is the pinnacle of consumerism. While I was there, I got a clear sense that everything you could want was readily available. Ads are everywhere, for every thing. All of the luxury brands have a visible presence there. Every big hotel has its own shopping mall inside, exquisitely decorated, lit to perfection and air conditioned to keep you comfy and happy. Restaurants are everywhere. Bars are everywhere. Should you want to go outside, hustlers on the sidewalk hand you phone numbers for “entertainers” of all sorts. Young women invite you into the casinos. Big LED panels flash ads at you non-stop. The buildings are all lit to perfection, to accentuate their architecture and make them stand out and draw you in. You will get visually and mentally overwhelmed by it all, so be ready for that. As I said above, I took these photos in 2010. The city has changed yet again since then. Some places already look different. Frequent change is the only constant there.

Enjoy the photographs!

Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
City Place, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
On the Strip, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Strip, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
South Point Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Treasure Island Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
City Place, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
City Place, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
City Place, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Belaggio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
On the Strip at night, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The Strip, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
New York Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
MGM Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
In the foreground, commuter airplanes for Area 51 staff — or so the guide claimed — Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
The famous Las Vegas welcome sign, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
A large intersection on the Strip, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Aria Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Places

Old Town, Annapolis

About three years ago, we visited Annapolis, MD and walked through Old Town. While it was a bit hot during the early afternoon hours, it cooled off nicely toward the evening and we had a wonderful time walking about.

I love it when towns make the effort to preserve their historic sections. Not only is it good for business (because of the tourists) but it helps to ground the townspeople, because they’re always reminded of their heritage.

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Places, Video Log

Biking the C&O Canal

While in the States, my wife and I loved to bike up and down the C&O Canal (Chesapeake and Ohio Canal). The scenery is truly picturesque, particularly along the section from DC to Great Falls. I recorded these videos during the summer of 2008, on various of our biking trips.

Biking the C&O Canal

C&O Canal near Carderock Wall

The Waterfalls at Great Falls, MD

Sinkhole on the C&O Canal

I hope you enjoyed them!

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Places

A tourism film from 1964, promoting Miami Beach, culled from the travelfilmarchive channel on YouTube.

For one who grew up in the area, it’s interesting to see how the place has changed since, and how many resorts popular then still exist (or don’t) today. Some scenes in the film are natural, some are staged and awkward, but it is fun to watch.

It’s also worth noting that the same studios that made cartoons (Van Beuren Films, Castle Films) also made travel films.

Miami Beach in 1964

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Places

Larriland Farm, Maryland

Larriland Farm is a place where you can pick your own fruits and vegetables. It’s in Woodbine, Maryland, well into the countryside, so it’s a nice getaway from the city.

They use integrated pest management techniques to grow their crops, which means insecticides are only used as a last resort. This makes their fruits and vegies healthier than the stuff you generally find on supermarket shelves.

We went there to pick strawberries. That’s our MINI parked near the strawberry field.

If you’d rather not go out into the fields but would still like the benefit of farm-fresh produce, they do have ready-picked bushels available for you to buy. And they have a few goats for your kids to play with, too.

No self-respecting farm would do without a red barn, right?

I like farm machinery. Don’t you?

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