Vegas

In daylight, Las Vegas is much like other southwestern desert cities with casinos. Except that it’s Vegas, of course, and therefore a mythical place in the human psyche, and on the map.
It was a map we lacked when we drove up from California on the weekend of both Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. Dead reckoning would have worked out well, but the Strip was snarled. Sometimes I got the car up to 4 or 5 miles an hour for a couple seconds. It took us 55 minutes to drive from I-15 to Harrah's parking structure. But it was still better than flying into the airport.

The photo below is a view of Harrah's from the 3rd floor of the parking structure.

 
The photo below is a view from our 20th floor room. The window opened slightly toward the interior (see the windows in the photo above). I turned on the Vibration Reduction and Auto Focus, wrapped the strap around my neck, then handheld the camera out the window.
 
With both hands.
 
It was a matter of guessing if the camera was level and pointed in the desired direction. Once that was settled, I pressed the shutter button slightly, allowing the lens to autofocus, then pressed the button down further, firing the shutter.  

We were in the city because my wife Lisa, daughter, and son-in-law had tickets to see Garth Brooks on Sunday night. Lisa also was going to the Jersey Boys show on the previous night. I wasn't going to the show or concert, but was happy to be along for the weekend. Early Sunday was when my event was scheduled. I made a pre-dawn run out to Red Rock Canyon to the west of the city. See the Red Rock Canyon post for the photographs. 

Lisa waits yet again for the guy with the camera.

A gondolier conveys a couple around the canal at the Venetian. Top speed seemed to be about 1/16th of a knot. No chance of an on-the-job workout for the gondolier.

Chinese New Year decorations at the Palazzo.

Looking up.

A red dragon. Red being a good luck color, decorations don't get much more appropriate than this for Chinese New Year.

Although the Strip is interesting enough in daylight, it really comes visually alive after sundown. The following photos were made within a mile of our hotel. The venues for the show and concert were walking-distance close to our hotel, so we didn't have to drive the rental car or take a taxi anywhere, which was a relief.

 

Gondola and canal at the Venetian.

Columns and arches of the Venetian.

A footbridge at the Venetian rising toward Madame Toussant's. The photo shows the outside portion of the bridge, the traditional stairs. The center of the bridge is occupied by dual escalators.

Exterior of the Palazzo.

Night view from our room at Harrah's. Handholding the camera out the window never got less nerve-wracking.