After leaving our forest site near the Grand Canyon we became increasingly cosmopolitan until entering our biggest city yet – Las Vegas. We spent a few days getting there, stopping first in Mt Carmel, Utah at the East Zion Thunderbird Lodge. We had hook-ups, wireless internet, and access to the hotel’s pool and hot tub (very nice after living in the forest).
The next day we drove straight through Zion National Park, stopping a few times to run around on the dramatic rocks, and arrived in Mesquite, Nevada at the CasaBlanca Casino & Resort. Here, we had access to a gym, expansive pool with waterfall, and a smaller spa-style pool. I hit the treadmill and relaxed in the pool, soaking up the resort vibe and anticipating July Fourth in Las Vegas.
On our drive to Vegas we entertained ourselves by reading about the city’s strange and scandalous history. And once there we left the RV to settle into our room at the Westin. Here, we had a large room, a pool, hot tub, a daily happy hour with free drinks and tacos, and walking access to the strip. We watched fireworks from Caesar’s Palace, took in the grandeur of the casinos, danced at the most lavish nightclub I’ve ever experienced (Drai’s), dined on an intensely gooey-chocolate dessert (the S’more Crepe at Sugar Factory), met up with friends and fellow nomads Matt and Bree and daughter Siena, and generally enjoyed ourselves. We stayed for three nights, just long enough for me to feel like I got a taste of the place, before heading back to the woods.
Leading up to Vegas the designer in me was anxious to experience a city that I’ve heard about all my life. In addition to the mega casinos, I wanted to see the city’s unique, artistic character as presented via local artists, architecture, signage, and in ads. I wanted to feel the essence of the city, to learn what makes it Las Vegas.
We were staying in a chain hotel located off the strip and a large part of the block across from us was under construction so I wasn’t put off by an immediate lack of unique style in the area. I waited until moving through the strip several times before announcing to Yair that “this place has no identity…anything here…it could be anywhere else in the world.” Yair and I debated this for a while, after which I felt compelled to do some research. A little shocked (and vindicated), I discovered that this is a real problem and that quite a lot of money has been devoted to fund a city-wide project to make Las Vegas more attractive to “creatives”: innovative people who appreciate and create a city’s identity while driving the local economy.
I left feeling like I’d just been in an adult-themed Disney World and anticipated a return to the slower and more accessible world in the woods.
