We've been spending some time in the southern part of the country and experienced two different spots that could truly be called fantasy land. One, of course, is Las Vegas. It's the first time I've ever been there and I was interested to take a look. Of course it's huge and we only had time to discover a couple of things in the one night we were there. The first was Freeman Street, a three-block long pedestrian walkway covered by a curved roof. We were drawn in by the bustle and the neon lights of the casinos and restaurants that line it. Then as we walked along, the lights blinked off and music blasted out (Don MacLean singing American Pie) and the curved roof turned into a three-block long music video. Time stopped, people stared up and sang along until the song ended.
Apparently this happens several times an hour.
Then we took a bus down to The Strip admiring the lights in the darkness. We got off at a stop and stumbled into a big casino complex called the Venetian (the photo at the top is one of the lobbies).
Image our surprise when we came up a long escalator to find ourselves in Venice at sunset.
It's like being on the Grand Canal (sort of). The ceiling is a curved dome with an amazing image of the sunset sky set behind the ersatz Venetian buildings. Among the upscale stores there are restaurants as well. We sat beside the canal and had a bite to eat while watching the gondoliers take their gondolas under the Bridge of Sighs. (Still at sunset. It's sunset there forever!)
We saw several wedding parties celebrating here. It's the ultimate fantasy for some. Kind of like Disneyland for grown-ups.
The second fantasy was a visit to Paolo Soleri's home and bell workshop in Scottsdale. I'll tell you about Cosanti tomorrow as I think it deserves a post of its own.
Tonight we're holed up at the Motel 6 in Ontario, Oregon eating leftover Mexican food and watching the weather channel. Happy Easter.
joanna - i can hardly wait for your visit to soleri's arcosanti. they sell amazing bells there but it's the idea, the buildings and the man himself who have blown me away for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteHi Steven,
ReplyDeleteWe went to Cosanti where the bells are made, not the actual construction site Arcosanti. But tomorrow I'll post a link to a blog by a friend who recently visited Arcosanti as well. I heard of his work way back when I was at university (and I'm not even saying how long ago that was!)
Wow, you've made some time. You're already in Oregon?
ReplyDeleteGood thing you didn't stay long in Vegas. You'd have been fleeced! ;-)
Hi Rudee, you're right. We're babes in the woods there. Tonight we're in Washington and heading back over the border tomorrow. Amazing how you can make time when you're ready to go home.
ReplyDelete