Las Vegas
Nevada, USA · The Strip · Fremont Street · Hoover Dam
3 places pinned — click any one for its story.
The place
Las Vegas rose from the Mojave Desert in the 20th century into the entertainment capital of the world — neon, casinos, world-class shows, and now the Sphere. But the real draw is often what surrounds it: the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon, and Death Valley and the Grand Canyon within a couple hours' drive. We've passed through many times over the years.
Places I visited
History & facts for each spot — with a “then & now” archival photo where one exists. Every one has its own page; open it for the full write-up and all the photos.
The four-mile boulevard of mega-resorts that is Las Vegas — the Bellagio fountains, the canals of the Venetian, the Eiffel Tower of Paris, and the Sphere, all risen out of the Mojave Desert.
Full history & photos →Archival photo: Royal Nevada casino and sign (1957) — Wikimedia Commons
Old downtown Vegas — the original casino district under the vaulted LED canopy of the Fremont Street Experience, neon cowboys, and the vintage heart of the city before the Strip.
Full history & photos →Archival photo: Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada (74664) — Wikimedia Commons
The colossal 1936 arch-gravity dam in Black Canyon that tamed the Colorado River, created Lake Mead, and powers the Southwest — one of the great engineering feats of the 20th century, a half-hour from the Strip.
Full history & photos →Read more on Wikipedia →Archival photo: Boulder -Hoover- Dam site — Wikimedia Commons
Where we ate
Le Cirque
Las VegasFrench · Sirio Maccioni's jewel box under the Bellagio's silk circus-tent ceiling — open since the resort's first night in October 1998 and, three weeks after we ate here, gone.
★ MichelinSix-course menu dégustationthe menu →
Yellowtail
Las VegasJapanese · Akira Back's room on the Bellagio's fountain side — an omakase that runs from tuna pizza and toro caviar through new-style carpaccio to nigiri, poured against a flight of sake.
Omakase tasting menuthe menu →
Kusa Nori
Las VegasJapanese · The Japanese room at Resorts World, up at the north end of the Strip past the STRAT — a sushi bar beside the black octopus wall, robatayaki off the coals, and a long sake list. The omakase runs as a seasonal chef's menu: Hokkaido scallop with uni butter, BlackHawk wagyu, winter truffle when it's in.
Chef's omakasethe menu →
