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Post by imec on Feb 27, 2012 21:07:13 GMT
On a recent business trip to Las Vegas, I decided to take my bicycle to balance the excess living with a bit of exercise. I had a really nice ride out at Red Rock Canyon, but I also had a hoot riding the fabulous Las Vegas Strip...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2012 22:59:40 GMT
THIS IS SO COOL!!!!!!!!!! One of the best things I've seen on this forum in this genre yet! The last time I was in Las Vegas was 1976. The Strip needless to say was not nearly as developed. It's mind boggling to see how different it is today. Wow!! Thanks for this! Yes,the canyons out there are breathtaking. I did quite a bit of horse back riding there. Some steep hills if I remember right. Very,very cool!  |
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Feb 28, 2012 0:24:28 GMT
Awesome imec! I've never been to Vegas and probably never will go so thanks for giving me the best view of the city I'll ever have.
I didn't see any other bikers on the road. Were you pretty much the only person biking through the streets of Vegas? Also, did you have the cam on your helmet? Perfect music.
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Post by imec on Feb 28, 2012 2:26:02 GMT
Thanks casimira! Stay tuned for a video of the canyon ride once I finish editing and music. The strip sure is built up - and prior to the recession new properties were opening every year or two.
Thanks fmt! It's just a pocket cam mounted on the handlebar - I made a very simple mount using a broken reflector bracket and a bolt that fits the tripod mount. Didn't see a single other cyclist on the strip - it didn't strike me as a particularly bike friendly city although I did ride on some dedicated bike lanes off the strip.
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Post by fumobici on Feb 28, 2012 4:06:09 GMT
Excellent. I've been to the LV airport a couple of times to change planes but never gone into town. I'm glad I saw the video before the RIAA copyright nazis got their hands on it.
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Post by cristina on Feb 28, 2012 5:56:37 GMT
Awesome video imec!
I will be in LV for a conference the first week in April. I will make note of your bike-cam instructions (assuming I can get my hands on a bike)!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2012 5:58:50 GMT
You outlaw you! Filming in the casino! Well, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
I particularly enjoyed seeing Las Vegas in full sunlight so that you can see all of the warts. Most reports of Las Vegas obviously prefer to film it a night and turn a blind eye to the tattoo parlours, sleazy stripper joints and low end casinos.
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Post by bjd on Feb 28, 2012 8:12:32 GMT
Great video, Imec. You would make a great spy, or didn't it even cross the minds of the security guards that you could possibly be filming the inside of the casino from your bike?
I have never been to Las Vegas either and this doesn't make me want to go there, but your video is still wonderful and the music is perfect.
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Post by imec on Feb 28, 2012 13:36:40 GMT
Thanks everyone! let me adddress some of the comments... fb - yes I suppose it's only a matter of time - although other videos I've posted with music are still intact. cristina - here's a link with detailed instructions on how to put the mount together: www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-Camera-Mount-for-under-$1/k2 - To me, the sleazy side of LV is the interesting side - the new strIp is impressive but it's too sterile to be truly interesting. bjd - I took my bike (with the camera mounted) through the casino 4 mornings in a row (and once in the afternoon) and drew no attention. LV is not for everyone - but it is worth seeing - if only to witness what any sane person would consider unbelievable. The surrounding geography however is very beautiful. and bixa - (did you delete your post?) How do you now I didn't meet your son? What happens in Vegas... |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2012 13:52:15 GMT
OMG!!!! Son Of Bixa and Imec in Vegas??!!!! Now,THAT would bring out the security in force!!!   That's a really clever set up there with the camera. I need to get another pocket camera. I'm looking forward to seeing the canyon ride. Did you by any chance go to the old downtown part of Vegas? That's where I did my carousing. (I know,I'm dating myself big time here...) |
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 28, 2012 15:08:58 GMT
OMG!!!! Son Of Bixa and Imec in Vegas??!!!! Now,THAT would bring out the security in force!!! That's a really clever set up there with the camera. I need to get another pocket camera. I'm looking forward to seeing the canyon ride. Did you by any chance go to the old downtown part of Vegas? That's where I did my carousing. (I know,I'm dating myself big time here...) Carousing? That was something done a very long time ago........... ;D |
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Post by imec on Feb 29, 2012 18:25:39 GMT
A couple of people have expressed some aversion or disinterest in Las Vegas which does not surprise me at all - it's a destination that is often and easily misunderstood. One poster in another thread also expressed the thought that there's maybe more to Vegas than initially meets the eye. I offer these observations in response...
There's a lot more to Las Vegas than many realize. Yes, it is first and foremost a gambling mecca - but it goes a lot further than that - in several directions.
Live entertainment: While I'm sure it was at one time all pasties, G-strings and Wayne Newton, Vegas has "come a long way baby!". The breadth and depth of live entertainment is staggering - there is surely something for everyone. Cirque du Soleil alone offers 7 different permanent shows here (I've seen 3 - each one different, each one memorable). And beyond the long list of permanent or resident shows, the wide range of available venues coupled with a never ending stream of visitors specifically seeking entertainment ensures a healthy roster of touring acts in any given week.
Dining: Once the home of the $3.99 buffet, the $.99 steak and eggs and so on, Las Vegas now boasts an intense concentration of high end restaurants managed by some of the culinary worlds biggest names - Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, Emeril Lagasse and so on. And although some of these places can cost an arm and a leg, there are still bargains to be found on pre-theatre and prix fixe menus as well as menus which offer "small plates" meant for tasting rather than filling (which you can do very inexpensively here as well). The buffets still abound - although now a number of them are much higher quality and offer very good value. A number of good buffet brunches are available where the champagne is included in the price and flows freely!
Amusements: In the early 90's, in an (largely failed) attempt to recast itself as more of a family destination, Vegas began to see the introduction of various amusements targeting the younger set. The MGM Grand property even built a small theme park behind the hotel and casino (it closed in 2000). Some of these attractions survive in one form or another today and new ones have been added. Young (and sometimes older) adults can avail themselves of zip lining, bungee jumping, arcade gaming, thrill rides and roller coasters - including one atop the Manhattan themed New York, New York hotel and casino.
Sheer spectacle!: The Las Vegas strip has to be seen to be believed. Aside from the MASSIVENESS and grandeur of many of the hotels, one can see impressive replicas of St. Mark's Square, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, the Statue of Liberty and skyscrapers of Manhattan and even the Great Sphinx - all within a couple of miles! At night, one can witness an erupting volcano, a pirate ship battle and making fountains dancing to music. Step inside and one can experience the canals of Venice, Paris sidewalks, Roman squares, tropical paradises - it's all TOO MAD to be true - but it is (sort of) and it is truly something to behold.
The greatest show on earth: For many, nothing beats people watching and you'd have to go an awful long way to beat what's on offer here. You will see it ALL - high rollers riding in Rollers, the famous and the wanna be's, people who appear to be vagrants playing at the high stakes poker tables, conventioneers annoying the service personnel with there appalling tips, tackily dressed tourists in their new white vacation sneakers, the elderly living out their final fantasies, the youngsters on their first real night out. Priceless - and priced free.
History: Downtown, a 10 or so minute cab ride from the strip, you will see some of the famous old casinos still with the old style neon. stuff you have seen in countless movies. for me, this is the real Las Vegas - a little seedy in parts, tacky in others and undoubtedly altered to meet the needs and expectations of today 's tourist. But look past the souvenir carts and the new digital signs and it's all there - Las Vegas as Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky envisioned it.
Shopping: A LOT of money changes hands in Las Vegas and for when it walks away from the gaming tables, the city's kind merchants have established all manner of emporia for you to unburden ones self of it. The strip is decorated with fine storefronts of all the expensive designers - and their hours are most convenient. A short cab ride from town, the less well heeled can find a variety of outlet malls and other discounted shopping opportunities.
Touring: A short drive from the city a couple of wonders of the world may be observed - one natural and one industrial. The Grand Canyon offers opportunities for sightseeing, hiking, climbing etc. The Hoover Dam is an engineering marvel as well as an interesting study in Art Deco architecture.
Again, it's not for everyone, but there IS a lot more to Las Vegas than blackjack, slots, showgirls and lounge lizards.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2012 18:56:39 GMT
I made a photo report once (not on the internet) with a real film camera of one thing that at first surprised me about Las Vegas and which subsequently seemed blindingly obvious. It attracts more handicapped people that just about any other destination. Besides being a perfectly flat city, the things you can do in casinos are perfectly accessible to people with physical disabilities, even extreme ones, and of course there are all of the shows and restaurants as well.
And I am quite certain that the local sex trade caters to such people as well, who often have great difficulty finding romance, so I do not criticize them at all if they come to Las Vegas for a bit of relief.
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 1, 2012 4:15:53 GMT
What a fun video! Love the song choice. I also like your thorough, enthusiastic write-up on the allure of LV.
My husband and I are going to Utah again this June and we're flying into and out of LV. Doubt we'll have time to do much of anything there, though.
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Post by imec on Mar 1, 2012 13:02:25 GMT
Thanks nycg! Landing in LV always blows me away - I always forget how close the strip is to the airport - the whole thing is laid right out for you to see from the aircraft - the whole surreal experience starts before you even deplane!
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Post by mich64 on Mar 1, 2012 15:03:30 GMT
How can I not try to convince my husband to take me there now? It is sounding more and more enticing to visit.
Cheers!
Mich
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2012 17:55:34 GMT
It's true about the airport -- when you fly in at night as I have done a few times, you wish that the plane would land in the middle of the strip instead of at the airport, since it seems like a possibility.
What was that movie where a plane actually did that? Nicolas Cage?
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Post by mich64 on Mar 1, 2012 18:31:21 GMT
Kerouac, was it Con Air? Where the plane full of convicts lands on the street in Las Vegas?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2012 22:29:24 GMT
That was probably it.
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