The Rest of Vegas: Summer 2020

*The Golden Nugget. Pentax K1000 + Kodak Portra 400.*

In the first post of this series on a trip into the western United States, I described my travel partner and our planned excursion this way:

“What I wanted to see, what Travis could guide us to, were the remote—vestiges and fragments of a former Vegas that still existed on the periphery and between.”

We saw more than just remnants of the past, though, and Travis is more than just a tour guide—he’s a kind and patient friend, an excellent photographer and artist who has an understanding of not just Las Vegas’ history, but its present as well. His appreciation for the city and region were far deeper than the limited impression I had come away with on my sole visit two years prior. I had enjoyed my time there in 2018, but hadn’t felt any real desire to come back. Then, two years later, I wanted to go into the desert with 35mm film and Vegas offered the most convenient airport.

*Fremont St. Experience. Pentax K1000 + Kodak Portra 400.*

Travis sold me on the idea of giving the city another look, devoting more time to exploring beyond the glow of neon lights and tourist traps. We enjoyed ramen at a hole-in-the-wall, took in the city’s Koreatown and Chinatown, wandered the Arts District, sipped drinks at a strip mall tiki joint, and wandered Fremont St. from its light show experience all the way down to the parts that still echo the previously mentioned work of photographer Fred Sigman.

*Las Vegas Chinatown. Pentax K1000 + Kodak Portra 400.*

After two days of burning through 35mm film (and shooting digital), exploring, eating, and drinking—I came away with a much deeper appreciation for Las Vegas. One tied to the start of trying to understand the place’s unique local identity. Sometime down the line, I hope to be back, once again looking at the details of street art and repurposed motels while fighting off hangovers in the Nevada heat.

Some final photographs made around Vegas before we ventured into the desert: