I’m just back from our summer family road trip around California. There were many highlights, including Yosemite, Big Sur and San Francisco, but for me the most interesting was Las Vegas.
The city is going through tough times right now, with unemployment higher than ever and those much needed gamblers not coming in big enough numbers or with fat enough wallets. The Strip still shines throughout the night, but the number of dormant and half-finished casinos still surprised me, carefully hidden and only visible if you’ve got a long nose like me.
I am fascinated by the history of Vegas. How it grew to its heyday in the fifties, the gangsters and showgirls, and the fantastic design of the buildings, typography and incredible signage. The neon that has become iconic, plots the social history of the city, and still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck when you first drive down the Strip.
I was delighted then to find the following article on the BBC website when I got back. If you’ve got 5 minutes, this is a fascinating film about how the old neon is creating a history, and provides an excellent insight into the marvelous Las Vegas.
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