R-Rated Pompeii… Seaports of the Mediterranean

March 29, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 7 Comments

The Lupanare or main brothel of Pompeii. Girls would stand in the window and call to the men below.

The Lupanare or main brothel of Pompeii. Women would stand in the window and bark at the men below.

Today’s blog is R-rated with a :). It’s for mature audiences with a sense of humor. Seriously.

I’ll start by noting that the citizens of Pompeii had a slightly different take on morality than we do; um, make that a major take. Erotic art was found everywhere in the city during archeological excavations. Think ubiquitous. It was also quite explicit.

When King Frances of Naples visited a Pompeii exhibition at the National Museum with his family in 1819, he was so embarrassed by the erotic art that he locked it away in a secret cabinet. Ever since, the collection has had a history of on-again, off-again exposure.

Early bra sizing.

Today, it’s on again. Sort of. When you visit the Archeological Museum in Naples, Pompeii’s erotic art is stored in the Gabinetto Segreto, Secret Room. You may have to make an appointment to get in… not because the subject matter is XXX, (which it is) but because the exhibit is the most visited site in the museum.

Similarly, in Pompeii, the Lupanare is included on every tour group’s must-see list. Our guide warned us that visiting the brothel was an adult activity. She also told us we weren’t allowed to linger. Our tour was to be a quickie, so to speak. We had five minutes. Other groups were waiting.

The brothel was called the Lupanare because its working ladies were called lupe or she wolves. They were called lupe because they were not allowed to solicit in the normal way. It wasn’t “Hey, sailor, looking for a good time?” It was more like “woof, woof, woooooo.”

Once inside, guests were treated to a series of paintings that graphically portrayed the various services available… and costs. Sailors weren’t noted for being literate. Each woman a small cubicle with a stone bed.

Each of the ten rooms in the Lupanare had a stone bed and pillow. I call this Lupe's Den.

Each of the rooms in the Lupanare had a stone bed and pillow. I call this Lupe’s Den. Hopefully, a mattress was included.

Graffiti was found on the walls. Those who could write were invited to evaluate their experience. It was basic. “Sollemnes, you S**** well!” one proclaimed. Apparently, she received a four-star rating.

In Naples we followed up with a visit to the Secret Room. I found the exhibition much more humorous than erotic. I mean, how can you take a flying penis with bells on seriously?

It's hard to take this guy with wings and bells on seriously.

Stepping out for the night? A friend said, “OK, I get the wings, but what’s with the bells?” I told him I found them quite chiming.

Batter up? Or maybe I should label this 17, 18 and 19.

Batter up? Or maybe I should label this contestants 17, 18 and 19 doing the Macarena. And the winner is…

I’ll close with a final view of the Lupanare. It had 10 rooms, altogether. Five upstairs and five down. The upstairs rooms were larger and had private entrances.

NEXT BLOG: Back to a G-rated look at Pompeii.

Pompeii: A City Buried Alive… Seaports of the Mediterranean

March 27, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 18 Comments

Buried by a pyroclastic flow of volcanic rocks in 89 AD, Pompeii provides one of our most detailed accounts of what life was like in the Roman Empire.

Buried by a pyroclastic flow of volcanic rocks in 79 AD, Pompeii provides one of our most detailed records of what life was like in the Roman Empire.

Their lives would have been interrupted by a series of small tremors. It had to be worrisome; seventeen years earlier Pompeii had come close to being destroyed in a massive earthquake. The city was still being rebuilt. Possibly the residents woke on the morning of August 24, 79 AD and looked fearfully at the restless mountain that loomed over them… and then went on about their chores.

Everything ended at 1:00 PM.

Mt. Vesuvius exploded in a massive eruption sending tons of ash, gas and rocks spewing 20 miles into the sky and forming a dense mushroom cloud. Winds quickly carried the ash into Pompeii, turning day into night and dreams into nightmares. The majority fled, escaping by whatever means available. Those who stayed behind died… suffocating at first under the blanket of thick ash and ultimately, the next morning, being buried alive under a pyroclastic flow of molten rock and gas that flew down the mountain at speeds close to 100 miles per hour.

Viewed from an archeological perspective, history’s tragedy has become today’s blessing. The molten rock and ash that covered Pompeii, also preserved it, providing historians with their most complete view of what life was like in ancient Rome. Over the next week, I will be blogging about our recent trip to Pompeii and sharing photographs of this remarkably preserved city.

Our early morning arrival at the seaport of Naples showed Mt. Vesuvius looming over the city on a rainy day.

While the majority of people living in Pompeii escaped, the remains of over 1000 have been found. By carefully pouring plaster into impressions left by the bodies buried under the pyroclastic flow, archeologists have created casts of these bodies. Several of these casts are on view in Pompeii.

Plaster cast of body buried under pyroclastic flow of volcanic rock in Pompeii.

This plaster cast of a body found in Pompeii looks the man merely went to sleep.

This plaster cast of a body found in Pompeii looks like the man merely went to sleep.

This body cast from Pompeii suggests to me that the person was gasping for breath.

Several of the body casts in Pompeii were in storage.

Today, a number of spectacular views of Mt. Vesuvius can be seen from Pompeii. The mountain is approximately four miles away.

Mt. Vesuvius rises above the Temple of Jupiter in Pompeii.

Burning Man and Steampunk… Burning Man 2013

March 25, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 11 Comments

It is hard to imagine steampunk being better represented than Neverwas Haul. Picture placing a Victorian home on top of an old train's steam engine, complete with cow-catcher. (Photo by Tom Lovering aka Adios.)

It is hard to imagine steampunk being better represented than Neverwas Haul. Picture placing an elegant Victorian home on top of a train’s steam engine. (Photo by Tom Lovering aka Adios.)

Burning Man and steampunk are made for each other. Think sci-fi/fantasy, alternative history, Wild West, Victorian costumes and mutant vehicles and you could be thinking about Burning Man… or you could be thinking about steampunk.

Although I have spent much of my life reading science fiction… and many of my favorite authors have dipped into the world of steampunk (some like Jules Verne, long before the genre evolved), it was at Burning Man that I first heard the name.

I view steampunk as an escape into the past, a form of romantic fantasy where Victorian elegance and advanced steam engine technology exist side by side. Gas engines, electricity, and strait-laced Victorian attitudes have yet to be invented.

The elaborate costumes and mutant vehicles that are so central to the Burning Man experience provide fertile ground for steampunk culture. Two mutant vehicles, El Pulpo Mechanico and Neverwas Haul, stand out in my mind as archetypes of steampunk presence at Burning Man.

I look forward to seeing in what wonderfully creative ways steampunk will be represented at Burning Man 2013.

El Popo Mechanico enjoys watching the Man Burn at Burning Man 2012.

El Pulpo Mechanico enjoys watching the Man Burn at Burning Man 2012. (Photo by Curtis Mekemson)

El Popo Mechanico with an admiring crowd in all of his flaming glory.

El Pulpo Mechanico with an admiring crowd in all of his flaming glory. (Photo by Curtis Mekemson.)

El Popo Mechanico, a major example of steampunk, rests up for another fiery night at Burning Man.

El Pulpo Mechanico, rests up for another fiery night at Burning Man. I love the bulging eyeballs and sharp teeth. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

An upper view of Neverwas Haul and a crew member dressed up in Victorian garb. (Photo by Curtis Mekemson.)

I also like this side view of the Victorian house on Neverwas Haul. (Photo by Curtis Mekemson)

I feel that a number of other mutant vehicles at Burning Man would be quite at home in a steampunk landscape. This is one. (Photo by Beth Lovering.)

A final steampunk-like mutant vehicle found at Burning Man. (Photo by Curtis Mekemson.)

If you have enjoyed this blog, you might want to check out my five reasons for going to Burning Man in 2014.

NEXT BLOG: It’s back to the sea ports of the Mediterranean and the volcano-preserved city of Pompeii.

Window-shopping in Venice… The Sea Ports of the Mediterranean

March 22, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 4 Comments

Window shopping in Venice is one treat after another. Noted for its masks and glass work, I thought this owl caught both.

Window shopping in Venice is one treat after another. Numerous windows display masks or glass work, I thought this owl caught both.

I promised a window-shopping trip in Venice so window-shopping we will go. Staring in store windows is fun. In addition to people watching, it falls under the category of vicarious pleasure. And it’s free. Of course the shop owners have other objectives in mind.

Venice does a fabulous job with window displays. We saw mouth-watering pastries, chocolate fantasies, clunky shoes, a bejeweled rear end, and an interesting ceramic cow.

I am sure these clunky shoes are stylish but I confess to not getting it.

I am sure these clunky shoes are stylish even though I don’t get it. I do get that I would hesitate to get in an argument with the woman wearing them.

This sculpture challenged my imagination like the shoes above. I don't think a bejeweled butt would compliment Peggy and my native art collection.

This 440 euro butt sculpture challenged my imagination like the shoes above. I did find the glass beadwork fun, however.

As ads go, this ceramic cow in Venice was quite creative. Got paint?

A Venetian chocolatier created a ski scene from his product in his window. I almost lost Peggy…

What impressed me the most about the window displays in Venice were those featuring glassware and masks. Both reach back into the city’s ancient history.

How many places can claim they have been “supplying quality glass products since 1291”? That’s the year that a Venice made of wood required all of its glass makers to move to the island of Murano in the Venice Lagoon. Community leaders feared that the glass making process would burn the city down. Venice quickly became the center of Europe’s trade in beautiful glass objects.

The upside for the glass makers was that they were invited into the highest ranks of Venetian society. The downside was they were threatened with having their hands chopped off or assassination if they moved and took their talents elsewhere.

I suspect the artist who created this sculpture of glass blowers had devilish fun with his work.

I liked this Venice window display because it captured different types of glass work including the elephant and shows off various techniques of coloring glass.

Venetians apparently carried out numerous activities they felt were best done while wearing masks. For example, in 1339 Venice passed a law that forbid inhabitants from visiting nun convents while wearing masks. One can only wonder… During plague times doctors wore long nose masks they believed protected them from the disease. Not. Today masks are a central part of the Carnival of Venice that ends on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras).

The Venetian masks displayed in shops can be quite beautiful and elaborate.

The masks of Venice can also be a bit on the scary side such as this mask of Medusa. Note the masks covering the eyes on the snake heads. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

The masks of Venice can also be a bit on the scary side such as this mask of Medusa. Note the masks on the snake heads. See no evil, hear no evil, smell no evil, speak no evil? (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

This mask making shop had their creations lined up assembly line style. Their eerie see through character made me think of them as ghost masks.

This mask making shop had their creations lined up assembly line style. Their eerie see through character of the pre painted masks made me think of them as ghosts.

Type of masks warn by Venetian doctors during the plague.

This type of mask was worn by doctors when Venice was suffering through the plague. I am not sure whether the doctors thought they were hiding from the plague or scaring it away.

I like this window display of Venetian masks because of its variety.

The fingers grasping this Venetian plague mask caught my attention.

The faun-like character of this mask is obvious. Once again, it displays the incredible detail of many of the Venetian masks.

I will conclude with this modern mask of part man and part machine… a scary prediction of the future or steampunk?

NEXT BLOG: I will take a one blog break from Europe to explore how steampunk is impacting Burning Man. (The masks reminded me of the event.) After I revisit the annual event that takes place in the northern Nevada desert, I will begin my series on Pompei.

Lost on the Streets of Venice… Sea Ports of the Mediterranean

March 20, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 9 Comments

Walking through Venice allowed us to enjoy what was unique about the city, such as this lamp.

I have always felt the best way to learn about a city is to walk its streets. (I feel the same way about a forest.) Fortunately, I was travelling in Europe with companions who also loved to walk. For the most part, we skipped the tours recommended by the cruise line. It isn’t that the tours were bad… we enjoyed the ones we did, but they are regimented and expensive. There is no wandering off on your own, or taking longer to enjoy a particular site than the tour leader allows.

Venice is a great walking city… if you don’t mind getting a little lost. Streets have a tendency to take you somewhere you weren’t planning to go and come to abrupt ends. Street signs are rare. What the city does do, however, is post signs that will eventually lead to major monuments. And of course, you are on a relatively small island. How lost can you get?

A good map is an important tool when walking off the beaten path (or main tourist routes). We didn’t always agree on where we were or the proper route to take, however… and we all considered ourselves experts in map reading. Our companions caught many photos of us studying and ‘discussing’ maps. This was in Venice. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Common sense is important. Wandering down dark, lonely alleys can be risky at times, regardless of where you are. But in restricting your journey to major streets and walkways, you limit your opportunities to have adventures and develop a true sense of the communities you are visiting.

It is important to look around and notice the small as well as the large, the seemingly insignificant as well as what is featured in the guidebooks. Photography helps, I believe, once you get beyond ‘we were there snap shots’ and allow your mind to feast on the wonderful variety that any area offers. It teaches you to see new things and to seek out what is unique. Following are various locations and objects that Peggy and I found of interest.

This photo provides a good example of our wandering off the main tourist routes of Venice.

Peggy Mekemson knocks on a door in the back streets of Venice.

Of course, you can always stop and ask for directions…

We found this open air market just off of the Rialto Bridge. Even on a cold, rainy day, it was packed with people. I suspect there was a fair amount of Christmas shopping going on since it was mid-December.

I don't remember where I came upon this friendly looking, gargoyle-type of lion, but he was definitely worth a photo.

I don’t remember where I came upon this friendly looking, gargoyle-type of lion in Venice, but it was definitely worth a photo.

Venice street scene showing colorful buildings and flower boxes.

I felt this photo captured the colorful buildings and flower boxes of Venice streets. Also note the green pharmacy sign and green pharmacy lamp on the lower left.

Window flower boxes are common in Venice, Italy.

One thing you find much more of in Europe than in the US are flower boxes. I can depend on Peggy to photograph them. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Another example of window flower boxes in Venice. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

I captured this colorful shot of a window flower box in Venice.

The Hotel Iris is definitely not one of your more swank hotels in Venice… and it knows it. I looked it up online and its website headline proclaimed: Hotel Iris: A Cheap hotel in Venice. Cheap was capitalized by the hotel. I consider that truth in advertising. In the US it would be “affordable lodging.”

Starry roman numeral 24 hour clock found off of St. Marks Square in Venice Italy.

One of the advantages of a telephoto lens is it allows you to capture detail you can’t normally see. I doubt I would have spotted the Winged Lion of St. Mark in the center of this starred 24 hour roman numeral clock found off of St. Mark’s Square. Note the wild minute hand. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

I am always intrigued by what I consider as invitations, such as this stairwell in Venice. It’s saying “Come and climb up. See what’s up here.” Unfortunately, the locked iron fence said something else.

Speaking of iron fences in Venice, was this one saying “Take my picture.” or “Don’t even think about climbing over!”?

NEXT BLOG: Window shopping in Venice. Think Masks.

The Intriguing Canals and Bridges of Venice… Sea Ports of the Mediterranean

March 18, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 12 Comments

I shot this photo from the Rialto Bridge looking down on the Grand Canal.

It is impossible to think of Venice without thinking of canals and romantic gondolas with singing gondoliers. Or possibly your vision of Venice is of fast boats with roaring engines and good guys/bad guys chasing each other with guns blazing as depicted in any number of movies.

A gondolier works his boat on cold, rough waters in the Grand Canal as his passengers enjoy the ride, bundled up in warm clothes.

We were on off-season, however. Only a few hardy tourists braved the cold for gondola rides and no movies were being made. The canals had reverted to their primary role as transportation corridors, a role which they have played for a thousand years.

This is a sight you wouldn’t see during the summer when these gondolas would be filled with tourists. I thought of the gathered gondolas as a gondola parking lot.

Luxury accommodations gondola style.

Peggy took this photo of parked gondolas looking from Venice proper across at the island of La Giudecca. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

We chose to walk on the carless streets that parallel the canals and cross over them on bridges that have as much personality of the canals and provide intriguing glimpses of life along the canals. The highlight of our journey was the famous Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal but the smaller canals, known as rivers, provided more intimate views.

This photo shows the famed Rialto Bridge that served for centuries as the only bridge across the Grand Canal, which snakes its way through Venice as the major transportation corridor.

The more recent Accademia Bridge across the Grand Canal has a totally different look and construction. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

I took this photo from the other side of the Accademia Bridge to capture the parked gondolas and the boat taxi that is crossing under the bridge.

Smaller canals, known as rivers in Venice, provide a more intimate view of life in the city. The buildings here were built by wealthy Venetians when Venice was a major world power controlling trade between the East and the West. Houses then, as now, were a symbol of wealth and power.

Peggy captured this interesting entrance way. I assume it would have been taller in the early years before sinking and global warming.

Flower/plant boxes are found throughout the city. I liked how these were next to the canal.

I’ll conclude with this reflection shot. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

NEXT BLOG: Having fun getting lost in Venice.

Venice: Winged Lions and A Pork Barrel Saint… Sea Ports of the Mediterranean

March 15, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 4 Comments

St. Mark’s Basilica is a beautiful church that dominates St. Marks Square in Venice.

Being eager to begin our exploration of Venice we picked up a water taxi from the cruise port. It retraced our earlier route from a sea-level perspective and deposited us near a large statue of Victor Emmanuel. He served as the first king of Italy when the various Italian city-states were united in the mid 1800s.

I took this photo of King Emmanuel charging into battle with his sword raised and horse’s tail flying.

Another photo of Emmanuel’s imposing horse in the waterfront monument in Venice.

In addition to an imposing horse and Victor, the statue features Venice, represented as a woman, and St. Mark, represented as a winged lion, book-ending the monument. On one end, the lion bites through the chains of Austrian oppression while Venice looks on in a tattered dress with one breast hanging out; on the other end he roars in victory and Venice is fully clothed in an expensive dress.

While St. Mark the lion chews through the chains of Austrian oppression,Venice looks depressed and disheveled in this photo of the Victor Emmanuel statue in Venice. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

St. Mark, with his representational lion, is the protector of Venice. The lion can be found almost everywhere. Mark, of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, supposedly came through the region when it was a swamp and gave his blessing. This justified two Venetian merchants turning into grave robbers and stealing the body from Alexandria in 828 AD. They slipped Mark into a pork barrel for transport. Moslems consider pork unclean so the barrel was unlikely to be checked by the local officials.

Mark made it safely to Venice in his smelly container, was presented to the Doge of Venice, and was subsequently buried under what would become St. Mark’s Basilica located on St. Mark’s Square, which was our objective for the day.

Along the way we would pass by the Bridge of Sighs and the Doge’s Palace. We would also walk on water. Actually we walked on tables that are placed in the square to help people avoid the Adriatic Sea, which is a regular visitor. Between Venice sinking some nine inches per century, high tides, and global warming, floods have become a serious problem for the city.

Peggy, Kathi Saage and Frances Dallen pose in front of the Bridge of Sighs. They aren't sighing but they are cold. A gondola lurks in the background. I suspect he was cold as well.

Peggy, Kathi Saage and Frances Dallen pose in front of the Bridge of Sighs. They aren’t sighing but they are cold. A gondolier lurks in the background. I suspect he was cold as well.

The Bridge of Sighs was so named because prisoners, condemned in the Doge’s Palace, could have their last look at freedom as they crossed the bridge from the Palace to the prison. Supposedly they sighed. It took a poet, Lord Byron, to give the bridge its name.

The Doge's Place once served as the center of government for Venice and was home of the Doge, the most powerful man in Venice at the time and therefore one of the most powerful men in the western world. Today the palace is a museum filled with magnificent art.

The Doge’s Palace once served as the center of government for Venice and was home of the Doge, the most powerful man in Venice at the time and therefore one of the most powerful men in the western world. Today the palace is a museum filled with magnificent art. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

A rather furry Neptune, symbol of Venice’s sea power, welcomes visitors to the Doge’s Palace.

A view of the inner courtyard of the Doge’s Palace in Venice.

St. Mark's Basilica with its domed top is almost Byzantine in appearance.

St. Mark’s Basilica, located next to the Doge’s Palace is Byzantine in appearance. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

An evening view of the colorful St. Marks Basilica in Venice. The bronze horses on the upper right were stolen from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade when Venice was supposed to be helping Constantinople, not plundering it. But then, if your church is built on the stolen bones of a Saint, why not? (grin)

St. Mark’s Basilica and street lamps by night.

The Campanile is a prominent St. Mark’s Square and Venice landmark. In 1902 it came tumbling down and had to be replaced.

This clock tower is another prominent land mark. Note the winged lion and the digital clock with Roman Numerals.

This clock tower is another well-known land mark in St. Mark’s Square. Note the winged lion and the digital clock with Roman Numerals. The bronze bell ringers on top and the astrological clock at the bottom are also impressive.

As I mentioned, Venice is subject to frequent floods. Global warming has added to this problem. This shot, taken just below the Clock Tower in St. Mark’s Square, shows people using the table walkways and walking through the water.

I'll close with this flood photo I took in St. Mar's Square that reflects both lamp posts and walls located in the Square.

I’ll close with this flood photo I took in St. Mark’s Square that reflects both lamp posts and walls located in the Square.

NEXT BLOG: The striking and practical canals of Venice.

A Crow’s Nest View of Venice… Sea Ports of the Mediterranean

March 13, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 6 Comments

Perched on the top deck of the Crown Princess, it was easy to see that Venice is an island, a relatively small island. Plopped down on a marsh, it is sinking into the sea at about 9 inches per century. Vivaldi, BTW, once offered music lessons at the Hotel Metropole on the right.

Perched on the top deck of the Crown Princess, it was easy to see that Venice is an island, a relatively small island. Built on a marsh, it is sinking into the sea at about 9 inches per century. Vivaldi, BTW, once offered music lessons at the Hotel Metropole on the right.

We approached Venice by sea, as mariners have for the past thousand years. I was perched on the top deck of the Crown Princess looking down on the fabled island city with a sea gull’s perspective. Icy winds turned my traveler’s curiosity into a minor act of courage. A warm bar beckoned. But I was strong. There were photos to be taken and adventures to plan. We would be in Venice for the next day and a half and there was much to see. My next five blogs will be devoted to the city. Today’s blog is on my crow’s nest view. I will then write about visiting the area around St. Mark’s Square, admiring the city’s famed canals, getting “lost” among Venice’s confusing streets, and going window shopping.

Venice is justly famed for its canals… and for the bridges over the canals. Each seems to have a different personality.

Altogether, there are some 25 miles of canals. Each one invites exploration. The building just visible on the right is the city’s naval museum. Venice was once one of the world’s greatest sea powers.

The presence of gondolas suggested we were getting near the center of Venice’s greatest tourist attraction…

And we arrived. The building on the right is the Doge’s Palace. Next to it is the beginning of St. Mark’s Square… the center of Venice.

Looking down on St. Mark's Square. The Campanile is on the left, St. Mark's Basilica is on the right behind the Doges Palace.

Looking down on St. Mark’s Square. The Campanile is on the left and St. Mark’s Basilica is on the right, behind the Doge’s Palace. Snow capped mountains are in the distance.

I found this building, the Emporio Dei Sali, interesting. Once it housed salt. Now it is home to one of Venice’s best rowing clubs.

This photo looks back toward the Campanile. The opening on the right is the beginning of the Grand Canal. The church is La Salute, which was built as an offering of thanks at the end of the plague of 1630 when one third of the City's population died.

This photo looks back toward the Campanile. The opening on the right is the beginning of the Grand Canal. The church with the onion dome is La Salute, which was built as an offering of thanks at the end of the plague of 1630 when one-third of the City’s population died.

A final view from my crow’s nest perspective. The hotel Pensione Calcina was once home to limestone sellers.

NEXT BLOG: The many attractions of St. Mark’s Square as it floods beneath the Adriatic Sea.

Glamorous, Glitzy and Tacky Las Vegas … On the Road

March 11, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 13 Comments

Wandering down the Las Vegas Strip at night can be a jaw-dropping experience. This is the Excalibur Casino, an adult Disneyland.

Gambling interests in Nevada will make around a billion dollars in profit this month, so it is no surprise they can afford to build the massive pleasure palaces that line Las Vegas Boulevard. A walk down the Strip, as it is known, can be a jaw dropping experience, especially at night. Even McDonald’s has a sparkling sign. A recent article in the Smithsonian Magazine noted that Las Vegas is lit up by over 15,000 miles of neon tubes.

The New York, New York Casino. The line snaking across the front of it is a towering roller coaster that adds screams to Las Vegas Boulevard.

New York, New York on the Las Vegas Strip,also features an imposing Statue of Liberty.

New York, New York Casino on the Las Vegas Strip,also features an imposing Statue of Liberty.

Not to be outdone, the Paris Casino features the Eiffel Tower.

The Paris Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Even McDonalds adds a touch of glitz on the Strip.

Even McDs adds a touch of glitter on the Strip.

A stroll down Las Vegas Boulevard during the day also brings impressive sights, such as this one of the Wynn Hotel and Casino.

Wandering through the various casinos can also provide a day’s entertainment. The Venetian Casino in Las Vegas features canals, gondolas, and gondoliers who sing. The sky is fake.

And there is glamour… some of the world’s top entertainers perform in Las Vegas. We took in Zarkana, the latest acrobatic Cirque du Soleil extravaganza, and two musicals.

Las Vegas been a glitzy kind of place ever since gambling was legalized in Nevada and the first mobsters set up shop in the town during the 40s, 50s and 60s. Those were the days when the Rat Pack roamed the streets and Frank Sinatra introduced John Kennedy to Judith Exner, a mistress the President shared with Mob Boss Sam Giancana.

The excellent Mob Museum in the older part of Las Vegas shares this and many other stories about the history of the mob in America. It is well worth a visit. Peggy and I, along with our friends Ken and Leslie Lake, spent three hours in the museum. We also took advantage of its location to wander down Fremont Street and experience Las Vegas as it once was before the Strip took over.

Among the three floors of displays in the Mob Museum is this electric chair.

Among the three floors of displays in the Mob Museum in Las Vegas is this electric chair.

A trip down Fremont Street is a trip down Memory Lane. At one time, this would have been one of Las Vegas’s top casinos.

I confess to liking the old neon signs of Las Vegas as much as I like the glitzy neon of the strip.

This old Binion Cadillac is a fitting companion to the neon sign above. The Benion of Binion's Casino was one of the early casino owners with close ties to the mob.

This old Binion Cadillac with its Wild West theme is a fitting companion to the neon horse above. The Binion of Binion’s Casino was one of the early casino owners with close ties to the mob.

In addition to being glamorous and glitzy, Las Vegas can also be tacky. Souvenir shops line the streets. Hustlers push everything from “free” drinks to nude women. People dressed up in dozens of costumes ranging from Bat Man to Sponge Bob and Darth Vader invite you to have photos taken with them… for a fee, of course.

My friend Ken Lake chose to pose with these “show girls” over Sponge Bob. It cost him a couple of bucks. I figured the least I could do was feature him in my blog.

I am not sure this display at the Hilton fits tacky but it was amusing.

Peggy, in another life, may have been a palm reader. Alas Ms. Laurie was out, so Peggy is still wondering about her future.

Peggy also modeled for me in the pawn shop where the popular TV program Pawn Stars is filmed.

I’ve saved my last two photos for those of you who have clown phobias. This guy is outside the Circus Circus Casino.

We were walking back to our hotel one evening when I turned around and the Circus Circus clown was staring at us over a building. Does evil fit?

NEXT BLOG: I leave Las Vegas and return to my tour of Mediterranean Ports. Venice is up next.

Beauty vs. Glitz: A Break from Las Vegas at Red Rock Canyon… On the Road

March 8, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 11 Comments

Red Rock Canyon with its beauty and silence is just a few minutes a away from Las Vegas.

Red Rock Canyon with its beauty and silence is just a few minutes away from Las Vegas.

I was going to blog about glitzy Las Vegas today but we took a detour. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a few miles to the west of the Strip and it’s billion dollar pleasure palaces. Nothing could provide a greater contrast. Glitz and noise are replaced by beauty and silence. And, unlike Las Vegas, the park is not dedicated to separating you from your money. I could make the $7 dollar per vehicle entrance fee disappear into a video poker machine faster than it took the park ranger to collect it.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Park features one of the most impressive visitor centers I have seen in my decades of visiting State and National Parks across the United States.

I took this desert tortoise photo at the Visitor Center for the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

This human size silver lizard was one of several sculptures at the Red Canyon Visitors’ Center.

Peggy is standing next to a sculpture resenting air.

Peggy is standing next to a sculpture representing air. Note the rabbit ears in the background.

Ken Lake, dressed up in his SF Giants memorabilia, demonstrates the proper se of the rabbit ears.

Ken Lake, dressed up in his SF Giants memorabilia, demonstrates the proper use of the rabbit ears.

We spent an hour with our friends Ken and Leslie Lake checking out the Visitor Center and then another three hours on a leisurely tour of the 13-mile drive through the park. We could have easily spent all day had we taken advantage of the numerous trails along the way.

A view of the mountains and their distinctive ribbon of red from the Red Rock Canyon Visitors's Center.

A view of the mountains and their distinctive ribbon of red from the Red Rock Canyon Visitor’s Center. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Another view of the mountains in Red Rock Canyon taken by Peggy.

I liked the contrasting rock colors provided by this photo on our 13 mile drive through Red Rock Canyon.

The erosive forces of wind and water were at work here. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Peggy captured this jumble of rocks which reminded me of Bryce Canyon.

Peggy captured this jumble of highly eroded rocks, which reminded me of Bryce Canyon.

Numerous trails and canyons along the way invited further exploration. Both springs and Indian Rock Art are found hidden away in the canyons. Next time…

NEXT BLOG: I will do the blog on Las Vegas glitz that I was going to do today.

Wandering through Time and Place

Exploring the world with Curtis and Peggy Mekemson