Viva Las Vegas. To paraphrase from a guidebook introduction, Vegas is unlike any other city in the world because other cities build hotels near the major attractions, whereas the hotel casinos here are the major attractions. The themes have run wild and opulence is flying out of the gambling hands and into the fabric of the city. As one major hotel surpasses another in excess the challenge is matched and there appears to be no end in sight with the newest casino addition coming in December: the Cosmopolitan.
I have refrained from gambling entirely, because I don't feel the need to donate to the vast riches of the casinos. After the luxurious Mormon temple and devoted missionaries in Salt Lake city, I see no lack of devotion from the casino goers towards their own gambling religion. Everybody pays for their faith! The next step is to combine the two and really double down on hope. Introducing the future: 24/7 churches with VLT's. Learn morals whilst being given free drinks for your gambled donations! All tax free!
Allright, not really a great idea, but I rode a bike to Vegas, so don't be fooled into thinking that I believe anything is impossible.
I've come to the epiphany that the memories of the bike ride are endeared because we saw vast tracts of the spectacular geography of the U.S. and then made them more cherished by terminating the journey at the most fake city I have ever seen. After weeks of constantly changing natural settings we have arrived at an artificial and uninhibited manifestation of gambling. The themes of traveling without gasoline and visiting six national parks starkly contrasts, to the extent of irony, the sin city destination.
Thomas...next time I'm picking the route.
