Words About Things

Although the area around modern day Las Vegas is basically desert it’s name actually means ‘the meadows’ in Spanish. Natural wells in the area meant that it was surprisingly green. The valley belonged to Mexico before it was seized by the USA during the Mexican-American war. In 1855 the area was taken over by Mormons who were eventually driven out by the native American Paiute tribe. It wasn’t until the early 20th century when water from the underground wells was piped into the town that Las Vegas began to grow into the city it is today.

The history of Las Vegas is very interesting but it seems quite distant from what the city has become, ‘The city of sin’ as it is often called has reinvented itself. These days it is famous for its giant casinos and over the top entertainment in stark contrast to its Mormon past. Modern day Vegas has a reputation as a city where ‘anything goes’ which includes gambling, strip clubs, mass intoxication and quickie marriages. Traveling around the city you are likely to see lots of bachelor and bachelorette parties and thousands of bad Elvis impersonators.

The area around Las Vegas has lots to offer for tourists who have had their fill of gambling and drinking. The invitingly named Death Valley is about 135 miles away in the Mojave Desert. Hop in a hire car in Las Vegas and you could be sweating away in Death Valley within a few hours.

Death Valley National Park comprises more than 3.3 million acres of spectacular desert scenery, rare desert wildlife, complex geology, undisturbed wilderness and sites of historical interest. Death Valley is unique because it contains the lowest, hottest, driest location in North America. Nearly 550 square miles of its area lie below sea level.

The hotels in Las Vegas are as understated and tasteful as you might expect – not all all. The Venetian hotel contains a pool deck and a actual working canal, the Luxor hotel is housed within a life sized pyramid. Most of the big hotels in the city have entertainment facilities, health spas and casinos. Some even have wedding chapels so you can get married in between gambling away your savings and going out for dinner.

Whatever you decide to do it up to you but remember: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Ever since I read Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas I have wanted to travel across America in an open topped sports car, seeing the film cemented this desire. I don’t plan on ingesting a car boot full of drugs but driving cross country really appeals to me. Unfortunately I don’t have an attorney to take with me but I’m sure I can improvise. Las Vegas is the obvious choice for a final destination in particular Circus Circus although if it’s anything like it is in the film I may have to make a hasty retreat.

There are plenty of great books and films which use the wide expanses of the American landscape and a backdrop to events. The great thing about a road movie is that the constant movement drives the action forward so there is never a dull moment. Jack Kerouac’s On The Road is another fine example, a vibrant narrative driven by a cross country journey in a beat up old  Hudson. On The Road was written on one long roll of paper in a stream of consciousness style aided by large amounts of coffee, its physical dimensions referencing the endless highways which cross America horizontally.

I have always wanted to hire a car on one side of America and drive all the way across to the opposite coast stopping anywhere that seems interesting. I have even gone so far as to look into car hire in the USA to see if this is possible. Clearly this couldn’t be done in an ordinary car, it would need to be a convertible and preferably red, a Dodge Charger or a Ford Mustang would do fine.

Cars in England tend to be a bit smaller than their American counterparts. I guess this is because we have different types of roads (lots of narrow, twisting country lanes compared to big highways) and probably a different sense of proportion. Everything about America is bigger and and brasher (and it’s probably best I end that sentence there). I consider myself quite English (reserved, up-tight and of the opinion that guns are a Bad Thing) but I really like American cars. No Hummers or SUVs but good old fashioned long square ones with go-faster-stripes and a sense of style.

Modern cars leave me cold, I don’t understand why aerodynamics are considered quite so important, I would rather have a car that is a clearly defined shape than one that looks like a squished diamond. Ideally I would have a Ford Mustang or a Dodge Charger:

Unfortunately I don’t have the necessary spare cash to blow on one of these cars so I’m destined to own sensible second hand cars that are dull but get you falrom A to B. I have found that there are several car rental companies who specialise in classic cars so my dreams of driving one aren’t too far fetched.