As I have referenced in a few other posts, I made a long trip to Las Vegas this summer to do a bit of fashion exploration and photography practice. Upon returning to Portland I was immersed in summer school so I placed my photos aside for another day. I suppose today is as good a day as any to bestow upon you the photographic evidence of decrepit Las Vegas. I hate it there so much I only go several times a year.
I have been impressed with recent developments in smoke fan and ventilation technology, as the casinos have been not nearly as hazy and stale as they have been in the past. I honestly did not mind spending hours wandering the shops because the ventilation was good, my asthma medication was good, and, well, it was 117 degrees outside. Literally. A vast difference from the weather in Portland as of late.
After a few days, I ventured outside for pool time, armed with gallons of water and SPF 15. Gazing through my sunglasses, I saw a haze I wasn't used to outside of my neighborhood: endless smoke. At first I assumed the casino ventilation fans were extremely efficient to the point the outdoors were now more smoky than the indoors. After a few moments, I let my intelligence creep in for a moment and realized the smoke was coming from a massive wildfire to the west of town. The following pictures are of Las Vegas and the wildfire smoke at the end of June 2013 through the beginning of July 2013. Click on them to view in large format.
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| Hazy skyline. Those aren't rain clouds. |
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| Smoky sunset. |
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| Triangular smoke face. |
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| North Strip. |
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| Early construction of one of the many new rides/observation wheels/vomit inducers. |
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| Another day, another smoke column. |
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| Smoke close-up. |
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| It moved. |
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| Swirls at sunset. |
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| Sometimes it's okay to stare at the sun. |
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| Sun up close. |
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| Thicker smoke now than in the other construction shot. |
