Its been some time since I was in Las Vegas. I used to go every year for the CES Consumer Electronics Show and the last year I went was much different as I went with a friend of mine and his son and uncle in 2006, pretty much all expenses paid including fine dining at the Four Queens. We stayed at the Four Queens in the old part of Vegas on Freemont Street. Lots has changed since these photos were taken but the lifestyle of the Las Vegas experience is alive and well.
One of the days we planned to go to the Ballagio that night so I decided to grab my Nikon and walk from the Four Queens in the morning and meet them later that day. The weather was great and the walk was several miles in some pretty intense heat. I made my way through a few of the casinos during my walk and finally met them at the Balagio. Here are a few shots from my walking experience. 
The statues around Caesar's Palace are intricate and quite the exhibit to see in person. The casinos while walking seem so close although the vast space they take up can be deceiving and the walk from one to another is an adventure in itself. The interior of Caesar's Palace is massive with hundreds of luxury shops and eateries. If you have never been to Las Vegas, bring good footware. If walking is challenging there are motorised scooters for rent at the hotels and they are allowed virtually everywhere.
The artwork at the Venetian is remarkable. The ceilings are crafted in guilded gold with masterful antique looking paintings depicting the masters artworks.
Throughout Vegas hotels there are fabulous store fronts with amazing extravagant works of art. This photo is a model of a Chris Craft vintage boat made of mahogany and gold plated metals prince in the several thousand dollar mark.
The shops that sell Murano glass from Italian artists have some absolutely amazing works of art. These musical instruments made from blown glass artists from the Murano factory are working instruments. They sell for thousands of dollars.
I was in Vegas for a night a few years back. We went to the show at the Excalibur and a couple of casinos. It's not really my sort of thing. I'm not eager to go back. I'm no gambler and it's all too artificial for my tastes. Obviously lots of people love it though.
Going into Vegas with the understanding that it's a bizarre world of fake/copied culture makes it a bit more fun, indulging in the expensive absurdity of it all.
I know it's Disneyland for adults, but I can only take that in small doses.
I’m with you as well. The big conventions are great for seeing new tech. The high end shops are things you see in London, New York and Paris so if you’re wanting to see the wealth products of the world you can see it all in Vegas. I was there this particular time for 7 days which is way too long for my liking. Definitely not for everyone’s taste. I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon.
I've got London nearby that has all the shops I could want, not that I really like shopping apart from books and music stuff. All the 'wealth products' are pretty irrelevant to me. Even if I were rich I'm not sure I'd want a watch that costs more than a car.
I think some of the big exhibitions have gone elsewhere in the country as London is too expensive. It is still an interesting city with all the history it has. I have the advantage of living in the country, but can be in the city in an hour by train.
Having been in the jewellery business I enjoy seeing some of the esoteric pieces as well as watches as I collect different automatics but I’ve seen my share for sure. I’m in no rush to go back to the US if anything I’ll be back in Europe or some island with no internet 😎
I can appreciate the craft and engineering of watches, but I am not one for flaunting wealth. When I travel I prefer historical and natural places that are just constantly trying to take my money.
Most of your photos look like they could have been taken today. The Stardust, Riviera, and apparently that Harley Davidson cafe are gone but everything else looks about the same as it was when I visited last time a couple years ago.
I went back a few years after these were taken. Several buildings are gone and they continue to build. It is fascinating what they build out there. I took in the Imperial auto show which was really cool not sure where that collection went after the Imperial was dismantled.