Ken Bell Photography - Las Vegas

Along the Strip - Las Vegas Boulevard

There is so much to see along the Stip, either during the day time or at night, it is unbelievable. The properties have incredible landscapes and pools with gorgeous fountains, including a replica of the Trevi fountain outside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. On top of the Luxor is a massive light shooting straight into the sky. They say that pilots have reported seeing the light from a distance of over 200 miles.

Nightime is really the time to walk the Strip. The hotels are really well done, with ornate fascades representing important landmarks, like the New York skyline, Eiffel Tower, the Venice canals and more. The magnificent Fountains of Bellagio shoot geysers choreographed to music every fifteen minutes in the evening. These fountains are close to 600 feet long. The Eiffel Tower Restaurant is an exact half scale replica of the real Eiffel Tower, 460 feet tall. It offers a spectacular view of the Fountains, which are right across the street.

Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon

Flying in a helicopter over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and then into the Grand Canyon, was an experience I will never forget. A new causeway bridge over the Colorado River, down river from the dam, had only been open for two weeks. It is an impressive sight to see this new bridge but really it still is not as attractive as the dam itself. Lake Mead was also very interesting to fly over, as were the Badlands between Las Vegas and the Dam. Unfortunately the water level is dropping rapidly in the lake, due to too much flow to generate power. Evidence of this can be seen by the white border surrounding the shoreline. The lake has dropped 120 feet in the last 12 years and there is only 150 feet on average remaining. It will be interesting to see how they deal with this in the next 10 years.

The Grand Canyon certainly lived up to its reputation! We followed the Colorado River to a point where we could touch down on First Nation land. They allow helicopters to land, while further east landing is not permitted in the National Park. We landed on a plateau overlooking the river, had lunch and champagne, and then got to look around for about 45 minutes. I enjoyed seeing the desert cactii and watching the sun setting on the canyon walls. Our pilot was very good, both as a pilot and tour guide. The flight to and from the Canyon was smooth and enjoyable.

The flight back to Las Vegas rivalled seeing the Grand Canyon. The sun was starting to set and the golden glow on the hills was fantastic! We flew over an airstrip that was used in the Second World War to train air craft carrier pilots. It is no longer used for that purpose today, but private planes still use it from time to time. Flying over Lake Mead again our pilot showed us a paved boat launch high above the shoreline. A concrete roadway ran down to the current water level. It had been built in sections, being extended every two years as the water level dropped! The shoreline had interesting geometric patterns in it that made for a really great shot, with the last of the sunlight playing on a mountain tip beside it. The sun had just set by the time we flew back over Las Vegas, allowing us to see the lights on the Strip from the air. What a great way to end a fantastic day!

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