Riding Las Vegas (Blvd.)
May 6, 2005
If you head south off Tropicana (toward the Luxor/Mandalay Bay), you can follow the sacred "Strip" (a.k.a. "Las Vegas Blvd.) out of town along an increasingly lonelier highway.
The idea was to ride to the two casino, one prison town of Jean, about 15-20 miles south of Las Vegas. After getting -- I don't know for sure -- about 10-12 miles into it, though, I was toast. Why the woosy behavior?
THE FREAKING WIND!!!
I know I've mentioned it before, but the wind is truly a beast for a cyclist. It's different than a hill because it's not tangible. It blows up and grabs hold of you, as if a parachute had suddenly become unfurled behind. Then it lets go -- for just a moment, before -- WHOOOSH! up it rolls again!
Weird stuff.
It's weird riding in Vegas, too. Just being here is strange. My feeling driving into town yesterday was, "Did I really live here?" Yeah, for many moons, as a matter of fact. It feels very different than L.A.. The one thing I'm so glad for in L.A. is the beach. Getting to ride next to the beauty that the Pacific provides every day is cleansing -- necessary in the urban jungle.
But for anyone who can't see the writing on the wall here in Vegas, let me clue you in -- this place is the desert/urban jungle and just getting nastier. With the limited resources this place has geographically, I find it unfathomable that it continues to grow seemingly unchecked. New casino? Come on in! New high rises? Come on in. Need employees for those places, right? Come on in (from Mexico, largely...).
The dollar makes it all "worthwhile".
Now don't get me wrong. I very much enjoyed living here. It was an awesome experience and I'm glad to have it feel as comfortable (in terms of my being able to get around) as it does. I love the idea of coming here to work and/or play every now and again. There is lots of energy -- that's for sure.
I just know for me, to get done the things I am getting done, L.A.'s a better fit.
Someday, soon, I'll be writing about Cambria...
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