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Las Vegas 2004

A Travel Diary

Las Vegas 2004

The Strip, the Mojave, and the Hoover Dam — October 2004

62Photographs
5Days
3Places
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Viva Las Vegas

Our first big road-trip west: a few neon-soaked days on the Strip, a drive out across the Mojave, and the genuinely jaw-dropping Hoover Dam holding back the impossibly blue Lake Mead. Replica Eiffel Towers, dancing fountains, white tigers, and a wall of 1930s concrete wedged into a canyon. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or open the map.

Our first big road trip out west, back in 2004. A few neon-soaked days on the Las Vegas Strip — replica Eiffel Towers, dancing fountains, white tigers — then a drive out across the wide-open Mojave.

At the end of that desert road was the genuinely jaw-dropping Hoover Dam, a wall of 1930s concrete wedged into a canyon, holding back the impossibly blue water of Lake Mead. The Strip and the desert in a single trip, and both unforgettable.

This trip ran 5 days, October 23–27, 2004. Along the way we spent time at The Las Vegas Strip, Hoover Dam, The Mojave, on the way to the dam, Lake Mead, and Welcome to Arizona. The gallery below tells it day by day, in 62 photographs.

Planning your own trip? Read Las Vegas with kids: our itinerary & tips →

Day 1

Sat 23 Oct

The Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Strip doing the only thing it knows how to do: more.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripNeon, replicas, and a skyline that exists nowhere else on earth.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripHalf the world's landmarks, rebuilt at three-quarter scale and twice the wattage.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Paris replica, the fountains, the lights - the Strip in full performance.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Paris replica, the fountains, the lights - the Strip in full performance.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Paris replica, the fountains, the lights - the Strip in full performance.

Day 2

Sun 24 Oct

The Mojave, on the way to the dam · Lake Mead · Welcome to Arizona · Hoover Dam

The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damThe desert between the city and the dam, doing its wide-open thing.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadThe reservoir the dam created, stretching off into the heat haze.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadThe reservoir the dam created, stretching off into the heat haze.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damThe Mojave rolling past the window, all sagebrush and far blue mountains.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damEmpty highway, big sky, and mountains that never seem to get closer.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damNevada in one frame: rock, road, and a whole lot of nothing in the best way.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damThe Mojave rolling past the window, all sagebrush and far blue mountains.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damThe Mojave rolling past the window, all sagebrush and far blue mountains.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damNevada in one frame: rock, road, and a whole lot of nothing in the best way.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damNevada in one frame: rock, road, and a whole lot of nothing in the best way.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damThe desert between the city and the dam, doing its wide-open thing.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadLake Mead, impossibly blue against the desert rock.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damEmpty highway, big sky, and mountains that never seem to get closer.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damNevada in one frame: rock, road, and a whole lot of nothing in the best way.
Welcome to Arizona
Welcome to ArizonaThe Grand Canyon State welcomes you - and the road trip officially gets serious.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damNevada in one frame: rock, road, and a whole lot of nothing in the best way.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamEighty years on and still one of the most jaw-dropping things humans have built.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamStanding on top of Hoover Dam, trying to comprehend the scale of it.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamStanding on top of Hoover Dam, trying to comprehend the scale of it.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamEighty years on and still one of the most jaw-dropping things humans have built.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damThe desert between the city and the dam, doing its wide-open thing.
The Mojave, on the way to the dam
The Mojave, on the way to the damThe desert between the city and the dam, doing its wide-open thing.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamThe intake towers rising out of the green water, all 1930s ambition.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamEighty years on and still one of the most jaw-dropping things humans have built.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamHoover Dam, wedged into Black Canyon and holding back an entire river like it is no big deal.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamEighty years on and still one of the most jaw-dropping things humans have built.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamThe intake towers rising out of the green water, all 1930s ambition.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamThe intake towers rising out of the green water, all 1930s ambition.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamA wall of concrete 220 meters tall, and somehow still dwarfed by the canyon.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamEngineering as spectacle. The dam never gets old.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamThe intake towers rising out of the green water, all 1930s ambition.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadBlue water and red rock, the desert's favorite color scheme.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadBlue water and red rock, the desert's favorite color scheme.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadLake Mead's little islands baking in the Nevada sun.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadLake Mead's little islands baking in the Nevada sun.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamEngineering as spectacle. The dam never gets old.
Hoover Dam
Hoover DamThe intake towers rising out of the green water, all 1930s ambition.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadBlue water and red rock, the desert's favorite color scheme.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadThe reservoir the dam created, stretching off into the heat haze.
Lake Mead
Lake MeadThe reservoir the dam created, stretching off into the heat haze.

Day 3

Mon 25 Oct

The Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Strip doing the only thing it knows how to do: more.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Strip doing the only thing it knows how to do: more.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Strip doing the only thing it knows how to do: more.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripNeon, replicas, and a skyline that exists nowhere else on earth.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripVegas after dark, glowing like it has somewhere better to be (it does not).
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripHalf the world's landmarks, rebuilt at three-quarter scale and twice the wattage.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripVegas after dark, glowing like it has somewhere better to be (it does not).

Day 4

Tue 26 Oct

The Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripNeon, replicas, and a skyline that exists nowhere else on earth.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripMore gold leaf, more fountains, more everything. This is the place for it.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripNeon, replicas, and a skyline that exists nowhere else on earth.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripA city that decided subtlety was for other places.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Paris replica, the fountains, the lights - the Strip in full performance.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripVegas after dark, glowing like it has somewhere better to be (it does not).

Day 5

Wed 27 Oct

The Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripThe Paris replica, the fountains, the lights - the Strip in full performance.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripNeon, replicas, and a skyline that exists nowhere else on earth.
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas StripHalf the world's landmarks, rebuilt at three-quarter scale and twice the wattage.

Where we wandered