Electric Avenue:Nostalgic “old Vegas” on Fremont Street, now domed and closed to cars; crowds gather here around street performers while signs glow overhead.
Taco Time: Our first stop is for a tray full of tacos and fire-roasted vegetables at Tacos el Gordo, which originated about 500 miles southwest in Tijuana.
Desert Landscapes: Within a 20 to 30 minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip, the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area begins.
Neon Canyons: The iconic glow of downtown Las Vegas, near Fremont Street in the original casino center of town.
A vending machine dispenses small local works at the Arts Factory, a collective of studios and galleries in the Arts District.
Murals, flowers, and modern architecture at The English Hotel and adjoining Pepper Club restaurant. Nearby, in the walkable Arts District, Esther’s Kitchen serves up fresh pastas, salads, and sourdough bread (a hometown favorite of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel).
A closeup view of the 366-foot-tall Sphere’s planet-like curves before the concert; the exterior features 580,000 square feet of programmable LED lights, and the designs continually move and change.
Artistic Drive: Mexican artist Gonzalo Lebrija explores the moment before the splash with his 2023 work, History of Suspended Time, featuring a 1966 Ford Galaxie outside the Fontainebleau.
Images of animals of the American West swirl over legendary rock band U2 in an immersive musical and visual experience. The band played 45 shows in the opening months of the Sphere.
A gleaming sculpture, Lovers #3, and a painting, The Eye, both by artist Urs Fischer at the Fontainebleau
A pool-facing room at The English Hotel.
Margaritas and a poke bowl in the glow of the Pepper Club.
The Arts Factory is a colorful hub in the Los Vegas Arts District.
Murals abound in the Arts District, home to shops, artist studios, craft breweries, and cafes.
The crowd dances in the Sphere to music spun by Pauli “the PSM” Lovejoy during a U2 pre-show.
A Joshua tree in wild scenery along the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive.
Travel editor Sandy Lang discovers arts, culture, Americana, and Mount Charleston in Sin City
