Much closer, just across Interstate 15, you can spot off-strip casinos like The Orleans, The Rio and The Palms.
Category: travel
The Las Vegas Strip in June 2026
Amidst the familiar bright lights, 2026 is the year we see the new guitar going up on what used to be the Mirage and will soon be the new Hard Rock Casino.
Bellagio Conservatory in transition
It’s not only free, but it changes on a seasonal basis.
The changes mean there are brief periods when the exhibit is closed as they change from one season to the next.
I happened to be in the neighborhood when a new exhibit “Summer 2026: Paradise” was being put in place. That meant I couldn’t walk though the exhibit and most of what you saw while walking past were workmen and small construction vehicles.
One interesting thing I saw on the way to the tram from the Bellagio to the Park MGM was a back lot with what looked like pieces of the incoming exhibit.
Remaining 2026 exhibition dates via the Bellagio website:
– Summer: June 13, 2026 through Sept. 12, 2026
– Harvest: Sept. 19, 2026 though Nov. 7, 2026
– Holiday: Nov. 14, 2026 through Jan. 2, 2027
Las Vegas Athletics domed baseball stadium under construction
Located on the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana, the facility is just south of the MGM Grand Casino and east of the Excalibur Casino on the Strip – where the Tropicana Casino used to sit.
Aerial views of the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead on the way to Las Vegas
A trip to Las Vegas means sitting on the right side of the plane and seeing the tail end of the Grand Canyon near the end of the flight and then Lake Mead right before landing.
Along the way you can see a lot of the desert southwest.
Pacific Beach and Crystal Pier in San Diego
Long ago I “learned” to surf here, although I never did it enough to get good at it.
I’ve probably taken the photo of looking south at Crystal Pier a hundred times. Same for looking north from the cliffs to the beach that leads in the direction of La Jolla.
And I think every time you go to the beach, you always look for at least one good photo of a sea bird.
Huntington Beach Pier in Surf City USA
After getting into SoCal on an early morning flight, I headed to Huntington Beach. The Huntington Beach Pier makes a convenient landmark and both a great backdrop and ideal vantage point to take pictures of surfers.
There are also parking, plenty of shops and places to eat within walking distance.
Phoenix in the spring for Cactus League baseball
Then, even in the first weekend of the Cactus League, the rivalry kicks in.
After an early Sunday morning flight to Phoenix and an hour or two of sightseeing, I headed to Peoria, Arizona, for an afternoon Dodgers-Padres game at the Peoria Sports Complex. Along with about 9,800 other fans, we packed the place and watched the defending champion Dodgers take the win.
The Padres bounced back the next day to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, also in Peoria.
My three-day spring training schedule wrapped up the day after that with the Arizona Diamondbacks beating the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium, the Rangers’ home stadium in Surprise Arizona.
HOPE Outdoor Gallery in Austin
The outdoor mural gallery is located not far from the intersection of Highway 71 and Highway 183. The is well away from downtown Austin and just north of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Official site: www.hopeoutdoorgallery.com
Instagram: @hopeoutdoorgallery
San Diego’s Chicano Park is an inferno of outdoor murals
The theme of the art is the history and tradition of the Barrio Logan neighborhood in San Diego.
Most of the murals are painted on the infrastructure of a major highway interchange where Interstate 5 meets the road to the Balboa Bridge. Because of that, many of the surfaces are not proper rectangles. It’s interesting to see how the artists work with some odd angles and bridge supports that often are not exactly vertical or horizontal. Some of the murals are even painted on the bottom of the highway – or the ceiling of the park depending on how you look at it.
There is a parking area at the park, a few places to sit, a fountain, a small playground for kids and restrooms (even the restrooms have murals). There are also some neighborhood restaurants within walking distance.
SanDiego.org article on Chicano Park
chicano-park.com Chicano Park Steering Committee
