Gumbo was visiting Las Vegas and its fancy new “City Center” — not actually at the center or heart of the city (which to me is the old downtown area), but a new multibillion dollar development sandwiched between the Las Vegas Blvd (“the Strip”) and Frank Sinatra Drive. It’s between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts. Specifically Gumbo was at one of the entrances to the Aria resort, which featured these rather unusual and beautiful sculptures. They reminded Gumbo of quicksilver frozen while falling!
(City Center, Las Vegas)
The puzzle proved no challenge to Chris Christiensen, host and founder of the Amateur Traveler podcast, who nailed the puzzle within a few hours of its being posted. PortMoresby also soon correctly identified it.
(City Center, Las Vegas)
CityCenter Las Vegas seems to be a place people love, or love to hate. It’s a massive complex providing almost 17 million square-feet (1,560,500 m2) of interior space and is situated on 76 acres (31 ha) of land. It’s the largest privately funded construction project in the history of the USA, and is connected by a rail system to adjoining properties. It was designed to be a self-contained city within a city (for the elite wealthy, that is).
(City Center, Las Vegas)
The development includes some 2,400 condominiums and about 4,800 hotel rooms, distributed within several high-rise towers clustered around The Crystals retail mall (which is, as you’d expect, a very high end mall). The largest resort in the complex is the Aria featuring 4,000-rooms and a massive casino. CityCenter employees about 12,000 people across its different properties.
(The Aria Resort, Las Vegas)
Certainly worth a visit when you’re in town, even if you’re not staying at the Aria.
(Aria Resort, Las Vegas)
