Looking for Sunshine at Sentosa Island - Singapore, Southeast Asia

Sentosa Island

Looking for Sunshine at Sentosa Island - Singapore, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

At my hostel I got to talking to a group of guys and after I found out that they were from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I mentioned to them that after Singapore I was going to fly into their city.

“Why do you want to go Kuala Lumpur” they asked?

“Well, to see the Petronas Towers, visit the Batu Caves and try out some of the local food” I replied.

“You won’t find our city that interesting,” one of the guys pointed out, “Kuala Lumpur is just like Singapore, but dirtier.”

When I asked what they were doing in Singapore for the weekend they all exclaimed in unison, “Universal Studios!”

Being a native Southern Californian, theme parks is just a part of the California lifestyle and something I was always accustomed to as we would spend our family summer vacations visiting Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, etc. Walt Disney pioneered theme parks (not amusement parks) when he opened the original Disneyland (and the best one in my humble opinion) in Anaheim, California in 1955.

When I told the guys I was from California and I use to visit Universal Studios in Hollywood all the time because I use to be an annual member, their mouths nearly dropped to the floor.

I was immediately elevated to rock star status.

“The original Universal Studios,” they asked?

“Of course” I nonchalantly replied, “everything we do in California is original, those other versions in Florida are just cheap imitations.”

I then told them I use to live in Newport Beach which was minutes away from Disneyland where I was also an annual member to the park. At that point they were ready to get on their knees and worship the ground I walked on.

And walk away I did as I had to leave the hostel that morning to meet fellow Flickr member Charlie Kwan as he graciously took me on a photo tour of Singapore. Charlie was a wonderful host for he arranged for a friend to drive us around so we could get off at various places around the city conveniently and without having to worry about parking. Thank you Charlie! Be sure to check out his photostream Charlie Kwan

The last stop of the photo tour was Sentosa Island where Charlie dropped me off as he had a prior engagement that afternoon. Sentosa Island is located about fifteen minutes from the city center and features beaches, golf courses, resort hotels, spas, a marina and Southeast Asia’s first and only Universal Studios theme park.

It was overcast that day and the sun made an appearance ever so briefly. I did get a glimpse of Universal Studios Singapore from this lookout tower.

I never did go inside the theme park. Why? I have been to the original one in Hollywood, California!

Check back for more of my Singapore adventures!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Feeling uncomfortable in a foreign country - Little India, Singapore

Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali.

Feeling uncomfortable in a foreign country - Little India, Singapore, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” - Clifton Fadiman

Singapore is more than just the Marina Bay Sands Resort. Venture around this compact city-state and you will be amazed by the amount of diversity. On a leisurely walk around the city I would come across a Mosque, Christian church, Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple all in one morning.

Singapore maybe diverse when it comes to its culture, food and religion, but one thing they are uniformly known for is their stifling heat and humidity. Coming from a Mediterranean climate of Southern California it took some time to get use to (it took me over a month to condition my body for the Southeast Asia climate).

In Little India is the Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali. I could tell you about how it was built in 1855 by Tamil laborers or that the goddess Kali is the destroyer of evil or that in 1942 the locals took refuge in the temple to protect themselves from the invading Japanese army. All I can remember was that is was a very hot day and even hotter inside the temple.

I stared at amazement at the intricate details of the statues along the walls then my mind would wander off about the dangers of dehydrating.

It started to sizzle in the temple.

I listened to the little bells the devotees would ring as they entered the temple to ask for the God’s mercy upon their prayer requests.

As more devotees entered the temple it now became a sauna. I desperately needed a drink of water otherwise I probably would have passed out on the floor and nobody would assist me since they would probably mistaken me as another local prostrated on the ground deep in prayer.

The heat was now escalating to a point of suffocation.

Fatigue began to set in due to the overbearing heat and carrying my heavy DSLR camera surely didn’t help matters, but the pungent smell of the temple kept me awake.

Did I tell you that it was scorching hot inside the temple?

I wanted to head back to the safety of my air-conditioned room, but I reminded myself I did not come halfway across the world to seek safety and security. If I wanted to be comfortable I would have stayed home driving my own car, eating processed foods and paying for over priced Starbucks coffee.

No, I stayed behind and sweated it out. As a result, I witnessed this Hindu priest blessing the devotees. With my wide angle lens I was merely inches from this ceremony that I can almost say I was a part of it.

Looking back I am glad I chose to be uncomfortable that day.

Check back for more of my Singapore adventures!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Reach out and touch someone!

Hello and goodbye to the new Flickr!? Or will Flickr take a Tumble(r)!?, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Gravelly Point provides a close up experience as you stand in the flight path of giant commercial aircraft as they land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the nation’s capitol

The best part of photographing at Gravelly Point is the absence of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The only touchy-feely going on here is reaching for the skies!

Notes:
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40 f/4 L lens
ISO: 1600
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter: 1/400

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Painting the renewal of spring and the ephemeral nature of life -cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC

Painting the renewal of spring and the ephemeral nature of life - cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

"The only thing that could spoil a day was people. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”
Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

“No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring.”
Samuel Johnson

"I had always planned to make a large painting of the early spring, when the first leaves are at the bottom of the trees, and they seem to float in space in a wonderful way. But the arrival of spring can't be done in one picture."
David Hockney

“Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'”
Robin Williams

A local artist paints the arrival of spring of the pale-pink cherry blossoms in bloom along the Tidal Basin in the nation’s capitol of Washington, DC.

Spring is here and it is time to party!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Rite of Spring - Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC

Rite of Spring - Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Walk, run, or bike to see the annual cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

The cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 as a commemoration for the 1854 Treaty of Peace and Amity which officially established formal relations between the two countries.

The Yoshino Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC only bloom in the spring and the window of opportunity is very small. I photographed this on a Monday when the cherry blossoms were beginning to peak and by that Friday night strong winds blew most of them off the trees. As with any once-a-year photographic opportunity, it can be very crowded with people, especially at sunrise.

The most photogenic groups of cherry blossoms are located around the Tidal Basin which is a man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River. That morning hordes of photographers, tourists and fitness enthusiasts were jockeying for position to get a view of the pink cherry blossoms.

It took me over 1,000 hours in Photoshop to clone out all the pesky people in the background to get this lone biker in the scene, or actually, I secured a presidential order to keep everybody back at least 500 feet from my shot or I simply waited until this lone biker walked under this cherry blossom branch where I was camping out with my Canon 5D Mark II.

What story do you believe?

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Major General Gouverneur Kemble Warren - "Hero of Little Round Top" andthe Guardian of the Gettysburg Sunset

Major General Gouverneur Kemble Warren - "Hero of Little Round Top" and the Guardian of the Gettysburg Sunset, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, General Gouverneur Warren realized the importance that a position known as Little Round Top would be during the battle and...blah, blah, blah!

If you want to learn about some not so boring history you can read his Wikipedia entry. I am not diminishing the importance of the battle of Gettysburg nor the brave men who fought and died in the largest battle ever fought in North America. I have been to Gettysburg Military Park many times and love learning about this period of American history. Heck, I am the type of guy that watches “Gettysburg” just for fun and that movie runs over four hours! Come to think about, if not for General Warren’s initiative at Little Round Top the Union Army would have lost that battle and perhaps the entire war. Maybe you should read more about him.

General Gouverneur Warren is a very dedicated soldier because every time I come to Gettysburg he is always there defending Little Round Top or perhaps he just loves watching those spectacular Pennsylvania sunsets.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Bewitched in Oaxaca City, Mexico!

Bewitched in Oaxaca City, Mexico!, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

El Dia del Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is popular celebration throughout Latin America, especially in Mexico. I know zombies are the flavor of the month in today’s popular culture, but that is not what this celebration is about.

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday and is celebrated throughout Mexico. Family and friends get together to pray and remember their loved ones who have passed away. This is not a time of mourning, but rather it is a joyful celebration of life, food, friends and family.

The history of the Day of the Dead is a syncretism of Pre-Hispanic and Spanish customs. The celebration takes place on November 1–2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).

In the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca, Mexico I was able to take in the sights, sounds and smiles of the Day of the Dead.

On the days leading up to November 1 and 2 (along with celebrating the Catholic holidays, on the 1st, people celebrate the lives of lost children, and on the 2nd they celebrate the spirits of adults) many parties erupt on the streets of Oaxaca. This is another Day of the Dead tradition called Comparsas which is a carnival-like procession of people in costume, dancing and wild music accompanied by a banda band (think Mexican Polka music).

On the morning of October 31, young children, dressed in costumes and accompanied by their parents and teachers, paraded around town on their way to school. The children comparsas circled around the town’s zocalo (public square) which made for a vibrant public spectacle.

Photographing this procession was exciting, but technically difficult at times since there were fast moving subjects in low light. Two keys elements in street photography are preparedness and patience and they surely came in handy that morning.

I remembered a quote from photojournalist Steve McCurry when he learned to watch and wait on life. “If you wait,” he realized, “people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view.”

I waited patiently for a “soul to drift up into my view” and I was rewarded with this bewitching portrait.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Five Reasons why I prefer Photographing Sukhothai, Thailand over Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Five Reasons why I prefer Photographing Sukhothai, Thailand over Angkor Wat, Cambodia, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Photographing Angkor Wat in Cambodia last year was a dream come true. It is an amazing place, but I found the ancient capital of Sukhothai, Thailand much more enjoyable to photograph. Maybe it had to do with the name when translated, “The dawn of happiness.”

Sukhothai was the first capital of Siam founded by King Ramkhamhaeng during the 13th Century. The province's temples and monuments have been restored and is now the Sukhothai Historical Park and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here are five reasons why I enjoyed photographing Sukhothai Historical Park over Angkor Wat.

1) Cost: Cambodia is a very budget friendly country, but admission to Angkor Wat is expensive ($20/day USD). I found Sukhothai ($4-8/day) a much better value.

2) Crowds: Angkor Wat is Southeast Asia’s top destination so be prepared for the hordes of crowds even in the low season (when I visited). Most tourists visit Thailand’s other ancient capitol, Ayutthaya, since it is only an hour from Bangkok. Sukhothai is about a four to five hour bus ride from Bangkok so it doesn’t see as many tourists.

3) Cleanliness: With Angkor Wat’s steep admission price you would think it would go toward the upkeep of this magnificent place. Unfortunately that’s not the case. It was sad to see trash around most of the temples. On the other hand, Sukhothai, with its meticulous manicured grounds, is Disneyland with a Southeast Asian twist (hot and humid).

4) Conveyance: At Sukhothai I was able to rent a motorbike and take it in the park. In the city of Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located, they do not allow foreigners to rent motorbikes. As an independent travel photographer I find having a motorbike allows the maximum flexibility for taking photos.

5) Clerks: I was trying to think of a word that starts with the letter “c” that is similar to hawker and clerk was the only word that came to mind. The vendors at Angkor Wat bring persistence to another level. Little girls and boys will besiege you to buy bracelets, water or postcards. At Sukhothai the very few street vendors kindly ask for your business and a simple “no” will signify you’re not interested and you both can walk away with a smile.

This may seem like a bit of a rant against Angkor Wat, but it is not. If you have a chance to visit the temples please do so because you will be amazed.

Just be sure to dispose of your trash properly.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

The University of Guanajuato is located right in the historic center of Guanajuato, Mexico which gives the city a youthful atmosphere (there are over 30,000 enrolled students).

I photographed this young woman along one of Guanajuato’s cobblestone streets and her laugh reminded me Steve Jobs' Stanford commencement speech where he told this story to the graduating class.

“When I was young, there was an amazing publication called ‘The Whole Earth Catalog,’ which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960′s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: It was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.”

“Stewart and his team put out several issues of ‘The Whole Earth Catalog,’ and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: ‘Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.’ It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.”

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”

As a wandering travel photographer I have to constantly remind myself to Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. To wander a city as a temporary local and seek new experiences and not have it handed to me from a formulaic tour package. To photograph people as human beings with fascinating stories and not as a cultural backdrop.

I guess this is why I love to travel and photograph, to tell compelling stories and to Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Happy Travels!

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Do you know about "The Three Servicemen" in Washington, D.C.?

Do you know about "The Three Servicemen" in Washington, D.C.?, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

"The Three Servicemen" is a bronze statue, on the Washington, D.C. National Mall commemorating the Vietnam War. It was created and designed to complement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by adding a more traditional component to the Memorial.

Did you know that The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was designed by a 21-year old Yale University architecture student, Maya Ying Lin from Athens, Ohio out of a total 1,421 entries received as part of the design competition.

Did you know that "The Three Servicemen", unveiled on Veterans Day, 1984, was designed by Frederick Hart, who placed third in the original memorial design competition.

Taken with my iPhone 4s.

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Inside the Belly of the Beast

Inside the Belly of the Beast, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

A little iPhone magic, captured one evening as I was taking the Metro home after some twilight photography in Rosslyn, Virginia at the U.S.Marine Corps War Memorial. Taken at the Washington, D.C. Metro subway rail station (Rosslyn, Virginia stop).

This photograph will be published in the "Gather No Moss" section of the September 20, 2012 print edition of the San Diego Reader magazine.

Happy Travels!

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How to take more Intimate Travel Portraits

Getting Close Enough, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

"If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough." - Robert Capa

Banlung is the provincial capitol for the Ratanakiri Province in Cambodia. Located in the northeastern part of the country, bordering both Vietnam to the east and Laos to the north, it is one of the least visited provinces.

I stayed at the exceptional Treetop Ecolodge run by Mr. T (not that Mr. T from the “A” Team). I rented a bicycle to visit nearby Yak Loum Crater Lake. Mr. T recommended I get there first thing in the morning to capture the best light. He also mentioned that I would probably be the only foreigner there since the lake is mainly visited by locals.

He was right about being the only foreigner there, but the morning light was terrible. The only people around were the local vendors selling food and drinks. I decided to just put my camera down and appreciate the crater lake with my own eyes. Afterwards, I bought a drink from one of the vendors and her two children started to play with me.

I took a couple of photographs of her daughter and she would laugh hysterically every time I showed her picture on my LCD screen. Because of the proximity that I was photographing her there was a clear connection between both of us. Her eyes were the landscape of Cambodia...one of struggle and hope for the future.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Southeast Asia.

Happy Travels!

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Lost on Michigan Avenue

The Michigan Avenue Bridge carries Michigan Avenue across the Chicago River. Michigan Avenue is home to famous landmarks such as the Chicago Water Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and the Magnificent Mile.

Since moving to the Midwest from Southern California, I have visited the city that Frank Sinatra sang as "My Kind of Town," numerous times. The first time I visited Chicago I took this same photo with my old Canon Powershot camera that didn't have image stabilization so it came out a little blurry. I always had the notion in the back of my mind to return to take that same photo. So over this past President's Day weekend I took the three hour drive from my home in Appleton, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois.

One quirky thing about photography is that sometimes a little gadget, rather than a new camera body or lens, can make a huge difference in your image quality. A couple of years ago I was photographing Bodie Ghost Town in the Eastern Sierras of California and I met a fellow photographer who had this strange square device on his hot shoe.

"What's that strange thing you have on your camera?" I asked.

"It's a bubble spirit level. You serious don't know what this is and you call yourself a landscape photographer?" he replied incredulously.

Okay I thought to myself....so after returning from that trip I ordered a bubble spirit level online and my photography has vastly improved along with less time fooling around with Photoshop in trying to straighten out my crooked images. What is a bubble spirit level? It's a little square that you put on your hot shoe that ensures your camera is perfectly level whether shooting in horizontal or vertical position.

What does this have to do with this photograph?

As I walked out of my hotel I put the bubble spirit level on my Canon 50D camera hot shoe. When I got to this location and put my camera on my tripod I noticed the bubble spirit level was missing! I didn't have time to retrace my steps to look for it since I would miss the "blue hour," so I did without it and continued to take a couple of frames for the next ten minutes before my 50D completely froze up! The wicked Chicago cold melted down my 50D! On the LCD my menu screen was on, but I couldn't navigate out of it in addition to my shutter button not working at all.

So once again I turned to my backup camera, the always reliable and phenomenal Canon G9! I am constantly amazed of the incredible image quality that comes from this compact camera (The photograph you see here was taken with the G9). Since I lost my bubble spirit level, I used the G9's grid view to ensure the horizon was level. After freezing in the cold and cursing at myself, I retraced my steps to my hotel looking for my bubble spirit level but to no avail.

So somewhere on Michigan Avenue is my lost bubble spirit level. Somebody probably found it and asked the question, "What is this strange square looking thing?"

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Having Fun in Tigbauan!

In the coastal town of Tigbauan lies a beautiful church whose design was inspired by Churrisgueresque architecture, a form of Baroque.

After admiring the inside of the church with its unique mosaics depicting the Stations of the Cross, I stepped outside to photograph the facade. Behind me were children playing and they were intrigued with my digital SLR camera. These girls jokingly asked me if I could take a photo of them so I turned my camera in their direction and took a photo. They were embarrassed and were about to run away when I stopped them and showed them the photo I took of them on my camera LCD. Their eyes grew big and they screamed, "another one!" After a couple of snaps they got comfortable and began have fun in front of the camera and I eventually got a winner!

Happy Travels!

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Pineapple Girl

An example on how you make photos, not take them.

On the island of Guimaras, we stopped at a roadside pineapple stand and I met this young lady who was managing the stand. After a brief conversation I asked her if I could take her photo and being shy she declined at first. Before leaving I asked her one more time and she agreed.

She was in the direct sunlight so I asked her to move into the shade under the awning of the stand. I had to direct her a couple of times because the yellow rope keep getting in the way of her face. Finally, she moved to the left and I got one shot and that's what you see here.

Happy Travels!

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Pinoy Transportation

For the traveller the Philippines doesn't have an extensive highway network like the United States nor a public rail system like Western Europe. Instead you have an eclectic choice of getting around and within the Philippines over 7,000 islands by boat, bus, private car, jeepney, or my personal favorite the tricycle.

On my short list of photographs to get while in the Philippines was a panning shot of a tricycle. Throughout my trip I attempted many panning shots but I found them unsatisfactory. Finally, on the day before I departed to go back to the United States I got this shot during the Feast of Our Lady of Candles in Jaro.

Patience and drinking many San Miguel beers to pass the time pays off!

Happy Travels!

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All Smiles, No Teeth!

All Smiles, No Teeth!
Originally uploaded by Sam Antonio Photography

In Jaro, Iloilo City in the Philippines, the Feast of Our Lady of Candles (Nuestra Senora dela Candelaria) is held every second day of February. It is the most vibrant religious festival in the Western Visayas.

The festival is centered around the Jaro Cathedral and the town plaza. Due to the enormous crowds, all local traffic was closed down in the town center. As a result my nephew and I had to walk toward the cathedral. On the way I happen to notice this street vendor and his curious "smile." I waved a friendly hello to him and walked on to the festival.

After the parade procession I saw the street vendor again and I raised my camera up to indicate a photo. He responded with his warm smile and friendly personality.

This photo breaks one of the cardinal rules in that it has a distracting background, taking the focus away the main subject. But the woman walking in the background and laughing made everybody smile, including the photographer behind the camera.

Happy Travels!

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Drummer Boy

After a day of touring around the Guimaras Island lead by our extraordinary tour guide, Daisy Yanson from Panay Adventures Tours, I mentioned to her that I wanted to stop at a local market to shop for the famous Guimaras mangoes.

With my nephew, Jeran, riding a top the roof of our private jeepney (he wanted to ride like a local), we pulled over at a local market where there was not only an abundance of fresh produce, but also photo opportunities.

After I bought my mangoes, I wandered about the marketplace meeting and photographing the locals. One that really caught my eye was this young boy playing drums on an empty can. Knowing I had a brief window of opportunity, I quickly adjusted my camera settings for a slower shutter speed to capture the motion of him playing “drums” with his improvised drum sticks.

As an added benefit he stuck his tongue out at me! This photo quickly became one of my favorites from my trip.

Happy Travels!

Visions of the Golden Gate Bridge

"Visions of the Golden Gate Bridge"

"To pass through the portals of the Golden Gate is to cross the threshold of adventure." -Allan Dunn

Nothings conveys the beauty of the Bay Area than the Golden Gate Bridge. It is the most recognized symbol of San Francisco and some consider it one of the seven wonders of the modern world. As a result, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed icons in the world and draws photographers from all over the globe.

The most popular view is to head out of San Francisco via the Golden Gate toward the Marin Headlands. From here they are many viewpoints but my favorite, along with many other photographers, is from the Battery Spencer viewpoint. It is here you can get a close up view of the north tower.

I am sure you have seen countless photographs of the Golden Gate and I have taken countless numbers of photographs of the bridge over many years. So there I was on Battery Spencer with my face was stuck behind my camera taking my 999,999 photo of the bridge when I pulled away to see other photographers engaged in the same activity. I wondered to myself what do they see? We are all shooting the same static subject but what is their creative vision? Who will they share their creative art / snapshot with? What is their creative inspiration?

Yes, crossing the "Golden Gate Bridge is to cross the threshold of adventure."

So what is your creative vision when you look through the lens? I love to hear your thoughts...

Merry Christmas!

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Friends, Romans, Gamblers! Caesars Palace Casino - Las Vegas, Nevada

On December 31, 1967 daredevil Evel Knievel made his famous, or infamous, motorcycle jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace. As usual, he landed with a spectacular crash in which Knievel suffered a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist and both ankles and a concussion that kept him in a coma for 29 days. Hardcore!

Caesars Palace was one of the first theme casinos in Las Vegas. It's here you can party with Caesar but always remember you'll walk out of the casino as poor as a Roman slave.

Canon EOS 5D, Tamron SP AF 17-35mm f/2.8-4 Di LD IF

===========================

Las Vegas, Nevada - Sin City, the adult Disneyland, Lost Wages, the City of Lights. You have the whole world at your disposal in Las Vegas. Only here can you go from Asia, Egypt, Old England, New York, Hollywood, Paris, Italy and ancient Rome all in one street. With the U.S. dollar in the tank, there's no need to travel overseas just head to the world famous Las Vegas Strip!

I have traveled to Las Vegas more than any other U.S. city (more times than I can count or remember), whether for a convention, bachelor party, weekend holiday getaway, family trip or simply one of those all the bars are closed in Los Angeles let's go to Vegas nights.

It's here in Las Vegas where the hotels are the major attractions and are an integral part of the landscape. 19 of the world's 25 largest hotels are located in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is where everybody comes as a winner and leaves as a loser. Leave you credit card at the front desk, your cash at the blackjack table and your financial dreams in the toilet.

Happy Travels!

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