Driving from LA to Vegas
As long as I can remember I’m in love with the states, somehow I just love the country, the people but most of all the sometimes incredible nature. Especially California I love for the simple reason that as a photographer the landscape just changes every few miles with the next view even more jawdropping than the next.
Also as long as I can remember I’ve been wanting to drive parts of Route66 and of course the drive between Vegas and LA… well both dreams have come true this time. I’m a sucker for the old fashioned American styles, I love diners, gas stations, billboards etc. so just driving some Route 66 in LA was not enough, I wanted the real route 66 and let’s be honest what’s the best option?…. indeed combine it with the drive from Los Angeles to Vegas.
Normally you can drive this in 3-4 hours (according to some local friends), it took us a little bit longer as you can imagine. We did not follow the “normal” road but decided to go through the backroads of America (oh man I love that sentence), passing through Amboy and several other towns with a population of less than 10 🙂 In one of the cities we talked to the local police officer about keeping the law when you know everyone, the waiter very quickly said “it’s simple, when he doesn’t like what going on he will just lock up the whole town and get to sleep”….. well to be honest living in a town with just 19 (this is where we asked it) or less people would drive me nuts.
I can really advise you to drive the distance between LA and Vegas whenever you have the chance, as you could have read I LOVE the Pacific Coast Highway, but the drive from LA to Vegas has pushed the PCH to position two. We had a blast… in the end we drove the distance from 9:00AM to 19:00 (7:00PM) when we arrived in the Mandalay hotel in Vegas and it was awesome, can’t wait to get back….. well that sounds weird when I have Photoshop World to look forward to… but you know what I mean.
Today in this blog post some images from the trip. Hope you like them.
I am concerned that you may have caught a chill on the drive……
Nope I’m feeling fine.
Hi Frank
I am extremely envious of you sitting here in Scotland looking out at rainswept hills and endless grey clouds.
Did the Pacific run a few years ago…wow! Would love to get off the beaten track like you have.
Happy days.
Clive
It indeed is awesome over here 😀
Sorry, just had to say that lol
Haha there is only one photograph who dares to make photos in a casino LOL
Well if I get send away there are like a million next casino’s 😀
I live in Hesperia CA just over the Cajon pass right of the 15 freeway, it is about 3 hrs from Vegas. You have inspired me to follow your tracks. Living so closed to vegas, I take it for granted.
We often miss the greatness around us 😀
And try to find it far away.
Hi Frank,
I love it when people like yourself inspire the rest of us. I live in Los Angeles and have traveled to Las Vegas taking different routes and have even ran part of it for a race that goes on yearly. I just love how you can make a simple thing such at the yellow dividing line on a highway interesting. I want to go do the drive now to Vegas and further to see what treasures I can photograph. Thanks again for the inspiration.
Tony Vazquez
Good to hear, and yeah I just love those low angle shots 😀
Hi Frank,
Wanted to say thanks for today’s class at PSW! I had a blast! Excellent stuff! Great job!
All th best from your neighbor from Belgium!
Kamyar Broumand
Good to hear, PSW is always fun, LOVE being part of that.
I have never liked that drive, but I have yet to look at it with the eyes of a photographer. It has always seemed like a wasteland, so I would try to do it at night. And this time of year the daytime temps are triple digits.
Can’t imagine someone not liking it, it’s an awesome nature drive and so much to see from nature to small ghost towns, wow (did I say WOW) 😀
Very cool, I’ve been through Amboy and Ludlow out that way and got some amazing photos there too. It’s like going back into time. Route 66 is such the time machine. Great images!
I always wanted to drive Route66 but never actually did (was in LA 2 times before) now that I did and got these shots…. I got goosebumps 😀
Wow, where is this Roy’s Motel Cafe? The locations you have here are primo for photoshoots. Can you divulge us with their locations! When are you going to be back in Los Angeles, by the way? There are a lot of awesome places to shoot here =D
– Joe
SLRLounge.com editor
Hi Joe.
It’s in Amboy.
today is our final day in LA, gonna drive around and find some graffiti I think and do some final things, can’t believe tomorrow we are heading home already 🙁