It is hard to believe that thirty years have passed since the completion of my painting depicting downtown Petaluma, California at night. The once thriving evenings within the Holidaze Bar and Grill on the corner of Western Avenue and Petaluma Blvd. North on Fridays and Saturdays are now just distant memories. The painting depicts a relatively quiet mid week evening with little road or foot traffic visible. The building still remains today but its past bustling business name has disappeared. Behind the building is the once active marina and railroad tracks that were sitting on dilapidated wooden trestles leading to the other local nightspot – Petaluma’s Steamer Gold Restaurant and Bar. The wooden bridge behind the building was also completed in the same year connecting pedestrians from one side of the marina to the other. My first pride and joy, a brand new car in its day is also in this painting. A charcoal gray 1989 Geo Tracker jeep seems to have a special redhead friend from that time sitting in the passenger seat with this lucky artist. I still remember her name as Brenda but I don’t know why?…
The ” Steamer Gold ” Restaurant And Bar, Petaluma, California 1989
Looking westwards from the Steamer Gold building and marina to Western Avenue with the landmark copper clad clock tower from 1934, which sits above the town’s Masonic Lodge building. The Holidaze Bar and Grill sits directly opposite to this building
Vintage billboard signs such as the Coke-Cola sign were adhered onto the brickwork of local businesses. A sign of a bygone age. Today, Petaluma has become much more modernized town and distinctly more larger in scale than the one I knew so well in 1989. I lived in the outlying areas of the town for almost fifteen years before heading northwards towards Santa Rosa and beyond.
On Top Of The World – Looking eastwards over Petaluma, California 1989
You would never have guessed that this sprawling gambling city that never sleeps was once just grass meadows within the vast Nevada desert surrounded by its majestic mountains . Once home to the Navajo Indians, it was a venturing scout named Rafael Rivera who under the expeditionary force of Antonio Armijo in 1821, located this area as part of a trade route expedition using the Old Spanish Trail between New Mexico and California. He called it Las ( The Meadows ) Vegas in 1829.
The Las Vegas Skyline
The site of the original main town, obviously miniscule in size compared to its present cousin, was built up in the early 1900s’ and situated several miles north of the Strip that we know today. By 1940, a new, far larger area south of the original town was chosen and land was purchased to begin the creation of today’s famous city. The first true Casino and Hotel that was built on the Vegas Strip was named El Rancho Vegas and opened in April 1941 by owner Tommy Hull. Where there are casinos, there is more often than not some crime present. His success brought many other business men to Las Vegas and many hotel casinos were built among which the infamous mobster, Bugsy Seigel decided to heavily invest. He had his own casino built here named the Flamingo Hotel along the Strip. This City has also been synonymous with the original Sands Hotel and its lively company of followers :- the late Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior and Peter Lawford and many tales, true or not prevail to this day.
The Caesar’s Palace Resort
This city didn’t have to work too hard to get its infamous name “Sin City ” – it actually came naturally. The saying ” What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.! ” comes straight to mind. For most traveling Americans who never wish to leave their own country, this is their favorite resort to visit. They can get a feel, however surreal, of what France, Italy and beyond can offer in an different sort of way.
The Wynn Resort and Casino
Today’s overflowing landscape strongly suggests the extreme surreal nature of this city. From New York, Paris and even Venice are depicted in their own unique way along the Vegas Strip. A slightly smaller than life Eiffel Tower stands proudly over the vast Casino Hall of Hotel Paris which could have easily been shipped directly from France as a miniature prototype. A large Ferris Wheel offers gamblers and visitors panoramic views of the surrounding valley of concrete, neon lights, mountains and desert while thrill seekers can enjoy amusement park rides that adorn the New York skyline buildings. There is something for everyone here, twenty four hours a day!
The Grand Piazza at The Venetian Resort
For those who are not interested in gambling, there are other ways to successfully lose your money during your trip. Each resort has its own vast network of premium shops offering the finest in fashion, fine art, luggage, collectibles and jewelry. Most of them are situated below an artificially created painted sky that seems to have been completed by the same group of professional painters from one casino to the next. It certainly enhances the shopping experience and ambiance!
For the hungry and thirsty, an amazing collection of restaurants at all levels of the palate and wallet. All come at a price. I found Las Vegas unsurprisingly expensive as a day to day exercise but at least my wallet now fits in my pocket!
Overlooking The Mirage Casino & Hotel
I was very impressed by the quality of Fine Art shops that Las Vegas offers to its constantly flowing, transient visitors. In the main shopping areas attached to the Resorts there were a number of outstanding examples to visit. Many were breathtakingly beautiful. The majority were breathtakingly expensive!
The Venetian Resort
It is hard to believe but this was my first time to Sin City after living in California for so many years. I knew it would be a world totally steeped in the surreal and unlike any other place on the globe. I was not disappointed. Just to think that I arrived at such a city that was only an hour and a half away by air from San Francisco was incredible!
