Omega Mart in Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is full of surprises, but nothing prepares you for walking into a grocery store and finding yourself in another dimension. That’s exactly what happens at Omega Mart, the surreal, immersive art experience created by Meow Wolf inside the AREA15 complex. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary supermarket - bright aisles, colorful displays, and neatly stocked shelves. But step inside, and you’ll quickly realize something is very, very off.

Every product on the shelves tells a joke, a story, or a secret. You’ll find items like “Nut-Free Salted Peanuts,” “Plausible Deniability Laundry Detergent,” and “Organic Moth Milk.” At first it feels like parody, but soon you notice doors that shouldn’t be there, coolers that open into glowing tunnels, and employees who seem to know more than they’re letting on. That’s the magic of Omega Mart. It’s part art exhibition, part puzzle, and part alternate reality.

The attraction spans about 52,000 square feet and was built by over 300 artists, designers, and storytellers from around the world. Meow Wolf, the Santa Fe–based collective behind it, is known for turning abandoned spaces into mind-bending worlds of color and imagination. Omega Mart is their second permanent installation (after the House of Eternal Return), and it takes their signature style to new heights. You can wander freely, climb through portals, and explore glowing caverns, corporate offices, or alien landscapes, all connected by the bizarre story of a fictional company called Dramcorp.

If you’re the kind of visitor who loves mysteries, Omega Mart rewards curiosity. Hidden clues, computer terminals, and even interactive RFID cards let you dig deeper into the narrative. But even if you ignore the plot, it’s endlessly fun to get lost in the details - the pulsing light installations, the strange sounds, and the dreamlike transitions between spaces. It’s as much a playground as it is an art gallery.

Visiting Omega Mart takes time. Plan for at least two hours, and wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be climbing, crouching, and exploring like a kid in an alien museum. Tickets are sold in timed slots and can sell out, especially on weekends. AREA15, the larger entertainment complex that houses Omega Mart, also offers bars, restaurants, and other attractions for when you finally need to catch your breath.

In a city known for excess, Omega Mart stands out not for how big it is, but for how imaginative. It’s a strange, funny, and thought-provoking reminder that art doesn’t just hang on walls, it can swallow you whole. If Las Vegas is a playground for adults, Omega Mart might just be its most brilliantly weird ride.

Postcard From Earth at the Sphere Las Vegas

From searching out the world's oldest cinemas over the last several years to one of the newest entertainment venues and a screen 20x bigger than the largest IMAX. Here are a few highlights from a screening of Postcard From Earth at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Adventures Across the Western USA

And thus concludes another road trip. 

From snow-covered mountain top resort towns to a reunion in Vegas to winding remote passes and an alien Trump on the outskirts of Area 51 ... this latest round of travel shoots covered over 7000 km through Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington.

 

I was light on the sneak peeks this time largely due to a lack of downtime, but I can assure you there will be a lot of highlights ahead. As always, I appreciated the recommendations and concerns over the last few weeks. Everything was totally fine - albeit a lot quieter than usual. 

Stay tuned for new previews soon. 

It's good to be home.

Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Opened in 1971, the Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada was originally called the Union Plaza after being built on the site of the former train station. At the time of its opening it was promoted as the largest hotel casino in the world, and became an immediate icon with its dominant position at the end of Fremont Street (and now the Fremont Street Experience).

Over the year's the Plaza Hotel & Casino has featured prominently in pop culture, from Biff's casino in Back to the Future: Part II to a memorable scene in the domed restaurant between Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone in Martin Scorsese's Casino - as well as in music videos from The Killers, The Weeknd, and U2. The Plaza remains an icon of Las Vegas, Fremont Street, and of the old school cool that makes vintage Vegas so much fun to revisit time and time again.