Where It All Goes Down
Modern Day Afton, Wyoming and Las Vegas, Nevada
Afton
In the beginning, Gemma describes the very small town where she lives with Sophia and Marco—and how much she hates it:
I live in a very small, very spread out town called Afton. It is known for two things: its infamous elk horn arch made of real elk antlers, and its hobby of accumulating snow nine months of the year. Now, I was in no way, shape, or form a fan of either the snow or the cold, so living here was like a polar bear trying to live in Hawaii—unbearable and very impractical. (2.38)
The small town of Afton is completely unremarkable, which is good because the Keepers need to keep Gemma somewhere that the Death Walkers would never look. In a small town that's also super cold (thereby making it harder to track the star's energy), they can keep Gemma hidden for decades. And that's exactly what they do.
Las Vegas, Nevada
As a small town girl, Gemma has never really been anywhere outside of Afton, so when she is transported to Las Vegas thanks to Aislin's magical crystal and witchy abilities, Gemma is totally thrilled. She looks out the window at all the lights and glitz with wonder and amazement:
The sight was breathtaking. Flashy neon lights of every shape and color dazzled so vibrantly against the blackness of the night that I wondered if staring at it for too long would make me go blind. Giant billboards lit up the sides of the road, and uniquely shaped buildings stretched godly toward the sky. As we emerged closer to the city, the sidewalks became packed with mobs of people, the air buzzing with excitement. Now I understood why its nickname had been deemed The City That Never Sleeps. Everything was so alive and awake. (17.22)
Poor Gemma is still pretty much under lock and key, though, so she doesn't get to explore that much, and even when she goes to Vegas, Alex won't let her out of his sight. It's pretty hard when you're a teenager who wants to do ordinary teenager stuff and everyone tells you that you have to stay hidden… forever. Hopefully Gemma will get to explore Vegas (and other places) more in the future.