So let me clarify, this was actually not a vacation in Vegas. I was attending a very large travel conference and frankly didn't get to do as much as I would have liked, but I feel like I was able to get the flavor of Vegas regardless. You be the judge.
So where does someone begin when they try to describe Vegas to someone else who has never been? I feel a need to prepare someone for what they WILL see. Vegas is not a destination for everyone and that is mainly due to things you see in Vegas that you just can't insulate yourself from unless you become a hotel-room-hermit. By the time the strip wakes up around 10am, you will get an eye full of not-so-fully-clothed women and men who are lined up the street for photo-ops. I mean, how is any trip to Vegas complete until you pay a thong & bra wearing woman $5 for being in YOUR picture? And this is not including the mobile "private dancer" ads that parade up and down the strip all day long or the variety of sunning/bathing attire at any of the hotel pools. So would I send a church group with small kids to Vegas for a week of fun? Uh, no.
Best way to describe Vegas is a mix of NYC, the Big Easy, Hollywood and toss a little Nashville in for good measure. Lots of people until the wee hours of the night. Lots of adult beverages being consumed as folks are walking up and down the strip. Lots of energy and lights and honestly...a lot of excitement.
That is what makes Vegas, Vegas. There is no place like it on earth. Where else can you eat at 5-star dining venues, sleep in rooms that are more electronically sophisticated than all of Best Buy, enjoy a host of thrill rides (yes, roller coasters and such), see some of the best choreographed shows in the world (inside and outside of the hotels), dance in high-end, high-energy nightclubs until dawn, shop at some of the worlds' most high-end stores, tour casinos that rival any theming at some major theme parks and, to top it off, gamble 24hrs, 7 days a week? Nowhere! That is what makes Vegas so different and so special for so many people. It is a place that is very hard to describe to someone who has never been there, even though I am trying with this post.
Let me touch on the hotel and casinos I visited. I stayed at Treasure Island. Would I stay there again? Most likely not. It is nice or at least you think it is nice until you venture into Aria or the Venetian and then you wonder, "why am I at TI again?" Oh yea, because it is cheaper than those. The hotel lacked some of the nicer things you find at nicer hotels such as bell staff to take your luggage to the room, digital thermostats in the room or in fact, digital anything. So I spent little time at TI and frankly more time looking at the other resorts on the strip. You can sense that TI is for those who don't want to remember much the next day. I say that only because of the amount of store-bought liquor I saw being carted into the hotel by a large amount of guests. The room was very nice but the noise between rooms could be heard fairly easily. So next time, the Venetian it is for me or maybe Aria. I am judging those by the apparent differences you see as soon as you walk into the check in area of their hotels. Not to mention their food and beverage venue choices compared to TI. You can tell how much I liked those casinos more simply by the amount of pictures I took inside of those compared to those I took at TI. The conference was at Caesars and frankly didn't see much of it other than some of the food areas, the casino itself and the pool. But holy cow, the pool was worth seeing. I would stay at Caesars just to use their pool.
So to wrap up this simple summary of my first time in Vegas. Vegas is not for everyone. But for those who want a trip like no other and want to have a vacation where you leave it all at your destination...Vegas is the place! But always remember...what happens in Vegas...stays in Vegas (as even the sign in the airport reminds you as you head to your departing gate). Maybe that is why this is such a short review. Not much I can tell...
Vegas 2014 from Oeshpdog2 on Vimeo.
