First Time Visiting Las Vegas
 

Crazy I've travelled and lived all over the world and been to all corners of the US but never Las Vegas, until this past weekend.

My opinion:

1) Expensive (anything on the strip)
2) People like I've never seen before
3) Amazing architecture on the strip
4) Fascinating tourism industry
5) The shows are great
6) Very clean

Driving around the City and even venturing through Boulder City, love the roads, easy to get around, nice neighborhoods.

I can certainly see why the population has grown so much in the past 20 years.

I was surprised to stand in the center of the Luxor (Pyramid) look up to realize the structure was completely open, no bearing walls or supports in the center.

I like the rides on top of the Stratosphere.

My wife and I go at least once a year and we rarely even gamble. The shows, the food, the people, the endless stuff to see, the shopping, it’s just a lot of fun. While the entertainment and food can be pricey, the hotels are surprisingly cheap. I’m sure it’s just to lure in the gambling money but I’ll take it!

Being a Los Angeles native Vegas has been a road trip for 30 years.
Architecture has always been amazing and has only become more impressive.
Prices are crazy stupid... again from an old dog used to $20 rooms, $5 buffet/ steak and eggs breakfast, $15 shows.

We visited Vegas in 1967 when I was still a kid. We stayed in some hotel that is now gone. We had to walk through the edge of the casino to get to the elevator to go up to our room, We were not supposed to look into the casino. All I saw was pitiful looking folks and lots of smoking and lights and noise. Vegas was a horribly boring place for kids in the 60s.
In 2007 we spent one night in a motel away from the strip. Some cheap dump with the most amazing shower I have ever had in any hotel in any state anywhere else. It was a high power, very high gallon per minute flow shower head that was 20 inches in diameter. I bet two quartes in a slot machine in the lobby, lost my money and quit. Golly that was fun.

I have never been to the Vegas experience. I don't care for gambling. I don't care for large crowds. I can't think of any reason to go.

geezzz - are there there two places called Las Vegas??
Wife & I stopped there for 3 nights on a cross country road trip last April.
Sorry, but after 3 nights and 4 days we just didn't see the point.

Bill K

You are wise to get off the strip some. Many do not. Lots to do, beautiful scenery and low cost of living. Decent weather except summers are pretty hot. I enjoyed living there for a few years before having to move for work.

I get sucked into the LV vortex about once a year, either for work or to meet friends there for a weekend. I hate the place. I was there a few weeks ago, rode the bike out, and stayed with friends at the MGM. It was a big weekend for them, but old hat for me. I can't understand how anyone can put up with the crowds, the long lines just for the elevators and the ridiculous prices at most places on the Strip. When Mrs. Lee and I go just for ourselves, we don't go anywhere near the Strip, eat the best Chinese food you can imagine and don't gamble. Now that they charge for parking in a lot of places, I'll never go to one of those casinos unless on the bike (which I park anywhere for free).

I don't know how anyone could spend 4 days in Las Vegas. I really don't. When I drive through it on road trips, I try to close my eyes. My dad was a lawyer and knew the people who absolutely ran Vegas, including "Lefty", the character played by DeNiro in "Casino" and Mo Shenker who owned the Dunes. We could have gone there and been treated like visiting Monarchs but never went, my old man said it was "a schithole."

He did get his secretary and her husband last minute tickets to see Elvis once from Shenker, apparently that was the hardest ticket ever in LV.

For me, the more they build it up and put lipstick on it, the bigger a schithole it becomes. It's such an American place in the worst way, just a huge, ugly monument to consumerism and bad taste.

It's like the old joke: "We're having a contest! First prize-one night in Las Vegas! Second prize-TWO nights in Las Vegas! Lol...:cool:

I can't agree more... again because I'm and old dog 30 years ago Vegas was all about debauchery but at my age it has been decades since getting $hitfaced was a hobby... and now drinks are so expensive it cost a small fortune to get drunk in LV.

Gambling has lost is shine too... used to be tossing money around was fun, pertending to be a big shot... now I lose $100 and I'm thinking about better ways I could have spent the money.

The sidewalks are a freak show (and that coming from a Los Angeles native)

And the freeway from L.A. to L.V. has become a parking lot.

I do have to hand it to them about the architecture, 40 story building where the whole side of the building is a light show... casinos built out from the strip to I15

I used to attend sales conferences there. I get it, its easy to get to, cheap flights/rooms but... IIRC maybe 1/3 of the folks were still drunk or so hung over they were useless at least until noon everyday. Bar tabs and dinner bills were insane, really something. I remember winning a few hundred at craps and cashing out thinking I was king of the world. :) I was done after a day or so and that was with most of the day in meetings. I would really like to see see the damn, hike, maybe rent bikes and ride through the desert... lots to do outside of town.

Not even a world championship could entice me to go there...

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=486134

But hell, I could say the same about lots of places...especially Portland, Oregon.

i love it in small doses. like 3 days, two nights.

food: i always break my promise to myself to get off the strip and eat at some of the local joints. one buffet and the food motivations gets blasted.

one day. i can have fun anywhere. i gamble a tiny bit..lose pretty much every time. but it is just considered a small entertainment expenditure. no biggie.

and i always forget to check out the pawn shops.. window shopping thru peoples broken dreams has got to be interesting.

I'm like speeder...I just close my eyes as I drive through.

I've done several business conferences there, but spend almost zero time in the casinos. There are great restaurants, golf courses, and shows, but golf is 3x over priced.

in 2008 I was paired up with the CEO of the Bellagio at the Plantation golf course in Kapalua. He was entertaining two "whales" from Japan who didn't speak english and was happy to have me. He paid for everything! I gave him a ride back to the Grand Wailea in my rental car. He gave me his card and invited my wife and I to visit for a free suite and dinner at the Bellagio. We didn't even have any interest in taking him up on it. Tossed the card a year later.

LV sounds like the West Coast version of South Orlando here.

The only diff in my hood here from my hood in S CA is that they have Slots in the grocery stores...

The only time I am on or near the strip is when I am crossing LV Blvd to get to the east side of town. In other words I do not go.

I do go to casinos to eat at the you know what and movie theaters...but those are at the locals casinos...

I remember this town when it was mostly a mile of dust between the hotels on the strip. First time here was in 54, and have quite a few recollections from the late 50's and 60's. It ain't the same town... I am nonplussed by gambling and don't. I have also met some interesting people back in the day through my Great Uncle and Aunt who retired here from Detroit.

The best Buffet in LV is at the Studio B at M Hotel way down LV Blvd and Rose Pkwy. Lunch during the week is 17.99. dinner 24.99. The Palms revamped buffet is rated best budget buffet also the Orleans is a good budget buffet. Rio, Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn, Ballys and Aria are considered to be top notch even if they are pricey..

Interesting to see that the Orleans makes the cut. I bowl a tournament there every year. It’s not a terrible place and we stay for $39 a night which is a pretty sweet deal. I haven’t had their buffet yet, but will give it a shot in June.

Very wise of you Tabs. Vegas or Reno are not towns to live in if you like gambling.
I had a cousin who worked for a Casino in Reno while going to school. Jis advice was to only gamble with money you were willing to throw into the Truckee river. He was right.

I've gotten to where I just send them a check for $1000 once a year, saves wear and tear on my vehicle. j/k


IIRC the last time I was in Vegas I stayed at the Sands, or was it the Dunes? ;)

Curious what part of Vegas you found "very clean"?

Did you actual ride them? I did once and pissed in my pants:eek:. Did both the roller coaster and the Freefall thing. The Freefall thing scared me silly. Never again because I am a little afraid of heights 1000 stories up in that sharp thing.

Oh boy, I remember those days seeing them as a kid. My parents would take us once every few years so we can see Circus Circus. It was lame even when for a little boy. The pin ball machines and arcade was cool. For us, it was the 9.99 buffet and 2.99 breakfast. They are 65 buffets now. We use that as a stop over when we go see the rest of the western states. The last place to get good food until we get into Saltlake city.

Remember the days when one can just jump in and speed to Vegas after work doing 90-95 late in the evening? We did many of those trips in our early 20s just to go and goof off. Gamble a little and have a free beer and speed like hell home the next evening. I only to get caught speeding all of four times. Now, the 15 is like the harbor fwy:mad:.

Went to LV one time in 2013 to accept an industry award. I don't drink, don't gamble, and didn't want the flyers they handed out on the street :eek:
Not impressed.

Yep, those valleys in the desert where you could see 20-30 miles to the next hill... and no headlights coming your way.

One guy I know headed to Vegas with his friend driving the friend's dad's NSX, my buddy fell asleep and when he woke up they were going 150 :eek:

I have a friend who is a huge blackjack player, he runs out to Vegas in his diesel pickup truck. On the way back to LA they take the dirt roads.

The dirt road part sound like fun. I have been looking at Goggle map on how to get there in those little roads.

In those days, I remember seeing cops hide behind overpass and nail you from there. No head lights needed. We were headed out from LA around 1:30. Getting near baker, the two of us were asleep expecting the driver to stay up so we can share driving at the top of Halloran summit. All three of us woke up in a dust cloud in the middle of the divider ditch:mad:. Bastard fell asleep. We never let him drive put there again.

Spent one night there in 89, as we travelled out west. It was hotter than a two peckered billy goat at 10 pm. But it was low humidity.

Lost $10 in slots and left the next morning.

I flew out of LA to Vegas just about every other weekend in the late 70s to mid 80s.

The blackjack tables were a large source of income.

Vegas today is horrible.

My son and I went there to visit his sister on her 21st b-day. My impression was that LV is a brilliant testament to human ingenuity.

They had apparently developed a nearly fool-proof method of separating people from their money. I'm so tight with my money I sqweak when I sit. But after the first day even I was blowing through $20 bills like they were nickels.

Once you figure out how exuberantly Vegas celebrates the ubiquitous tackiness of the place it can be fun.

Love going to Vegas. My wife and I have been going there every New Years for the past 5 years or so and have the best time ever. We love it. So much to do, so much to see.. Yes we blow about $5K on the trip. We don't gamble much, but we see a lot of shows, take helicopter rides, drive the exotic cars (even though I have one myself.. lol ), ride the roller coaster, etc.. and the fireworks shows on all of the rooftops on the strip are amazing!

Dinner has beef ribs..

It is if you call a Calcutta slum your home.