“A little bit of this town goes a very long way.”
- Hunter S. Thompson
Vegas was everything I wanted and not what I imagined. I think most people have a skewed image of Vegas. I know I did but now that I've been there and experienced it, my view is completely different.
I was expecting Vegas to be WILD, dirty, and cramped. You are probably wondering why I would want to go if those were my expectations. I wanted to go because it's VEGAS and I felt like everyone should have that experience. I still stand by that statement.
Vegas was so CLEAN. If you know me, you know how OCD I am about cleanliness. I am a lover of NYC but Vegas was so much cleaner by a landslide. My other assumption was that it would be cramped. Walking shoulder to shoulder with strangers, casinos on top of casinos, etc. It was not like that at all. My feet and legs are STILL sore (2 days after being home) so that can attest to how spaced out the casinos are. There is also so much to do everywhere you turn that the streets don't necessarily seem crowded...if that makes sense. Finally, it wasn't as WILD and crazy as I thought it would be. There are definitely certain areas that attracted more of a wild bunch of people, but generally everyone was really cool, laid-back, and super nice.
Vegas was also super accessible. For those that don't know my husband Will, he has Kniest Dysplasia (a form of dwarfism). Whenever we go somewhere that will consist of a lot of walking, he needs to use a motorized scooter. Vegas was extremely accessible in having plenty of ramps and elevators that were all easy to access. Not just out on the streets, but inside every casino as well. It was more accessible than some cruise ships that we have been on.
I can say that we WILL be going back to Vegas, hopefully sooner than later. Here is my list of do's and don'ts for Vegas:
DO go to as many hotels/casinos as you can! They are all different, and something I didn't know is that each one has their own mall/shops, restaurants, and just cool things to see! The Bellagio had this giant floral under the sea display (I mean it was HUGE) while Paris has multiple Parisian themed restaurants and (YUM) bakeries! New York New York has a ROLLERCOASTER and Luxor had the Titanic and Bodies exhibits. The list goes on and on!
DO invest in a good pair of shoes. I walked 10 MILES a DAY in Vegas. Enough said.
DO pay to see a show/exhibit/museum. We saw Blue Man Group and it was out of this world! It's a great interactive, family show if you are traveling with kids. We also went to the Titanic Artifacts Exhibit. This is located at Luxor (aka the pyramid) and it was breathtaking. Will accurately compared it to the Holocaust Museum in DC. This is a traveling exhibit, however the Luxor exclusively has a piece of the exhibit that is to be displayed only there until 2018. I'm not going to say what it is- you have to go see for yourself! The Luxor also has the Bodies Exhibit (this is also a traveling exhibit- they have both been to Raleigh/Durham!). There are numerous performers currently in Vegas as well as your Vegas usuals: Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, Criss Angel, etc. Britney Spears is currently performing as well as Donny & Marie. Rod Stewart will be back in July and usually Celine Dion has a show as well.
DO NOT buy tickets at the box office. Buy your tickets in advance online OR at Tix4Tonight in Vegas. We got our Titanic tickets for $23 a piece. If we bought them at the box office, they would have been $35 a piece, or $45 if you chose to use the audio guide. We also bought our Blue Man Group tickets online before we left for Vegas and saved significantly there as well.
DO NOT be alarmed when you see people walking around (on the street) with alcoholic beverages! Living in a state where you can not buy liquor other than at the ABC store, or buy any alcohol period before 12PM on Sundays, it was shocking to see people walking around drinking! Go into any CVS or Walgreens and BAM there is liquor on the shelves! This is perfectly legal in Vegas, so don't get your panties in a knot if you witness this...because you will! We were eating at La Salsa Cantina in the Miracle Mile Mall and we saw some people leave the restaurant with their giant yard of margarita. Will asked our waiter, "Can you walk around with your drink?" The waiter laughed, looked at us and said, "You're in Vegas!!!" It was HILARIOUS and we proceeded to also buy a yard of margarita and march the mall with it- hey, when in Vegas...
DON'T buy an alcoholic drink from the bar in the casino. Instead, sit down and start playing the slots. Waitresses will walk around saying, "drinks, drinks." Call one over, give your order, and when she brings it back, tip her a buck or two. Seriously. That's all you gotta do.
DO go to CVS or Walgreens when you are thirsty for a soda or hungry for a snack. DON'T hit up the local fast food restaurants. I was so thirsty for a sweet tea. I went into McDonald's and a large tea was $3. It is significantly cheaper to go into the local drug store and get a fountain drink, or a bottled/canned drink. The drug stores in Vegas are typically 2 stories and they also offer fresh fruit and ready-made sandwiches. Pretty awesome!
DO eat at new restaurants! Don't eat somewhere you can eat at in your hometown. There are SO many cool places to eat that you can't find anywhere else. Don't waste a meal eating fast food or at Chili's or Outback. Several Food Network celebrities have restaurants in Vegas. Try them out! We ate at Shake Shack, In-n-Out Burger, Pin-up Pizza, the buffet at Aria (AMAZING), La Salsa Cantina, and Serendipity. Most restaurants in the Miracle Mile Mall also offer breakfast deals as cheap as $3.95 per person.
I may post again on Vegas as I think of more tips and tricks! Stay tuned!
-Cassie
I was expecting Vegas to be WILD, dirty, and cramped. You are probably wondering why I would want to go if those were my expectations. I wanted to go because it's VEGAS and I felt like everyone should have that experience. I still stand by that statement.
Vegas was so CLEAN. If you know me, you know how OCD I am about cleanliness. I am a lover of NYC but Vegas was so much cleaner by a landslide. My other assumption was that it would be cramped. Walking shoulder to shoulder with strangers, casinos on top of casinos, etc. It was not like that at all. My feet and legs are STILL sore (2 days after being home) so that can attest to how spaced out the casinos are. There is also so much to do everywhere you turn that the streets don't necessarily seem crowded...if that makes sense. Finally, it wasn't as WILD and crazy as I thought it would be. There are definitely certain areas that attracted more of a wild bunch of people, but generally everyone was really cool, laid-back, and super nice.
Vegas was also super accessible. For those that don't know my husband Will, he has Kniest Dysplasia (a form of dwarfism). Whenever we go somewhere that will consist of a lot of walking, he needs to use a motorized scooter. Vegas was extremely accessible in having plenty of ramps and elevators that were all easy to access. Not just out on the streets, but inside every casino as well. It was more accessible than some cruise ships that we have been on.
I can say that we WILL be going back to Vegas, hopefully sooner than later. Here is my list of do's and don'ts for Vegas:
DO go to as many hotels/casinos as you can! They are all different, and something I didn't know is that each one has their own mall/shops, restaurants, and just cool things to see! The Bellagio had this giant floral under the sea display (I mean it was HUGE) while Paris has multiple Parisian themed restaurants and (YUM) bakeries! New York New York has a ROLLERCOASTER and Luxor had the Titanic and Bodies exhibits. The list goes on and on!
DO invest in a good pair of shoes. I walked 10 MILES a DAY in Vegas. Enough said.
DO pay to see a show/exhibit/museum. We saw Blue Man Group and it was out of this world! It's a great interactive, family show if you are traveling with kids. We also went to the Titanic Artifacts Exhibit. This is located at Luxor (aka the pyramid) and it was breathtaking. Will accurately compared it to the Holocaust Museum in DC. This is a traveling exhibit, however the Luxor exclusively has a piece of the exhibit that is to be displayed only there until 2018. I'm not going to say what it is- you have to go see for yourself! The Luxor also has the Bodies Exhibit (this is also a traveling exhibit- they have both been to Raleigh/Durham!). There are numerous performers currently in Vegas as well as your Vegas usuals: Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, Criss Angel, etc. Britney Spears is currently performing as well as Donny & Marie. Rod Stewart will be back in July and usually Celine Dion has a show as well.
DO NOT buy tickets at the box office. Buy your tickets in advance online OR at Tix4Tonight in Vegas. We got our Titanic tickets for $23 a piece. If we bought them at the box office, they would have been $35 a piece, or $45 if you chose to use the audio guide. We also bought our Blue Man Group tickets online before we left for Vegas and saved significantly there as well.
DO NOT be alarmed when you see people walking around (on the street) with alcoholic beverages! Living in a state where you can not buy liquor other than at the ABC store, or buy any alcohol period before 12PM on Sundays, it was shocking to see people walking around drinking! Go into any CVS or Walgreens and BAM there is liquor on the shelves! This is perfectly legal in Vegas, so don't get your panties in a knot if you witness this...because you will! We were eating at La Salsa Cantina in the Miracle Mile Mall and we saw some people leave the restaurant with their giant yard of margarita. Will asked our waiter, "Can you walk around with your drink?" The waiter laughed, looked at us and said, "You're in Vegas!!!" It was HILARIOUS and we proceeded to also buy a yard of margarita and march the mall with it- hey, when in Vegas...
DON'T buy an alcoholic drink from the bar in the casino. Instead, sit down and start playing the slots. Waitresses will walk around saying, "drinks, drinks." Call one over, give your order, and when she brings it back, tip her a buck or two. Seriously. That's all you gotta do.
DO go to CVS or Walgreens when you are thirsty for a soda or hungry for a snack. DON'T hit up the local fast food restaurants. I was so thirsty for a sweet tea. I went into McDonald's and a large tea was $3. It is significantly cheaper to go into the local drug store and get a fountain drink, or a bottled/canned drink. The drug stores in Vegas are typically 2 stories and they also offer fresh fruit and ready-made sandwiches. Pretty awesome!
DO eat at new restaurants! Don't eat somewhere you can eat at in your hometown. There are SO many cool places to eat that you can't find anywhere else. Don't waste a meal eating fast food or at Chili's or Outback. Several Food Network celebrities have restaurants in Vegas. Try them out! We ate at Shake Shack, In-n-Out Burger, Pin-up Pizza, the buffet at Aria (AMAZING), La Salsa Cantina, and Serendipity. Most restaurants in the Miracle Mile Mall also offer breakfast deals as cheap as $3.95 per person.
I may post again on Vegas as I think of more tips and tricks! Stay tuned!
-Cassie