Does anyone else join me in really not liking having to visit Las Vegas?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

So, my new job has required me to travel to Las Vegas twice in the last two months.  

I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t care for Las Vegas.  I dislike the sensory overload of constant light and music, I dislike the pervasive smoking, I dislike the way you have to walk through the casinos (and the smokers) to get to restaurants, I dislike paying twice (or more) for what I would pay for a restaurant just about anywhere else.  I dislike the way the city seems like an imposition in the surrounding wilderness (which is starkly beautiful).

I really don’t care for Vegas.

Anyone else agree?

[.H.]

9 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

I really don’t care for Vegas.

Anyone else agree?

Well, I agree in general.  I felt the place was a basically a cesspool for me.

One, no thanks on desert heat and two, I have no interest in gambling or drinking alcohol which seems to be a fair proportion of things to do there.

I actually thought the food was the only reasonable part, but maybe the price is a little out of whack in places.  The only real entertainment I found was when I walked around in a suit and tie and people either shouted at me that I was crazy, or though I worked at what casino we were in.  Oh, we did see Penn and Teller, which was decent and some Star Trek thing while it was there, which weren't bad, but hardly much of a reason to leave the house, let alone travel all that way.

[Heartofice]

I don't understand anyone who really enjoys Vegas. I was there for a week and the only way to properly survive it is to be constantly splashing money on booze girls and gambling. I did that for one night and it was great.. the rest of the time I was just left with an empty haunted feeling.

[Ran]

I had one visit there, and it was fine. It wasn't as horrible as I expected. The smokers were not enjoyable. The casino buffets (at the Rio, the Orleans, and I think something Station) I tried were actually good value for the price , given that they're basically loss leaders to get gamblers in the door and keep them there. It's basically Disney for adults, I guess.

[Tywin et al.]

I’ll take a Caribbean cruise over Vegas every time. The casinos and entertainment are the same, but you get to visit more places and it’s easier to meet single women there. You don’t get the strip clubs, but then again I’d never step foot in one unless I had to for a bachelor party.

[lady narcissa]

I totally disagree.  I love Las Vegas.  I worked on some construction projects there in the 90s and had to spend months on end there.  I wandered everywhere from one end of the Strip to the other and back again hundreds of times and during that time developed a special fondness for the city.  Even though I don't have to go there for work anymore, I still go there every couple of years for a long weekend to be nostalgic and see how things have changed.  I just came back from there last week, in fact.

I don't gamble or drink so I avoid all those things.  But I love walking around and seeing all the buildings and new construction.  (Check out "Learning from Las Vegas" by Robert Venturi for some historical perspective on Las Vegas and its architecture.)  This time I went into Guardian Angel Cathedral which is on the Strip just north of the Wynn for the first time.  It is an amazing little 1950s modern jewel of a building with memorizing artwork from its stained glass windows to mosaic pieces.  Absolutely worth popping into if you have to go back to Vegas.  Also went and checked out several other buildings off the Strip such as one by Frank Gehry.  And I went to the Neon Museum which was fun.

The restaurants...while there are some incredibly expensive restaurants there, there are a ton of affordable options.  Some in the hotels and others right there on the Strip.  There is a fantastic cheap taco place just next to the Guardian Angel Cathedral on the Strip in fact.  But this time while we had one great treat of a meal, all are others were pretty modest.  In fact, for us, a lot cheaper than we have to pay in Chicago due to lower taxes on food/beverages.  This trip I went to a number of places just to try their crazy milkshakes which were very tasty and a lot of fun and not very expensive.

And its such a great base for seeing some fantastic nature.  Red Rock Canyon is right there and easy to access.  This time we drove out to Valley of Fire for the day which is a great day trip and very worth visiting.  There are also some lovely golf courses in the city which allow you to get a feel of nature while not going out too far.

Regarding the smoke and having to walk through the casinos and sensory overload, this is why I always stay at the Palazzo these days.  You can totally avoid the casino if you want as they have a whole shopping/restaurant level above the casino level which you can use for coming and going and completely avoid all of that.

Next time you have to go there for work, if you want some suggestions for some places to go or eat to make your time there a little less horrible for you, let me know.

[OldGimletEye]

@Ser Scot A Ellison

I actually have been to Vegas a few times when I was younger. And honestly, I enjoyed it. But, now that I'm older, grouchier, and have a new found appreciation for peace and quiet, and I really don't consume alcohol anymore, I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much. I like gambling on occasion. But, I think just a couple or a few days in Vegas would be enough for me. I certainly wouldn't take a week or two weeks of vacation there.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

2 minutes ago, lady narcissa said:

I totally disagree.  I love Las Vegas.  I worked on some construction projects there in the 90s and had to spend months on end there.  I wandered everywhere from one end of the Strip to the other and back again hundreds of times and during that time developed a special fondness for the city.  Even though I don't have to go there for work anymore, I still go there every couple of years for a long weekend to be nostalgic and see how things have changed.  I just came back from there last week, in fact.

I don't gamble or drink so I avoid all those things.  But I love walking around and seeing all the buildings and new construction.  (Check out "Learning from Las Vegas" by Robert Venturi for some historical perspective on Las Vegas and its architecture.)  This time I went into Guardian Angel Cathedral which is on the Strip just north of the Wynn for the first time.  It is an amazing little 1950s modern jewel of a building with memorizing artwork from its stained glass windows to mosaic pieces.  Absolutely worth popping into if you have to go back to Vegas.  Also went and checked out several other buildings off the Strip such as one by Frank Gehry.  And I went to the Neon Museum which was fun.

The restaurants...while there are some incredibly expensive restaurants there, there are a ton of affordable options.  Some in the hotels and others right there on the Strip.  There is a fantastic cheap taco place just next to the Guardian Angel Cathedral on the Strip in fact.  But this time while we had one great treat of a meal, all are others were pretty modest.  In fact, for us, a lot cheaper than we have to pay in Chicago due to lower taxes on food/beverages.  This trip I went to a number of places just to try their crazy milkshakes which were very tasty and a lot of fun and not very expensive.

And its such a great base for seeing some fantastic nature.  Red Rock Canyon is right there and easy to access.  This time we drove out to Valley of Fire for the day which is a great day trip and very worth visiting.  There are also some lovely golf courses in the city which allow you to get a feel of nature while not going out too far.

Regarding the smoke and having to walk through the casinos and sensory overload, this is why I always stay at the Palazzo these days.  You can totally avoid the casino if you want as they have a whole shopping/restaurant level above the casino level which you can use for coming and going and completely avoid all of that.

Next time you have to go there for work, if you want some suggestions for some places to go or eat to make your time there a little less horrible for you, let me know.

When I come for the business conference next February I should have all the credit hours I need and plan to go with a friend to Res Rock Canyon.  That looks beautiful.  Honestly too many people on the Strip to enjoy it.  I tried to walk up to the fountains at the Bellagio and it was wall to wall people.  You may recall I’m vertical challenged and as such can’t see over tall folks.

[lady narcissa]

2 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

Honestly too many people on the Strip to enjoy it.  I tried to walk up to the fountains at the Bellagio and it was wall to wall people.  You may recall I’m vertical challenged and as such can’t see over tall folks.

This really varies from day to day and from time of day.  I absolutely hate crowds.  But I manage to avoid them in Vegas mostly with planning my timing.  It was not crowded at all when we were there this month and I had no problems with crowds on the Strip.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

8 minutes ago, lady narcissa said:

This really varies from day to day and from time of day.  I absolutely hate crowds.  But I manage to avoid them in Vegas mostly with planning my timing.  It was not crowded at all when we were there this month and I had no problems with crowds on the Strip.

We were at a sellers site all day yesterday and it rained last night.  There are apparently two different conventions in town now.

[BigFatCoward]

Vegas and New York are the two places on my reverse bucket list. 

[Mlle. Zabzie]

I dislike Vegas as well.  I don't gamble.  I drink very little.  I don't smoke.  I don't club.  I like socializing, but actually carrying on a good conversation.  I love good food, and I enjoy good shows, but I am really, really, spoiled and have those available to me where I live.  The shopping is pretty good, but ditto.  

[Fez]

I enjoy Vegas in extremely limited quantities; no more than 2 days/2 nights at a time, and no more than once a year. I like playing blackjack at a low-stakes table for hours a time, enjoying the comp't drinks, and at a crowded enough table that there's enough time between when I need to make decisions that I can people watch.

[lady narcissa]

10 minutes ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

The shopping is pretty good, but ditto.  

I will say the salespeople in the stores in Vegas are the nicest anywhere.  Absolutely no attitude.  They have no idea if the person walking into their store has just won a million dollars and is ready to spend or there to just browse so they are polite and welcoming and helpful to everyone in ways I've not witnessed in stores anywhere else.  If you like shopping or browsing, its a joy to do so there.  Most of the stores there are the same here but sometimes I just wait till I go there because I know it will be such a nice experience.

[Tywin et al.]

27 minutes ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

I dislike Vegas as well.  I don't gamble.  I drink very little.  I don't smoke.  I don't club.  I like socializing, but actually carrying on a good conversation.  I love good food, and I enjoy good shows, but I am really, really, spoiled and have those available to me where I live.  The shopping is pretty good, but ditto.  

This is a disappointment. I had you swilling a tall glass of scotch, smoking a cigarette from a really long holder while at the roulette table screaming “mama needs a new pair of shoes!”

[Mlle. Zabzie]

18 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

This is a disappointment. I had you swilling a tall glass of scotch, smoking a cigarette from a really long holder while at the roulette table screaming “mama needs a new pair of shoes!”

More likely you will find Mama in the mall at Caesars, just buying that new pair of shoes.  I just cut out the middleperson.

(If you find me in a casino at all, other than walking to my room, you might find me in the sports book, putting down really silly and small bets on games I don't really care about so that I can justify sitting and watching ALL THE SPORTSBALL AT ONCE in one place in a recliner.  But since I hate the way casinos make my hair and clothes smell, unlikely, and usually only because I'm indulging my husband who does like a little flutter at the roulette table and/or blackjack.  But I really haven't been in 10 years - husband has a case there for work right now, so he goes like every month.  Says it's a miserable place to go for real (rather than conference-driven) work).

[DMC]

I don't like how hot it gets.

Haven't been to Vegas in a long time, but I got a crazy aunt that lives there.  Surprised the smokers are still so annoying.  Well, not surprised, but would have thought by this time more would just take it outside - I would (the only time I smoke indoors anymore is when I'm really drunk playing pool at this one bar, and that's just cuz everyone is).

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

5 minutes ago, DMC said:

I don't like how hot it gets.

Haven't been to Vegas in a long time, but I got a crazy aunt that lives there.  Surprised the smokers are still so annoying.  Well, not surprised, but would have thought by this time more would just take it outside - I would (the only time I smoke indoors anymore is when I'm really drunk playing pool at this one bar, and that's just cuz everyone is).

My boss claims they don’t eliminate indoor smoking because the hotels make money on fines when drunk smokers light up in their non-smoking rooms.  I was on a “non-smoking floor” at Park MGM and it reeked of cigarette smoke.

[DMC]

Huh.  Guess that makes sense.

[Tywin et al.]

18 minutes ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

More likely you will find Mama in the mall at Caesars, just buying that new pair of shoes.  I just cut out the middleperson.

The hell is Caesars?

Quote

(If you find me in a casino at all, other than walking to my room, you might find me in the sports book, putting down really silly and small bets on games I don't really care about so that I can justify sitting and watching ALL THE SPORTSBALL AT ONCE in one place in a recliner.  But since I hate the way casinos make my hair and clothes smell, unlikely, and usually only because I'm indulging my husband who does like a little flutter at the roulette table and/or blackjack.  But I really haven't been in 10 years - husband has a case there for work right now, so he goes like every month.  Says it's a miserable place to go for real (rather than conference-driven) work).

Funny, I don’t think I’ve ever really gambled on sports despite being a huge fan and running the Pick’em league on this site.

Frankly I stopped gambling all together when I lost close to a grand in under 90 seconds at the blackjack tables. Sometimes you just have to walk away….