But for many others who claim they don't like Vegas (i.e., it's too fake, too busy, or too...whatever), they often want to know why Leslie and I end up there. Going to Vegas every year runs counter to our vacation philosophy, which states that we should try to visit places that we've never been. Life is short, and you don't want to get stuck in a rut. Thus, you should try to expand your horizons at much as possible.
Here are the reasons why we break with that philosophy and go back every year.
1. "V" is for Variety
The first reason directly addresses why we break with our vacation philosophy. There is something new to do each time you visit Las Vegas. The first time we went, we spent all of our time walking up and down the Strip. We wanted to see all of the hotels because each one has a unique style or a must-see attraction (e.g., the lions at MGM come easily to mind). Our first trip to Vegas was eyeopening, and we learned a great deal about the city and what it has to offer.
However, the next time we went, we made sure to get off the Strip and see some of the surrounding sights. Our friend drove us to Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, and then on to Hoover Dam. I was stunned by how beautiful the area was. I was stunned mainly because I had no idea that all of this existed outside the Strip.
Just like the saying You can never step in the same river twice, going back to Las Vegas doesn't necessarily result in the same vacation. During each trip, we've gone during different times of the year, and we've stayed in different hotels. During the most recent trip, we stayed downtown because we found ourselves gravitating to Fremont Street in each of our past visits. Why not just go to where the action is?
2. Pumping the Brakes on Gambling
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| What to drive a Porsche 911-GT3 around a racetrack? Go ahead! |
One reason why people say they don't like Vegas is because, "they don't like to gamble." Neither do I, really. I have a strict $10 cap per day. I'm fine to lose that amount of money. Any more than ten bucks and I get twitchy.
Las Vegas has so much more to offer than gambling. Whatever you are into, Vegas has the world's best version of that. If you like sitting by the pool on vacation, they specialize in pools. There are hundreds of them. If you're a foodie and like to eat out, then you are in luck because some of the world's finest chefs have a restaurant in Vegas. It's amazing how good the food is. If you drink alcohol, then there is every conceivable variation of beer, wine, and liquor available. If you like fast cars, then you can rent an exotic car and drive around a racetrack. Literally, anything you can think of, Vegas has that. And more (see reason #1).
3. Mmmm....Fried Frontal Lobe
If you are like us, then you have a demanding job that pretty much requires you to plan, strategize, be creative, and critically evaluate information all day long. You have to be detail-oriented and a great communicator. Where does that leave you at the end of the day, week, or month? For me, my frontal lobe (i.e., where a bulk of higher-level thinking takes place) is pretty much fried at the end of a busy week. Planning a super-fun, action-packed vacation is probably the last thing I want to do. Going to Las Vegas is like pushing The Easy Button because all you have to do is make 3 decisions:
- When should we go?
- Which airline should we fly?
- Which hotel should stay in?
4. Be Yourself.
This is my favorite (and the hardest) reason to describe if you've never been to Las Vegas. We once saw a guy walking around in nothing but a speedo, cowboy boots, and sunglasses in the early morning. We couldn't figure out if he lost a bet, was on drugs, or was dressed to impressed. Either way, it didn't matter. Nobody was going to harass him because you can do or be anything you want. There isn't a single person who is going to care because there is already too much going on anyway. To quote Jane's Addition: Nothing's Shocking.
That means you don't have to apologize or explain yourself to anybody. You can do what you want, when you want, and how you want (within the bounds of the law, of course). If you want to dress like a tiger, go ahead. If you want to eat lunch at 9am, that's fine too. Nobody cares! You don't have to explain yourself. You can just...be yourself. Doing so is very liberating.
Back to Life; Back to Reality
Finally, coming home is fun because Vegas can be draining. The "always on" mentality of the city can start to wear you down after a while. My recommendation is to keep the trip short (i.e., 3-4 days), go off the Strip at some point, and realize that you're going to go back and do all the stuff you missed this time around.
