Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas
Being the millennial that I am, growing up with in California, when someone turned 21, they often went to Vegas or Tiajuana to celebrate. The first time I went to Vegas, I had just graduated high school, and I went on a trip with my boyfriend at the time and his parents from Livermore, CA to Livermore, CO via Las Vegas, NV.
With a drive time of 8-9 hours, we arrived in Vegas a night, and the hotel was a couple blocks east of the stip. The first thing you learn is in Vegas is that things are farther away than they appear. Fun fact. An average city block is about 300 feet. In NYC it can jump up to 900 feet pending the neighborhood. In Vegas, on the strip, the distance between intersection can jump to 1000-2600 feet. You are going to walk and walk a lot!
That night, we walk to the strip and then all the way down to the Bellagio as one of the biggest free attractions in Vegas is their fountains that go off every 15-30 min. Being the teenager I was at the time, I didn’t think the walk was worth it. I was hot and tired by the time we got their and was far from interested in the show. I don’t remember much about the walk back, but I do know we stopped of at Tresure Island aka TI. My boyfriend at the time was 21 and able to play at the cassinos like his parents but I was just short of 18, and back then, Vegas really was a world for the 21 and older. However, it was also back when they still used quarters and physical money to play slots vs the digital age we are in now. I remember my boyfriend’s mom let me put a quarter in one of the slots and pull the handle. I didn’t win, but it was a fun memory.
It would be another 16 years before I went back to Vegas and by then, I was 33 and working in tech. The year was 2017 and I was a recruiter, supporting university and professional tech roles, and hiring over 100+ people a year. I was exhausted and ready to run away from my job for some fun. You know that feeling. It’s not yet burn out but you know you are close. So, you start looking at your PTO and your bank account and wondering where in the world you can run off to for a few days. In that moment, Vegas came to mind, and shortly thereafter, I was asking my boss if I could run away, and he said go for it. Within 24 hours I had booked Wag! to watch my dog, a hotel, a very cheap flight from Southwest, and was off to Vegas that Sunday.
A friend of mine at the time was a fan of a hotel at the north end of the strip called the SLS. Silly name I know, right. The SLS was formerly the Sahara which in 2011 closed after 59 years due to financial struggles. A few years later in 2014 it was bought and went through a $415 million renovation and was rebranded to the SLS. When I went in 2017, it meant a lot of upgrades to the property including the rooms were still new. I mention this as a benefit as the average hotel room in Vegas is upgraded every 10+ years, which gives a whole new meaning to what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, if you catch my drift. A few other things to appreciate about the SLS is there is a drug store right across the street which is a great way to stock up on snacks, drinks, and even alcohol that you can bring back to your room at a cheaper price. It’s also a stop on the monorail which is a great way to save money during your stay. Due to that first experience, even though it’s no longer the SLS and has since gone back to its former Sahara, I have only stayed at that same hotel when traveling back to Vegas.
I had taken the earliest flight from SJC to LAS and after dropping my bags off at the hotel, I made my way to Fremont Street and the Mob Museum. Being a nonprofit museum (no, not all museums are) the Mob Museum’s goal is to share the history of organized crime with the American public through artifacts and an immersive experience. As I was there early it was quite and a good way for this Murderino to kick things off in Vegas. If you happen to be near Fremont Street, I recommend you check out the Container Park. About a 7 min walk away on the same street, the Container Park is an open-air boutique style shopping center in which the main structure is made of shipping containers. To this day, I go to the Container park for 2 reasons, brunch and tattoos, both of which are worth the uber drive. After that, I made it back to the SLS and was surprised by an old friend who had flown into Vegas with her boyfriend to surprise me. All in all it was a very very long day that ended with blackjack and champagne, but I loved that my friend had made my first adult trip to Vegas extra special.
To be very honest, other than caffeine, an occasional cigar, and a hookah a few times, my life has been drug free. I also never needed alcohol to have fun and spent most of my 20’s into my 30’s as the DD (designated driver). At first glance, you might not think someone like me would enjoy Vegas who has a reputation for alcohol, drugs, and everything in between. However, I was determined to find what I call “Vegas worthy” actives. Since 2017, I have been to Vegas every year except for 2020 and 2025. In 7 trips, I have always found something Vegas worthy.
I will admit, 6 of my 7 tattoo’s have come from trips to Vegas and I love every single one of them. The biggest lesson you will learn getting a tattoo in Vegas is they are more expensive on the strip than off and that doesn’t include tips. The first 3 I got at Club Tattoo in The LINQ Hotel. My last 3, I have gotten at the Black Spade tattoo shop at the Container Park, and I personally prefer the service and quality of artistry there.
Shows in Vegas mostly are either comedy, music, magic, and Cirque du Soleil. To date the Cirque shows I have seen are Ka, Mystere, The Mad Apple, with the Mad Apple being my favorite. No longer an option but I did see Le Reve meaning The Dream, a non-Cirque water acrobatics show back in 2017, and even though it was a very humid experience, I would recommend if it came back. I have not seen any of the magic shows but Penn and Teller who are the longest running Vegas act at over 30 years and running but is on my bucket list for future trips. Concerts are another reason why I have been to Vegas 7 times in 9 years. In fact, two of my all-time favorite concerts I saw, were in Vergas. The first was Aerosmith at the Dolby theater and the cost to fly, stay the night, and the actual concert tickets with the seat I had, was the same price, possibly cheaper than seeing them in the nose bleed seats in Arlington, TX 45 min away. It was an incredible show and lucky timing as their very next show was cancelled and they have not been performing regularly since. The second one was another 24 hour trip where I just flew in for the concert, always feels very bougee when saying that. Garth Brooks and his Plus one residency at Caesars Palace I will never forget. In this case, being on my bucket list, I had gone to see Garth in Arlington the prior year but my purchased seats were “upgraded” to the floor which when you are 5’4” is not really an upgrade as you can can’t see anything. It was a nice experience I got to share with my sister, but we really didn’t see a concert as much as hear live music. Getting to see Garth in Vegas, man I had heard stories, but it was worth every penny to go see him again. In fact, his concert was my last trip to Vegas back in September 2024.
Shopping in Vegas is everywhere; you don’t even have to leave your hotel. Not to mention the over 1000 retail options on the strip alone. However, there are popular options off the strip you can also take advantage of. One of the most popular options are the two outlet malls with the closest to the strip being the North outlets which is not far away from the Freemont Street Experience. If you are looking for something still high end, off the strip, and maybe more of a local vibe, Downtown Summerland might be for you. I went back in 2017 but have not been back since. Potentially one of the biggest draws of shopping in Vegas is sales tax. Being from California at the time where sales tax was over 10%, in Vegas it dropped to less than 8.4%. When purchasing name brand items or even luxury goods, saving on sales tax came be a big incentive. I have come home twice with purchases from Louis Vuitton.
Fun fact, if you are really looking to make that high end purchase while you are traveling and cannot go abroad; Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Oregon, and New Hampshire are all good options offering low to no sales tax.
Dinning is another big attraction in Vegas as there are over 40 celebrity chef owned restaurants on the strip. Due to financial ups and downs, Vegas has had an on and off again relationship with Michelin Star restaurants over the years. However, you can still often find Michelin Star Chefs working now and then.
Oddly enough, on that first trip back in 2017, I never once stepped foot on Las Vegas Blvd aka the strip. It wasn’t till my second trip the following year where I expanded my horizon and started hotel hopping. There are over 26 hotels on the strip and to date, I have been to all but 6. Other actives I have experience include a nighttime helicopter ride over the strip. One I look forward to going back to is The Strip Gun Club where you can shoot everything from a Glock 17, MP5, AK-47, Thompson, to belt fed machine guns all under the supervision of mostly military vets. The conservatory at the Bellagio is a fun free time a long with the flamingo’s at of course the Flamingo Hotel. The Immersive Van Gough experience while it was in town, the Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, and the House of Gaga which features a small but free awesome exhibit of Lady Gaga most iconic fashions. Before it closed, I even went to the Siegfried and Roy’s secret garden and dolphin habitat. Saw the massive aquarium at Ceasars Palace, walked the promenade, and red both monorails more than I can count.
Future Vegas goals include the Neon Graveyard, going back to The Strip Gun Club, Penn and Teller, a picture at the Welcome to Vegas sign, probably more Cirque shows, and if I’m lucky, more concerts.
Something to keep in mind, I have chosen to live a child free life and to this day, Vegas is still a mostly for adults 21 and old. However, over the years it’s not uncommon for more and more families with younger children to be found all over the Vegas strip. In fact, there are many family friendly activates Vegas. So even thought Vegas is still an adult’s wonderland and you should proceed with caution, don’t’ be surprised if you see families and even family specific attractions all over Vegas.
