My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

[drewpster]

Ok you guys, I cannot vent to the family because it may hurt some feelings so you guys get the brunt.
First let me say that I am not a people person generally. Meaning that as vacations and leisure go, I more likely to spend my valuable vacation time relaxing with my wife and kids on a beach somewhere rather than partying it up in a casino in Vegas. But here I went anyway.
I got talked into spending big cash traveling to a place I had, and continue to have, no interest in vacationing in...Los Vegas.
I found there what I expected. Big crowds filled the streets. Driving anywhere was a waste of time. The desert, as a site to see, is as you would expect..brown, featureless and brown. The casinos were made up nice but had an underlying feel that I can best describe as seedy. Gambling is a waste of money. Want to know how it feels? Just throw some money down the toilet and flush and you will get the idea. Basically my experience in Vegas was at best a waste of money, time and effort.
To be fair the Casinos do their best to make it "upper class" but the truth eventually comes through. The whole setup is there to relieve you of your hard earned cash, nothing more. Now that I have seen it I can say without any doubt that even as a young man Vegas is not where I would go to have fun. I am not a rich guy but I do set aside what I can to go on vacation. Los Vegas is not where I would ever waste my time going again. I do not recommend it. And I will not return.
We stayed at a well known hotel. the service was mediocre at best. The food was ok but not memorable. the gambling was a waste of money. the one highlight was dinner at Bobby Flay's restaurant. I also somewhat enjoyed the trip we took to Hoover Dam. But I could have seen it on TV and had about the same effect.
In all I count this years vacation as a total loss. We fulfilled my mother-in-law's wish to see it one more time. The job is done. I will never go back.
To those of you that live in Vegas I hope my rant gives you no offense. If you continue to live there you must find some redeeming feature. To you I say God bless. For me I'd rather be fishing right here in Tennessee. To Vegas I say goodbye, you wont be missed.
Next time I will find some water, a vessel, a chair, whatever, and be glad that my trip to Sin City is far behind me.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

i basically have to agree. but, it was an experience i won't forget.

 

[eaglejim]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

That's why they call it Los(t) Wages

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

Been once and that was enough. The buildings are impressive. The sheer size of them you can not get by seeing it on TV in my opinion. We have far better things to do with our money.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

why didnt you go out to mead and rent a boat and put around out there?

lot to do and see out there. one thing about the lake level being low you can see stuff that only divers could see before.

i spent some time there this winter and buy and large enjoyed it. i never set foot in any casinos or went near the strip.

sounds like you got out of your trip what you put in. next time look at the glass as half full not half empty.

 

[lowkee]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

You're in good company. I went there, but had fun while I was there, yet will never bother going back (I may pass through to show the wife what a REAL high electric bill looks like). I agree that you could likely have put more effort into having a good time, as there is PLENTY to do there. I do think there is a 2 day limit to Las Vegas, though, as it is pretty rinse-and-repeat to me. The pawn shops alone were very fun for me. I love seeing what stupid people will pawn in order to pull that giant arm down one last time. Some good deals, too (assuming you have the ability to get it home). The desert, yes, yellow, crappy, boring, and Lake Mead was just as colorless as the rest of it in my eyes. None of my photos from that trip ever made it to the album. I'd rather my memory of it fade just as the colors of the desert did millenia ago.

 

[drewpster]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

I know my rant is a bit sharp. And it is fair to say I got out of it what I put in it. If you knew my personality, you would understand. In fact just about everyone who knows me raised a brow when I told them where we were going this year. Vegas?
My wife, thankfully, is a bit more "open minded" about what she called an "adventure". Even she said she would not go back. We satisfied the desire of a 70 year old woman who wanted to see it "one more time". I am glad we could provide that to her. (even though she spent most of her time at the pool)
There were good moments. They were just had in the wrong place.
I went to great lengths to keep my mouth shut and have a good time. My bottom lip is quite sore. We did our best to make it fun for her sake and for my brother-in-law who seems to love it more than any of us. I am glad they both had fun.
You get the rant here because I was such a trooper there.
enjoy
drewp

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

If you want to see beautiful desert come to Arizona. Don't bother going to Nevada!

 

[skargo]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

I agree on the gambling, it's a sucker's game and when we go I stick to my budget, maybe a $150 a night, and when it's gone, it's gone. I can make it last a while usually at the Blackjack tables.

I have to disagree with your assessment of the desert, I think it is beautiful. You just need to get out there and explore it, be it on an ATV or in a Jeep. I also think Lake Meade was cool, and if you have a day to waste head over to the Grand Canyon.

But I suspect I am like you, I hate crowds, and could care less if I hang with anyone but my wife, close friends, and family.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

When I lived in SoCal, I was in Vegas 2 or 3 times a month..Both business and pleasure..I sell light bulbs to all the companies that maintain the casino signage....The drive through the desert was always a pleasure to me, especially at dusk in the summer...Once I was heading out in my old 84 Volvo w/no AC..It was 103 at 11PM according to the Bun Boy thermometer...(you west coast guys know what that is..)

I used to gamble..probably too much..was rated with a few casinos and could call my personal "host" if I had friends in town and wanted to go for a few days..One call and I had a room for 3 or 4 nights on them...Used to get free show tickets and usually gave them to newlyweds or couples that looked like they couldn't afford them...

Used to be very lucky...Went for New Years one year (on them) took a grand, and had 13k within 3 hours of playing....I used to think Vegas was the ATM and I could go get $$$ anytime I wanted to...It almost became a problem so I quit going..Except for work and made it a point not to gamble like I used to..

Vegas is not for everyone for sure, but it can be enjoyable...

 

[i386]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

Not my kind of thing either.

 

[azlakes]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

... red rock canyon(like sedona but in ways even nicer), mt. charleston(cabins, snow skiing, forest), lake meade(stunning), all bordering sin city.

Las Vegas is pretty kewl if you have the time to see its other attractions. The shows are top shelf but certainly pricey. The sheer man made magnitude of the casinos unique styles, structures and sizes are certainly impressive. Something to be seen at least once.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

i would have liked to take the helicopter ride to the grand canyon that takes off from down town
the national finals rodeo was going on while i was there and i think i heard something about the monster trucks having some kind of big show.
of all the shows that were there the one i would have liked to go to was cher but the tickets started at $95.00
there was a boat show one weekend and the clark county fair was on while i was there
there is a real nice bike path that runs along the lake shore road that you can ride all the way in to boulder. it splits at the intersection of lakeshore and 93. there you can follow the old railroad grade that they built when the dam was built. it was used to haul aggregate and concrete to the dam. i has 5 tunnels that they drove thru the rock and you get a really nice look of the lake fron there

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

I alway relate gambling to what I did to earn my worst dollar, like cleaning latrines as a camp worker in a boy scout camp as a youth.

 

[QC]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

I want to agree with everyone's comments . . . Honestly, I am that conflicted, ambivalent etc.

We go to Vegas about once every three years or so, but we also go to the Hacienda Casino by Hoover Dam a couple of times a year to boat. We gamble when we are there. BTW, anybody that goes to the dam should pop in there and see their little dam movie and their bunch of dam pics. Pun intended, but they are really dam there and they are dam awesome

I used to go to conferences in Vegas a lot and in the early Spring I would take the boat and a couple of guys and I woudl sneak out of the conference and go out to Mead one afternoon/evening. Always a great trip. We would barbecue steaks at Callville Bay and then come back in the dark. Great. Breaks up the carp hole that is the Strip. I can handle about two days there max without starting to feel really creepy. I could stay a month at the Hacienda though . . . At the end of the day, you are at the Black Jack table with a bunch of people who were on the lake. Suntanned Moms and Pops and some singles (few there). Many from our home town which is 270 miles away . . . We literally have a neighbor about seven houses down the street that we run into at the Hacienda and never planned it. He's got a nice Mastercraft and our wive's did PTA together. Remember, we live right in the middle of 17 million people and that happens to us there. Not on the Strip.

 

[v1_0]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

I've been out that way a few times to visit family.

There's actually a lot of free stuff to do, its just spaced out over a distance. As an example, one casino has short (15min) clown shows - good for the kids as well as short (5min) acrobatic shows. Another has a guy come around and do a bird show. The one well known place has animatronics that give a show every 30 minutes or so.

There's always the volcano and pirate shoot out, and a light/laser show on a covered portion of some avenue.

Of course, this does cover only a couple of days - after that it gets old.

There are more possibilities if you want to spend a little money. There's a water park, you can get an indoor gondola ride, etc. You can visit Hoover dam, and/or take the boat tour of the lake and dam. The Grand Canyon is close enough too.

I'd favor some show - such as the Shintas or maybe the blue men - over gambling for entertainment. You come away with more...

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

I agree with v1 0 there is plenty to do with out gambling. I will say that four days their is long enough. The wife does not like to gamble so we take in a show every night, wine and dine while we are there. The one mistake I made my first time there was to rent a car, now we take a cab.

You say you are not a people person. Why do you go to the beach?

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

Sorry Old thread.

Any way I lived in Vegas for 7 years and only went to the strip to go to work. There is alot to do in Las Vegas besides gamble.

I never Gambled because right of the bat I saw it was a waste of money.

Hey they do not build them gazzilion dallor Hotel/Casino's buy giving money away.

 

[oops!]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

im not a big fan of vegas either.....but sure had fun when i went 2 years ago to get the bilge liner....yes i would go back....

if you dont like the casinos....thats ok.....there is also lots to do......i missed the art gallery at the bellaggio......it is said to be fantastic with real world class works or art......worth seeing once in a life time.

also the grand canyon and the dam as mentioned......then theres mead....

so each trip is what you make it.....

i have lived in quite a few "tourist towns"

and i have allways found there is allot to do beside go do the tourist things...

for example in victoria bc......i rented a boat and went to race rocks....just 8 feet away were about 200 fully grown elephant sea lions....weighing in at around 1200 lbs each !....thattl make your heart thump.....once in a life time experience.....

the other thing was to walk around thitus lake park......absolutly stunning beauty......3 little lakes joined with a 5 kn walking/jogging trail around it....and rain forest so thick you would think you were in the jungle!

so there is lots do do in any town....ya just gotta find whats off the beaten path !

 

[drewpster]

Re: My trip to Vegas, I mean no offense.

You say you are not a people person. Why do you go to the beach?

The beaches I go to don't have many people.