Hey there my fellow travel enthusiasts and welcome to a post that was inspired by a simple question asked of me by my wife recently – “is Las Vegas still fun do you think?” Hmmmm “I said” – ” I don’t know…”
But first, some context here… Two weeks ago (May 2024), my wife Nic and I were in Las Vegas for a business course. It was the third time I personally had been there in a year – the first to play golf with some friends, the second was for two days with Nic and our 12 year old son at Christmas time, and the third for this workshop. All of which is no mean feat considering I live in Australia.
Anyway, as we sipped on our post-course Margarita (which I am putting in the fun column), and with the help if the barman, we pondered what Las Vegas had become.
What Does Las Vegas Have?
My first trip to Las Vegas was way back in 2006 and back then, I remember the place being really geared towards the casinos. Everything you did was based around, or inside them and we really didn’t spend much time out of them – apart from going to the Grand Canyon of course.
Now however, if you look at it at face value then Las Vegas really has everything you could want including:
- Entertainment: World-class shows, concerts, and performances from renowned artists and entertainers.
- Dining: An ever-increasing array of restaurants (including multiple Michelin Star options) with top chefs and a variety of dining options, from gourmet restaurants to casual eateries.
- Nightlife: A diverse range of nightclubs, bars, and lounges that cater to different tastes and preferences.
- Attractions: Unique attractions such as the High Roller observation wheel, the Bellagio Fountains, and the Fremont Street Experience.
- Shopping: High-end shopping malls and boutique stores provide ample opportunities for retail therapy.
- Outdoor Activities: Nearby natural attractions like the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam offer outdoor adventures and scenic beauty.
It’s not all about the Casinos
One of the main things we noticed and discussed with the barman was how much Vegas appears to have refocused itself on the non-casino entertainment options. Many casinos now have large entertainment precincts attached to, but outside of, the gaming floors where you can go and do all of the above without seeing a slot machine at all.
Secondly, areas such as the LINQ Promenade and Fashion Show Mall are tourist attractions on their own with shops, restaurants, bars and other entertainment options. We also noticed that much of the new construction along the strip is now also pushing the casinos into the background as well.
And thirdly, the emergence of other option entertainment options within Las Vegas such as the introduction of the Las Vegas Raiders NFL side and Golden Knights Ice Hockey Team as well as specialized non-resident concerts by A List artists mean that visitors are attracted to the city for vastly different reasons now as well.
It is easier with Kids too
As above, we also visited Vegas at Christmas time with our 12 year old as a two day stopover from Dallas into LA. At this time of year, there are families everywhere. Maybe due to the fact that the conventioneers are not around and it is not so hot.
Anyway, were were hesitant to take Connor there but in the two days we did some shopping, caught an Ice Hockey game and generally wandered the strip looking at all the fun stuff outside (fountains, aquariums, ferris wheels and gondolas for example).
Just keep them out of the the gaming floors and it is actually not a bad place for the little ones now.
Why did we question the place then?
With all of that above, and way, way more, why did we even ask if it was still fun? The main reason I think is that we made the mistake of trying to treat the town like we had “back in the day”. I mentioned above that I went to Vegas to play golf – which if you are a golf enthusiast I highly recommend.
Well, we started doing that 20 years ago where we could drink all night and play golf all day then wash, rinse and repeat. Now that we are in our 50s, we just can’t do that any more. We tried, and it was all too hard.
Next, in recent years, and again I may be starting to show my age here, but the marijuana smell on the strip now can be overbearing at times. I am not sure of the legal status of it all in Nevada, but whilst it was not to bad when we were there in the winter, the warmer months bring a haze that you can’t seem to escape.
And finally here, Vegas got expensive. Now of course I know we are in a tourist area so we are not going to get the same prices as a local suburb in Texas, but upwards of $9 for a coffee in some locations is steep.
So, is Las Vegas still fun?
Initially we were not really over enthused when we found out our workshop was going to be in Sin City. But you know what, once we took the time to really look at what is available there, we really did have some fun.
We ate great food, did some shopping and generally took in the sites. I guess the only thing we noticed was that once you have walked around and ‘seen’ everything, it can seem like you are just looking at the same stuff day after day. So my final advice here is to go with a plan to see something different each day, seek out the good eating and drinking spots and be ready to blow the budget a little, and Vegas really is a lot of fun.
Or of course you can forget all that and just gamble! That’s the beauty of it all!
Conclusion
So, that is my take on whether Vegas is fun..
What do you think?
Until next time
Have fun
Paul
