Destination: Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas (also known as “Vegas” or “Sin City”) needs no introduction. This entertainment hub is famous worldwide, drawing in nearly 40 million visitors each year for all things fun and lively– even hedonistic. It’s a city that never sleeps and, as the old saying goes, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

This popular Nevada city has quite the history– much of what we associate with Las Vegas today (e.g. casinos, gambling, nightlife) was a product of the end of World War II. Prior to that, the city was a humble stop-over for the Anasazi tribe over 2,000 years ago, as well as for the Spanish Trail for American pioneers in the early 19th century. However, it wasn’t until the 1840’s that John C. Fremont (aka “The Pathfinder”) used his writings to attract more pioneers to the area, as means of establishing a city in the middle of a desert– little did he know that it would become a boom town over the next century.

The 1960’s were a period of fame and development, considered the “Golden Age of Las Vegas.” It was a time when live music performance really took off, with singers like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley making headlines over the decade. Headlining Vegas was considered an honor for these acts, and the “Golden Age” continued to thrive until the end of the 1980’s, when the entertainment business started to get stale, and the headliners were seen more as second-class acts.

Interestingly, the 1990’s saw Las Vegas trying to reinvent itself, from a sophisticated, Hollywood-esque image to a more family-friendly one. The decade saw the opening of several hotels geared towards children, including Treasure Island in 1993. Other established hotel-casinos like Circus Circus and the Mirage also made efforts to attract families to the entertainment desert. If one thought that gambling and children didn’t mix, they would be wrong, as visitors more than doubled as a result of it all.

Another major change happened in the 2000’s, in which the city decided to revamp once more as an “adult entertainment” hub. It’s more of a return to its roots as a place for adults to self-indulge– and guiltily so. Sex shops opened, along with clubs and stripper shows at multiple hotel-casinos– even magic acts and live performances added near-naked dancers to their gigs, as means of making Las Vegas “sexy.” It’s the Moulin Rouge on steroids, and the trend continues to this day with plenty of young adults– college students and bachelors/bachelorettes– traveling across the nation for a few nights of fun and debauchery.

Las Vegas is only a four-hour drive (non-stop) from Los Angeles, and it makes for a popular getaway for many Angelenos. My family and I would go often when I was a kid, usually for Spring Break. I remember staying at Circus Circus when I was really little, as it was less-expensive than other accommodations. We later graduated to other hotel-casinos that were a bit on the higher end, including the Wynn and the M Resort. It was all thanks to my parents, who’d worked hard to establish themselves in their careers, so that we could afford something a bit more “luxurious” as we grew up. Their hard work is something that I strive to emulate, so that I could provide the same later in life.

My family and I aren’t much of gamblers, nor did we find the cigarette-laden casinos appealing for our tastes. We usually rushed passed that area to get wherever we wanted to go, which was usually to eat or to see live entertainment. There were also plenty of sights and attractions to see from hotel to hotel, so we hopped around each one while strolling the Las Vegas Strip.

Some attractions are really famous, including the water show at Bellagio at night. It’s a 15-minute spectacle of fountains going off in-tune to classical music– very beautiful, and it’s free! Likewise, Bellagio is well-known for its indoor botanical gardens, where one can admire the various flowers at hand, along with seasonal displays that change five times per year. Despite it being busy, the gardens are oddly calming and a nice respite from the pollution in the rest of the casino.

There are a few hotels that are replicas of European hot-spots, including Paris and Venice. In fact, the two hotels which contain these themes– Paris Las Vegas and the Venetian– are literally next to each other, which makes it easily-walkable. The latter is quite stunning indoors, with an actual canal and gondolas you can pay to ride in– if you get lucky, your gondolier will serenade you! It’s like transporting yourself to Europe, as you can live out the fantasies you could have when you go there.

We got to eat at the famous buffets, from Bellagio’s eponymous one to Mirage’s Cravings, the latter my personal favorite. Each buffet brings something different to the table (literally and figuratively), from top-cuts of sirloin to well-crafted desserts. I especially enjoyed Cravings, as it had offered an international flair back when I went. The menu has since changed, but I still remember indulging in various cuisines– Thai, Persian, Mexican– from station to station. I would go back just to eat more!

Entertainment-wise, we were definitely not into the strip-club scene (and I was also underage when we visited…). We’ve seen a couple of magic shows and comedy skits, but we really got into Cirque du Soleil as I got older. I recall seeing Kà, Mystère, and O– all of which were impressive. I also really enjoyed The Blue Man Group with their percussion sets and gift for storytelling in a quirky and endearing way. Those were definitely the highlights of my time in Las Vegas!

People might wonder where the best places are to stay in town, and I would offer two possibilities: Downtown or the Strip. The former is the older, classic part of Las Vegas, and it’s more of a place for those interested in gambling. The latter is the more-famous one, as it also has gambling, but also food and entertainment. It really depends on what you’re looking for (as well as your budget), and your decision will reflect in where you’ll end up staying.

I haven’t been back to Vegas since 2011, and I’m sure a lot has changed since then. I actually had plans to return this March for my birthday, but unfortunately I had to cancel due to the pandemic. I had been a barely-legal adult last time, and I’d completely missed out on the Spring Break getaways from college with my peers. I’d definitely like to revisit, even if it’s not necessarily to drink and party– I’d like to check out the Bellagio gardens and the Venetian canals once more, perhaps have a nice meal at one of the buffets. Las Vegas brings back lots of memories from my childhood, and I hope that I can go back some day to relive parts of it, as well as from a fresh perspective as an adult.

Have you been to Las Vegas? Did you enjoy it? Let me know!

— Rebecca