20211014_150130(0)Las Vegas from above (October 2021)

The “Entertainment Capital of the World,” Las Vegas is a hedonist’s dream when it comes to gambling, partying, and having a good time. It’s a popular weekend getaway for Californians (especially college students and young adults) to enjoy the sights and activities while being able to return to school and work by the following Monday. Loud, bright, and garish as Vegas might be, it’s certainly not a city you’d be bored in.

*For the sake of this post, I will only recount the attractions we saw during the day time, and I will save our food adventures and nightly attractions for upcoming articles.*

Las Vegas was our final stop of the road trip last October. After completing the circuit from Arizona to Utah with national parks, we changed it up with a city break along the Vegas Strip. Fun fact to note is that the Strip isn’t actually in Las Vegas, but rather in the unincorporated town of Paradise (very aptly-named). Any case, it was a short two-night stay in the area, to revisit the attractions that I hadn’t seen in over 10 years.

I was actually interested to check out Las Vegas again, even though I knew that it wasn’t my style of travel and fun (i.e. I don’t gamble, and I seldom go to nightclubs). The last time I’d gone was way back in 2011, when I was barely a legal adult, so I was curious this time to check out and see the city from the perspective of an adult, as well as to see what has or hasn’t changed since then.

We zipped past the state border and into Nevada, and soon enough we arrived into the abysmal traffic of Sin City along the I-5. Compared to the congestion we experienced at the natural parks of Sedona and Zion, they were nothing compared to the big-city smog as we crawled along. Granted, we arrived on Thursday, when the weekend apparently starts, but thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been than, say, on a Friday or Saturday afternoon.

Parking is a big issue when entering the Strip, as many casinos charge to park if you’re not staying in their hotels. However, we were lucky to park at The Venetian, which doesn’t charge for non-patrons. Life pro-tip: if you ever need to park on the Strip sans fee, go here! Thank me later. It was then a matter of heading on foot to check out The Venetian itself, before exiting to see as much of the Strip as possible.

I do not recall having visited The Venetian the last time I was in town, but I was happy to see it again, as the place looked more-or-less the same from what I remembered. Having been to Venice before, I appreciated Vegas’ version of the elegant, Italian city, from the romantic canals indoors to replications of St. Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace, and the Rialto Bridge.

20211014_134350Canals inside

20211014_135622Rialto Bridge replica

20211014_135629Doge’s Palace replica

Leaving The Venetian, we crossed the street and walked past The Mirage (where we would check out its volcano show the following night) and Caesar’s Palace (home to replicas of Roman statues and fountains) before reaching the Bellagio. There, we explored its famous conservatory, which happened to be fall-themed with a hint of woodsy/fairytale charm to it. As the exhibitions change a few times every year, it was a delight to check out what has come about this time around.

20211014_140106Oasis at The Mirage

20211014_144742At Caesar’s Palace

20211014_142305Fall colors at the Bellagio conservatory

After wandering past the flashy, noisy slot machines (and waves of people smoking indoors), we took a second to admire the Fiori di Como by famed American glass artist Dale Chihuly above the Bellagio lobby before exiting out to the casino’s famed fountains– in fact, we got to see the fountains being tested before the show later in the day (and which we would check out the next night).

20211014_142649“Fiori di Como” by Chihuly

20211014_143647Testing the fountains…

From the Bellagio fountains, you can also get a comprehensive view of the numerous casino-hotels along the Strip. From the distinctive Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas to the cute hot-air balloon of Bally’s, you can simply take a look from the outside to understand their glitzy appeal, without having to step foot inside. Walk a bit further down on the way back to The Venetian, and you’ll also come across the older hotels like Flamingo and Harrah’s.

20211014_143132Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s, and Planet Hollywood

We had a late lunch/early dinner at the Wynn (more on that in another post), and we also revisited the Alice in Wonderland-esque conservatory inside. There also happened to be a wedding photo shoot going on, so we waited for them to leave before we took our photos there. It’s a lot smaller than Bellagio‘s, but still a lovely little sight to check out.

20211014_151451Wynn conservatory

My dad and I didn’t actually stay on the Strip, but rather 20 minutes outside of it at South Point, which I highly recommend. The rooms at South Point are a lot more spacious than what you’ll get at the hotels along the Strip, all the while costing easily $200 less per night. It’s clean, and it offers pretty much what you need for a good time in town, from casinos to buffets (the latter at only a quarter of a price than the bougie ones like the Wynn or Bellagio). Even though I don’t have the desire to revisit Las Vegas anytime soon, I would definitely choose to stay at South Point if I needed to come back!

Also outside of the Strip is the Seven Magic Mountains, a semi-permanent art exhibition that features 30-foot tall colorful boulders that look like massive Pop Rocks. Designed by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, this exhibit opened in 2016 and has drawn millions of visitors come to and from Sin City. Although the Seven Magic Mountains is nothing more than a quick photo opportunity for children and Instagrammers, it’s one of those fun, kitschy things to do while in the area.

20211016_090331Seven Magic Mountains

My revisit of Las Vegas was brief and just right, although I have no interest in returning anytime soon. One reason is that walking the Strip, whether in the daytime or nighttime, can be overwhelming. To be honest, I didn’t feel completely safe doing so, even in broad daylight. Not to say that it was totally dangerous, but you will come across plenty of unsavory people, from the mentally-ill homeless to “show girls” soliciting for photos (and money). Strangely, I didn’t come across any scalpers slapping their tickets this time around, which was a relief. And the profuse smell of cigarettes and weed (TONS of weed) was enough to make me nauseous.

Although Vegas has over the years tried to clean up and market itself as “family-friendly,” I still would not recommend bringing small children here. I’ve found that Vegas attracts certain types of people whom I wouldn’t choose to associate with, from party-crazy college students to “hot-spot” promoters to those experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Plus, everything is very expensive on the Strip, which doesn’t make anything worth it.

However, if it’s your first time to the western United States (or to Las Vegas, in general), I recommend that you go to check it out before you form your own opinions of the place. After all, I am only giving you my thoughts and experiences on it– and while I do find much of Vegas to be not my cup of tea, there are hidden gems and worthy spots still worth giving a try…which will be featured in my next posts. Stay tuned!

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

45 thoughts on “Destination: Las Vegas, Nevada (2021 EDITION- Part 1)”

  2. The last time I was in Vegas was in 2016 to see Céline Dion, but I didn’t know about the Seven Magic Mountains. I’ll have to check ‘em out next time. There’s a Princess Diana tribute exhibit at The Shops at Crystals, so I plan to visit in the near future. Thank you for the tip about staying at South Point. The most economical lodging I’ve found was in the town of Primm (about 40 minutes away!)

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    1. I’m so jealous you got to see Céline Dion! Of all the times I was in Vegas during her residency shows, I never made it to a single concert. Hotels along The Strip are pricey, and I did stay in a few of them (Wynn, Bellagio) when I was younger…but honestly, the ones off The Strip are just as good, if not better! Bigger rooms, less congestion, and cheaper buffets, etc…I hope you return to Vegas soon!

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  3. This reminded me of our past visits to Las Vegas. It’s not a place I’d go to for a holiday but it was a useful point to fly into and stay a couple of nights( definitely long enough) before picking up a hire car and heading to the national parks of the west.

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    1. I agree! Vegas doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it’s a convenient location to stay put for a night or two before heading to Arizona, Utah, or even Wyoming for the national parks. California as well!

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  8. I’d loved to see and experience Las Vegas. Though, party-crazed students are enough of a deterrent for anyplace anytime, ha ha. Incidentally, the place we stayed for a couple months this summer, Batumi, is affectionately called the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea”. It is of course a toned down, cheaper and truly bizarre construction, a kind of Soviet style Las Vegas. You gave some great tips for the accommodation and places to see.

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    1. Yes, I heard that about Batumi! It isn’t on the same level as Vegas, but like Vegas, it’s got gambling for foreign visitors (especially those from nearby Turkey) to enjoy. Thanks for reading, Leighton!

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  9. I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but I think that it is a city definitely worth visiting, because aside from the gambling and partying scene Vegas is recognized for, it also offers a wealth of enjoyable things to do such as hiking the Grand Canyons, understanding the history of Vegas with beautiful museums, dining in Michelin-starred restaurants, and enjoying the breathtaking vistas of the Mojave Desert. Given that I was the biggest CSI Las Vegas fan out there for over a decade, I would love to stop by CSI: The Experience in order to take on the role of an actual crime scene investigator just like my favourite CSI: Las Vegas cast member! Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Because of CSI, there’s a reason to go to Vegas then! The city isn’t for everyone, but it doesn’t offer a lot in terms of dining amd entertainment, along with being a convenient stop to national parks in Arizona and Utah (or back home to California). Hope you can stop by someday!

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  16. First time D and I went together to the US and Vegas was in our itinerary. It was interesting to see the famous locations up close. The highlight of the trip was our daytour from Vegas to the Grand Canyon.

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  17. Visiting Las Vegas is not really in my bucket list as it seems to be quite the opposite of my style of traveling, though I’d be interested to check out all the craziness around it. From the pictures it almost seems like some sort of Disneyland!

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    1. Yes, exactly! Vegas can be too much for some people, and if you’ve already been on the Strip, you don’t really to go back. Staying off the Strip is a lot more peaceful, that’s for sure!

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