Las Vegas Nevada
I cannot lie.
I published this post in part to show off the featured image.
The perfect storm of conditions came together:
- being 19 floors above terra firma
- ideal sunset with a solid ratio of light to humidity
- effective sunset setting on the ole’ camera
- being positioned northeast of the Encore
But I also want to share my first impressions of Las Vegas.
Sin City is larger than life. I can confirm this after spending a few days in Vegas.
I perceived a few other observations with my Blogging From Paradise spidey senses.
1: Las Vegas Is Spread Out
A relative noted how distances seem deceiving here.
Everything appears to be fairly close. Until you begin walking.
Objects are farther than they appear.
The Encore looks like a 5 minute walk from the condo. But it consumes about 15 to 20 minutes depending on traffic patterns.
Combine heavy pedestrian traffic with just enough auto traffic to result in 2 to 3 minute waits at most lights.
Some intersections are banned for pedestrians. Crossing via bridge through hotels and casinos is the only option.
Allow for extra time to get around here.
2: Appreciate the Scale of the Strip
Ballpark, the Strip is about 4 miles long.
Kelli and I spent 3 leisurely hours snapping 50 plus photos along this 4 mile stretch.
Buildings along the Strip? Huge. Spectacular. Massive.
The Venetian is basically its own small town alongside the Strip. Picture a manufactured, tiny Venice within a hotel and casino.
Experiencing this scale through:
- movies
- TV shows
- streaming on the internet
- internet images
is impossible.
Ya gotta visit in person to fully appreciate its grandness.
3: What About Vegas Dying?
I watched the inevitable tsunami of videos on YouTube claiming that Las Vegas is dead for a variety of factors including:
- diminished international tourism
- “Disneyfication” (corporations buying hotels, heavily leveraging then jacking up prices to eventually earn profits)
- some creators being negative nellies
Being transparent, some stretches feel like a ghost town on the street. But the casinos and hotels tell a different story.
I would assume that tourism is down a bit here but definitely not out.
At 8 PM on Friday night, south of New York New York was a ghost town along the Strip. I walked it for 30 minutes.
But at 5 PM on various weekends and week nights, the:
- Venetian
- Palazzo
were overrun mad houses as I traipsed through the casino floor and hotel desk.
I cannot stress how much auto traffic whizzed in and out and how many humans:
- gambled
- checked in
- purchased stuff at stores
as I made my way through during a “casino cardio” session.
Vegas did take a hit but looks alive and well to me.
4: Food Is Expensive But Aldi Is Not
Per usual, Kelli and I scoped out the local Aldi to purchase our high quality, inexpensive food for the week.
Gone are most super cheap “All You Can Eat” buffets. Finding prime rib for 6 bucks pretty much ain’t gonna happen. Free parking, free drinks and comped rooms are not the average offering here, per Vegas from decades ago.
Dropping $20, to $30, to $40 USD or more for a single entree is average.
Yet:
- local grocery stores
- local convenience stores
- select *dinosaur* eating establishments seemingly long extinct but still alive
offer inexpensive dining options.
I rarely eat out. But I did observe a meal for under $10 USD at old skool, no frills Circus Circus.
When the mob kinda ran Las Vegas (or did run it), it kept the prices down – or offered freebies – to keep people in the casinos gambling, netting a steady profit.
Corporations largely did away with that model.
It is what it is.
Thinking outside the box offers you options.
Walk away from the Strip to purchase inexpensive food.
5: What About Safety?
Security is everywhere.
Bicycle-riding security, security within casinos and a strong police presence make Vegas safe.
One spots some homeless folks along the Strip but all I have seen keep to themselves, posting a sign asking for money but sitting peacefully on various stretches.
A few seemed mentally injured but like anywhere, give the outliers a wide berth and each moves along without incident.
6: Ideal Winter Climate
Temperatures run from the low 60’s during the day to low 40’s at night during the early winter here.
December to January is likely peak time for folks who love cool, dry climates.
Believe it or not, we had one day of full cloud cover last week. Going forward, today, tomorrow and the following day will be mostly cloudy with about 24 hours of on and off heavy rain.
Summer time – June to August in this region – is for piping hot temperatures and unbridled sunshine.
That being said, we experienced plenty of sun over the past week, too.
Conclusion
I like to write these posts because you told me to write about my travels here and there.
Similar to Prague, London and Saigon, I zero in on highly popular tourist spots around the globe before deciding to write and tap the “publish” button.
Until next time, my Young Blogging Padawans…..
