Lessons From Las Vegas

I spent the first part of this week in the land of the casinos. I had a work trip to Las Vegas, and really, if you have to travel for your job, Vegas is pretty much the coolest location ever. I wasn't mad about it. I had never been to Las Vegas, so I tried to take in as much as I could in the short 2.5 days I was there. Of course I had to work, but I had some free time to walk around the strip in the mornings and evenings. It would have been so much more fun with a buddy, so hopefully Parker and I can do a mini vacation there one day! In the interim, I thought I would share some lessons/observations from my short time there. So here we go...

• Music is always playing as you walk down the strip (Las Vegas Blvd). You will be inclined to have your own little dance party. I was. 

• Vegas is for lovers. I don't know what it is, but it was PDA on steroids when I was there. I thought we were going to see some Vegas babies conceived right there on the street. I don't know if it was so much true love as it was bottles of vodka walking around in human form (Friends reference anyone?). 

• If you like to smoke and wish you could do it indoors, Vegas is the place for you. You can pretty much smoke anywhere you please. This was not my favorite feature, but it was indeed a feature. 

• Getting a rental car in Vegas is completely pointless. You can walk most places, and cabs have you covered for the rest. I would have been really upset that I paid to rent a car if work hadn't foot that bill. I was still mildly frustrated by my naivety.  

• As cool as Las Vegas was during the day, it was that much cooler at night. There is just something about seeing the whole city lit up.

• People are constantly drinking. This was somewhat expected, but I have to admit, it was a little depressing seeing people drunk at 10 AM. 

• Slot machines are complicated. I knew I wanted to play a couple for the check in the box (I gambled away a whopping $6, earned back $0.60, and then gave said $0.60 to a street performer.). It's not just "pull the lever". You have to bet credits, choose how much you want to bet, etc. Confusing. I didn't get it. 

• The strip is easy to navigate. I have one of the worst senses of direction you will ever come across, and I managed to figure it out solo. If I could do it, you can too. 

• This goes without saying, but the shopping is pretty cool. Once I ogled the Chanel, Prada, and Gucci stores, I went to the land of the familiar... aka, Gap. 

• Vegas must have some sort of deal with Panda Express. There was one on every block! I've never seen so many Panda Express's in my life. Move over, McDonald's.

• Normally I would be a little apprehensive walking around a foreign city by myself, and especially at night, but Vegas affords you the ability to rely on pack immunity, so to speak. The strip was full of people everywhere. 

So those were my takeaways. Now for a few pictures from this little escapade...

How cool is this place?! Loved it. 

The Bellagio dancing fountains are a must see. It's a beautiful little show!

Holding my winnings. So proud. 

Playing the slots at 10 AM before work started for the day. 

And that's Vegas! Pretty darn cool city. I recommend seeing it.