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I think Las Vegas is a place every adult should visit at least once their lifetime. There's nothing else like it.
I think that, if living in the LA area, I would probably go once every 3 years. From anywhere else in North America, maybe once every 5 to 7 years. From anywhere else in the world, once is enough.
The question is, if you have been there, how often would you go, relative to the effort you would have to make to go there?
Bonus question for those who know the LA-LV trek: One Memorial Day within the last few years, I had to drive from LV to LA to catch my flight. Upon the thinning out of Nevada towns south of LV (Jean, Searchlight), the 2 lane each way freeway was crawling at about 15 to 25 mph for most of the way back. At Victorville, I had no choice but to get off and cross the high desert to LA on back roads with highway speeds and barely made my flight. Is this normal? Will I-15 ever be widened to 3 lanes in each direction?
Last edited by robertpolyglot; 10-18-2012 at 07:22 PM..
I have been there twice for business conferences and once for a personal trip. I would be happy if I never have to go back but something tells me I'll have more business meetings out there before my career is over. I love the desert and the scenery surrounding LV but I find LV itself to be downright awful. If I was a gambler I'd rather go back to Reno. If I was going for desert scenery I'd go to NM, AZ, SoCal, southern UT or central NV. For entertainment choices and food LV is tough to beat but I'd rather hit NYC for shows and eats.
I have been there twice for business conferences and once for a personal trip. I would be happy if I never have to go back but something tells me I'll have more business meetings out there before my career is over. I love the desert and the scenery surrounding LV but I find LV itself to be downright awful. If I was a gambler I'd rather go back to Reno. If I was going for desert scenery I'd go to NM, AZ, SoCal, southern UT or central NV. For entertainment choices and food LV is tough to beat but I'd rather hit NYC for shows and eats.
Great post! I find the desert a little bleak for my taste, but Mt. Charleston to the west is a dramatic counterpoint to LV, and Hoover Dam/Boulder City/Lake Mead to the east are kind of cool. Correct - the best thing about Vegas are the buffets, but that's not a compelling enough reason to go, especially if you don't gamble. With Indian casinos ending up here and there, it's easier to go into one of these and head directly to their buffet venue.
When I lived in Cali, I went every couple months or so. My tastes have changed quite a bit and I know find it to be tacky and overblown. I would go with my friends but I won't game. I enjoy sitting around drinking and watching everyone else do it. Even as much as I drink, I wind up with more money in my pocket at the end of the night than they do.
The question is, if you have been there, how often would you go, relative to the effort you would have to make to go there?
I went once when I lived in LA. Meh. Maybe it's excited compared to, like, Omaha, but it's pretty much nothing compared to a lot of other fun destinations. I probably won't bother going again no matter where I live.
Maybe I missed something. Other than the casinos on the strip, what's so great about LV that I should go back as opposed to hitting better clubs/shows/events in LA?
I think I last went about five years ago. I like going to all of the different casinos on the Strip and taking pictures of the architecture, decorations, etc. However, that's not a compelling enough reason for me to go back. I'd never go on a holiday weekend if I could avoid it, and New Year's Eve is out!
Considering how broke the government is (on a federal and state level), I doubt we're going to see I-15 being widened any time soon!
Great post! I find the desert a little bleak for my taste, but Mt. Charleston to the west is a dramatic counterpoint to LV, and Hoover Dam/Boulder City/Lake Mead to the east are kind of cool. Correct - the best thing about Vegas are the buffets, but that's not a compelling enough reason to go, especially if you don't gamble. With Indian casinos ending up here and there, it's easier to go into one of these and head directly to their buffet venue.
I visited with friends last June and agree with you about the bleakness of the desert landscape. During the day it's not a particularly attractive city, pan flat and mostly brown and grey.
The strip at night of course is like a giant Christmas tree and it's hard to pick where to look first.
I go to Vegas every few months usually, sometimes less if I'm planning a "big" trip for the year. Vegas is close to me, I can drive up there from Scottsdale within a 5 to 6 hour window depending on traffic conditions and road construction. Sometimes if I'm bored on a Friday evening in the off-season for boating, I'll hop in my 'Vette and drive up to Vegas for the weekend. Usually won't plan anything ahead of time, just call one of the three hotels I frequent along the way and tell them I need a room for two nights. Get up there by 10 pm and hit the town after I get all checked in. Relatively easy to do, doesn't cost much if you want a cheap weekend getaway.
Considering how broke the government is (on a federal and state level), I doubt we're going to see I-15 being widened any time soon!
Still, LA-LV has always been an easy 70 mph + cruise from San Bernardino all the way into the beginning of the LV metro area. NEVER in my life would I have thought that a late morning departure, by car, from LV would have meant almost missing my plane at LAX. The stop and go across the California desert, on a freeway (!), was unbelievable.
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