[Closed] Las Vegas - Does anyone actually like it?

My folks have been a couple of times and spent all their time gawping at the hotels from what I could see.
Not having been there is there much beyond the slots and tables ?

I'm glad to have been, for one night, and for it to have been paid for by somebody else.

A truly horrible place.

Had a week there, then a week in Boston on our honeymoon. I was bored after 2 days, wish we'd just gone to Boston. I don't gamble, and canny be arsed shopping, dunno what I was thinking tbh!.

I like it. Go with lads I work with once a year, and combine it with a trip to somewhere in the states, eg San Francisco , New York etc
I'm not a gambler, so I find the casinos a bit tedious.
I do like shooting guns and tend to spend my money on that.
Trips out to Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon , drive up to LA, we've done it all.
We try to watch at least one show , and see a different comedien each time we go.

Almost the last place in the US I'd want to go. Is there any riding nearby?

A work colleague went, loved it. (he also loves Benidorm, with a passion)

My stepson went while he was in Canada, hated it to death.

No fancy at all myself, rather go to the Calgary Stampede, & I don't even like horses.

Went years back. Found it truly fascinating and totally different to anywhere else. We gambled a tiny bit and left Caesar's Palace $1 up! Ha. I hate gambling of any kind anyway.
We spent most of our time during the day at the nearby water park which was amazing.

Got offered a free weekends holiday (flight/full accommodation) out there a few years ago due to a mate who's in the music biz so to speak, no thanks.

The mere mention of the place just makes my top lip curl and skin crawl, it's nothing but a piece of gaudy tinsel stuck onto an all consuming black hole of an arsehole.

Been there. Not for me.

I go there about 3 times a year for work and tend to stay as far away from the strip as possible. That has worked nicely for me. Last time though I stayed at the Aria because it was super cheap that week and I wanted to stuff myself silly at the buffet. It's not as good as the one at the Cosmo, if you care.

it's hideous.

It's a vile car-crash of a place.

Having said that, I loved my visit there (two nights at the Bellagio, about 36 hours there in total). It's so awful it has to be seen to be believed, it's so much bigger/weirder/screwed-up/jaw-droppingly-bonkers than you imagine.

I'd recommend it to anyone (one-off, flying visit only, mind) just as a voyeuristic spectacle.

I lived there for 11 years back in the mid 60's through mid-70's (moved there when I was 21) and it was a far different place then.

That was the old Las Vegas that the mob built and ran in the Damon Runyon style.

Really loved it then, a marvelous place for a young, single guy---- I have been back once since and have absolutely no desire to return.

Went for 2 nights on a road trip. Dire place, hated it, the Mrs quite liked it. The only plus was the helicopter trip over the city and out to the grand canyon.. that bit was great

big fan myself. nowhere like it for a blow out week of debauchery!

only been on bloke 'searching the for american dream..' type trips so never seen a show, eaten anywhere fancy, been on any excursions or anything at all really apart from casino tables, clubs, bars and parties... so would like to maybe go again with the mrs to see that side of things.

not a big gambler either but love playing craps on a busy table with hyper yanks from all over the country - can lose days in there!

great place! with a pinch of salt.

Stayed one night at the start of a great Nevade/Utah/Arizone road trip. One night was enough.

Way too many paperclip salespeople there also.

we're going this summer (again) 🙁

Only for a day and a half at the start of a holiday, and we're meeting others there so it won't be totally shit but I'm really not looking forward to it (been before for a couple of days; was shit)

(In its defence, it is the only place I've been where we had to change rooms in the middle of the night because the people next door were fighting*

* We moved when one started shouting "see this gun - I'm gonna blow your brains out, motherhubbard!")

Spent a day and night there back in the nighties, Blackpool innit. gambled a bit, did a bit of gawping, like a lot of places that advertise themselves on the "experience of a lifetime" etc etc it's unsurprisingly only skin deep, and slightly tawdry.

Lees George Clooney in a DG, more fat Mom and Pop in beige elasticed slacks.

Weird place not for me but I can see its attraction if you are feeble minded 😉

Go two blocks off the strip and it is a really rough place, if you want to see human flotsam and jetsam go to the bus station on South Main

I was fascinated by it. Had a couple of days there on a Denver - San Fran road trip. Bit of a shocker after 10 hours drive through the desert from Moab! Stayed in the Venetian. We were the only ones with TNF duffels and Evoc bike bags at check in!

Just sort of wandered and took in hotels and the free shows, ate well for not much (lots of top U.S. restaurants have a Vegas outpost) and did a Grand Canyon helicopter trip. Didn't gamble and avoided pool parties and that sort of thing. We did go and see an Elvis tribute show though, which was awesome!

Wouldn't rush back but wouldn't avoid it either.

There are few places better for round the clock gambling and debauchery, but it can be hell if you're there for anything else.

The lack of soul is part of its "charm". Some may see this as everything that is wrong with the world, others will jump right in and enjoy themselves for the few days of the year that they aren't an IT manager with a miserable wife and kids who hate them.

IMO, Vegas any time between 9am and midnight is not pleasant. As flashy describes, it's drunks and penny slot gambling addicts. Although perhaps more sordid, the interesting side of Vegas comes out from midnight until 6am when the frat boys and gamblers go to bed.

You wouldn't believe how many paper clips the Wynn gets through....

Way too many paperclip salespeople there also.

Que? 😕

I've been a few times and like it in an odd way. It's just in your face, it's loud, it's gaudy, it's hot and it's strange. Go in expecting that and you'll enjoy it, don't and you'll struggle.

Saying all that, I'd still not go for more than 3 or 4 days.

One thing I remember, because the hotels are funded by all the high-rollers, they are (were?) really cheap to stay in. We had an amazing luxury room for about £50 a night or something in Harrahs.

the best thing about staying in Vegas is the joy of leaving it. 😉

I love the place for 48 hours and then its time to go.

First time it was a side trip after riding the Divide. I camped in a car park for a week. Pretty skint and it was awful.

Second time I went I had a bit more money and I stayed at the Wynn, did the helicopter to grand canyon, machine gun firing, a bit of gambling, theater shows, champagne breakfasts and the whole enchilada -birthday for the wife. It was brilliant.

But

After every visit the best thing was leaving.

I went for work a few years ago.

I'd struggle to pick a winner between LV & Dubai for the place I would least like to visit again.

Airport is crap as well, full of slot machines and you can never find anything....

Also to go between terminals you have to find a totally unsigned bus top in the car park, you'd think they'd at least sign "This way to terminal 2".

NB At work we nickname the virgin flight to LV 'The Syphilis Express', a load of bright eyed bushy tailed single lads fly out, come back a week later all sporting identical black jack tattoos on their forearms wrapped in cling film, with no money and crabs for company....

Have been a few times. I actually quite enjoy it. Neither of us gamble, but we find it a great place to people watch, do a bit of wandering through the spectacular hotels, have a nice room and find good food.
I know its not to everyones taste but we use it as a hub. You can get direct flights from Manchester. Spend 48hrs in Vegas then drive off and leave all the hullabaloo behind. Flights are often cheaper and easier than having to do lay overs in some miserable east coast airport.
Over several trips we've spent time exploring, camping and cycling in California, Arizona and Utah before looping round and returning to Vegas.

I've certainly been to worse places! (Tunisia)

Went once for the weekend

quite extraordinary people watching opportunity

went for a mountain bike ride just an hour outside which remains my favourite memory of the place.

Interesting to visit but I wouldn't go again by choice

Been for a conference. Hated it. We TRIED to get into the spirit of things (bars and clubs etc one night, guns another day) but it was pretty awful. Favourite parts of the trip were the Hoover Dam and the Valley of Fire, neither of which are in Vegas.

Had a great time on the strip for 72 hours doing all the tacky sights for my Honeymoon however we did break it up with a visit to Boulder City for 2 days of riding at Bootleg Canyon…

http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/bootleg-canyon.html

Then spent 2 days hiking over at Red Rock Canyon national park…

http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/

So Vegas was pretty much great fun and would do it again…

Then a week in Scottsdale ( Not far from Sedona ) Arizona

Vegas is amazing...love it...you need to go back with the boys...3 nights no sleep and no recollection of what you've done for most of the time..and the stuff you do remember....not safe on here 😆

Yeah not everyone goes in for the wild partying stuff...

dave32 and his boys

[img] [/img]

You're so money baby!

She's the rabbit, and you're the fox! 😀

[url= http://www.lvis.org.uk ]We do[/url] 🙂

(I've never actually been. I suspect I'd enjoy a couple of days with the right company but not much beyond that unless I could go out mtbing which I understand is actually pretty cool nearby)

I've been twice. The first time to get married to Mrs Beagleboy, other than the wedding the highlight was a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon with a champagne breakfast actually down in the canyon itself. I really like the place though, it's just like a huge theme park for adults. First time round we saw the Folies Bergere, and a few different acts that filled our evenings.

Last time we went in 2012 to redo our vows (10th anniversary), and it was still great fun. We saw the Cirque Du Solei, went to a medieval banquet / jousting competition, got punted down the canals of Venice and saw a couple of good bands. I even had time to get in a day of this...

[URL= http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/Beagy/DSCF1864.jp g" target="_blank">http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/Beagy/DSCF1864.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

...in Red Rock Canyon, just watch out for the Chipmunks and the American's hilarious habit of putting their brakes on the wrong way around.

I don't gamble, but I do like people watching and you don't half see some people in Las Vegas. Looking forward to going back their for my 20th anniversary in fact!

C. 😉

Compared to its larger mirror image brother, Macau or its seedier cousin Atlantic City, its not too bad.
Lots of things to do 'off strip' but at the end of the day its a gambling resort, nothing sadder walking into your hotel through the slot machines at 6am and seeing people there with their buckets of change, just doing the monotonous coin in, arm down routine 🙁
Used to go there regularly for a bi-annual trade show but then ended up spending more time in Macau seeing them rebuild Vegas there, trust me, Nevada has more going for it as per Beagleboy.

Dunno, Macau is only a hop, skip and a jump from Hong Kong, I know which side of the world I'd rather be on...

Macau also has Fernando's.

Hate it. Its like Skegness on acid.

My wife went there for a cousin's wedding. She enjoyed the wedding, people watching and a roller coaster that came out of a building (or went up the side of one, or something). Otherwise, it got a 'no'.

like Skegness on acid.

*Applause *

Just think of all the other amazing stuff that you could see or do if you're prepared to go all that way... The American South West is an incredible landscape.. I'd hate to waste any time in what is posisbly the worst bit of the entire region 🙂

Glad I've been but I won't be back. Definitely more hype than substance.

Atlantic city is worse than vegas, but both are awful - at least vegas has desert with single track in it - apparently they never market the desert as there are no slot machines! I have to go occasionally and always squeeze a day ride with a guide in (beagle boy great pic of red rock!) and visit a mate who lives there - those things are great, the strip is fine once then awful. Hoover dam is cool (once) too and the bridge next to it. The smell of ciggy smoke and furniture polish in the casinos is unforgettable.

I spent 7 days in Vegas at a Microsoft conference, it's an odd place to be kind of alone. Had 2 days before I flew back to entertain myself, so ...

[img] https://im1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/007031698779/media/40004057644/medium/1432324489605/enhance [/img]

+ Penn and Teller, Phantom of the Opera, and visits to all the mad casinos up and down the strip. I didn't gamble anywhere.

I have a mate, I say mate, I hadn't seen him for 20 years, who seems to love the place. Last time I saw him he was off with his wife to Vegas for two weeks. I gather they go twice a year. They sit by a pool drinking all day and spend all night in casinos drinking and playing Blackjack.

The overlap on a Venn diagram of mtbers and Vagas lovers must be pretty small.

I have yet to meet someone who claims to like the place who in an other respect has any redeeming personality traits. It seems to be a great arsehole indicator.

I understand that there are a lot of creative types that live there instead of LA because it's cheaper and more "always on". Have any of the people who hated it made any effort to look beyond the Strip and the obvious rubbish?

FOF manages some sort of gun range there. Never really had much of an interest in visiting.

Stayed there either side of a trip to Hawaii. Never seen so many wearers of ill-fitting toupees gathered together under the same fake sky before. It's a fascinating place--I like the mix of ingenuity and seediness. And the desert is amazing. Wouldn't want to spend too much time there but it's definitely worth a visit.

I've never been, but it looks about as appealing as Blackpool, but then again some people love Blackpool

I went once for a friend's wedding. I was on a tight budget, and it's the wrong place to be when you've no money.

Can't say as I enjoyed it really, couldn't afford to do the cool stuff it seems to be famous for, like visiting the Grand Canyon, high stakes gambling or hookers. The whole place felt artificial, the impressive looking 'marble' constructions are chicken wire and fibreglass; a poignant reflection of the facade that is Vegas. Oh, and as a vegetarian I figured the one place I'd be able to eat without problem in the US would be a holiday destination; I almost starved to death.

Its one saving grace for me was the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton, which isn't there any more. It was an impressive exhibition, very well put together. And even if the theming isn't your thing, Quark's Bar turned out to be the cheapest place we could find to get drinks of an evening.

List 1: Places I really want to see before I die.

List 2: Places I'll go if it suits or wouldn't avoid if the opportunity presents itself, but not breaking my neck to get there.

List 3: Places I'm never going, oh no, no sirree.

Vegas is on List 3.

I updated the network infrastructure in the hospital just outside town some years back. There was an administrator with a name plaque on her door. Ora Lee. I hung around but she was out that week.

Been twice unfortunately, first time was on our honeymoon in the late 80's when we spent a couple of nights there before heading to LA. Don't remember much about it apart from winning $1k on a slot machine which nearly paid for the trip.
Second time and nearly twenty years later we stopped over with the kids for two nights and it was the utter pits. Full of low life's and tramps from what we could see. Had a nightmare bus ride up the strip when some frigging tramp jumped on the bus and caused havoc, walking up and down the aisle spitting at people and generally causing trouble. Bus driver wasn't interested and luckily there was a large British guy on the bus who managed to force this guy off the bus at the next stop.
Oh what memories.