# Anyone else surprised (dismayed?) by Las Vegas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948 "2023-03-09T21:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/261 "2023-03-25T02:07:14Z")
My wife and I went to Vegas just before Covid and crammed a lot into a week. I discussed this with her and we agreed that despite the excellent shows we saw and the nice dinners we had, the two things that really impressed us were the National Atomic Testing Museum and the Mob Museum. On a slightly different note I was also impressed by a young women who was either an extremely high-priced call girl or the most provocatively dressed business executive ever. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/262 "2023-03-25T02:39:59Z")
That’s amazing…in a half dozen or so visits, my wife and I have determined that the optimum stay in Vegas is no more or less than 3 days. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/263 "2023-03-25T03:04:05Z")
During that week we also did a side trip to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, so it actually was closer to three or four days in Vegas proper. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/264 "2023-03-25T20:59:18Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > Ah, We’ve not quite got to Salt Lake City. Yes, Utah is not dry. It’s just, well. weird with alcohol. I had a boyfriend who used to travel a lot inside the US for work, and he had some great tales of drinking laws in various places. I can’t remember them all, but I think Utah allows you to “join” a club and then drink somewhat normally while in that club. I seem to vaguely remember something about Toledo, but my memory is going. Too much booze? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/265 "2023-03-26T00:36:18Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I can’t remember them all, but I think Utah allows you to “join” a club and then drink somewhat normally while in that club. That ended in 2009. > **[The Salt Lake Tribune - Utah News, Sports, Religion & Entertainment](https://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=%2Ffeatures%2Fci_12721457)** > > Utah's independent nonprofit news source covers news, politics, faith, arts and sports for Salt Lake City and Utah. Read Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/266 "2023-03-26T01:25:24Z")
I’m a little sad. Just because all the different liquor laws were so fun to talk about. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/267 "2023-03-26T02:50:32Z")
Pennsylvania’s alcohol laws, unless they’ve changed recently, are the strangest to me. The idea that you can’t buy beer in a grocery store, but you can walk into a bar and order a six-pack to go, is just bewildering. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/268 "2023-03-26T12:29:17Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > things that really impressed us were the National Atomic Testing Museum Yeah, I’d have to say, that’s probably the best museum I’ve ever visited. Not too big, but very well done. ---
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/269 "2023-03-27T01:55:56Z")
The saying was always you can’t buy a drink in PA, but you can buy a drunk ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/270 "2023-03-27T05:18:42Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > That’s amazing…in a half dozen or so visits, my wife and I have determined that the optimum stay in Vegas is no more or less than 3 days. I usually am in Las Vegas for a week, but at least two days are taken up with business, so I guess that shortens things. Never mind; I can always find things to do on my free days: I’ve been to the Pinball Hall of Fame and the Atomic Testing Museum and the Mob Museum; and there is no shortage of music and comedy acts in the evenings. And somedays, it’s just nice to sit out by the pool with a gin-and-tonic for the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/271 "2023-03-27T23:45:23Z")
Since this thread is full of people who have been to Vegas once 40 years ago and didn’t like it, I will post a contrarian opinion. I’ve been to Vegas several times and I enjoyed very much. The high-end hotels that we stayed in (Wynn, Encore, Bellagio, Venetian) are fantastic: great amenities, excellent spa, and the restaurants are absolutely superb. I enjoy gambling. Therefore I enjoy the casinos. And the entertainment is great. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/272 "2023-03-28T12:59:04Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The high-end hotels that we stayed in (Wynn, Encore, Bellagio, Venetian) are fantastic: great amenities, excellent spa, and the restaurants are absolutely superb. The Strip has an extremely wide range of hotel qualities, and if a person stayed in one of the run down ones I’d sure understand why they found Vegas a bit lousy. The difference in quality is enormous. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/273 "2023-03-28T15:57:54Z")
Interestingly, the first time I went to Vegas as an adult we stayed at the Bellagio and splurged for a fountain view room. It was a good room with nice amenities, but I was expecting a bit more. The view was excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/274 "2023-03-28T17:04:45Z")
We ended up in one of these on our first visit. However, the room was pretty much the same as any other hotel room. I think a chocolate on the bed was about the only difference. We found that we were kind of paying for the bottom floor to have posh shops and a high end casino. It also was quite far back from the strip too, so it took about 10 minutes from our room to the actual pavement. I’ve heard of others (who didn’t like vegas) be in an MGM suite where it took them about 20 minutes to get the pavement. After this, I decided to go for the other side of the road, and chose the low end hotel now gone, The Imperial Palace. The room was about 1/5th of the price of the Bellagio, about twice the size, and the bathroom was massive. Plus is was about a minute to the pavement. Now that its gone, we stick with the Flamingo or Harrahs (weirdly Linq has never been on the list, always been too expensive now). We also prefer the mid strip in itself for positioning among other hotels, down the south end it always seems to be quite a walk to get to even the next casino, and not a lot anything else apart from huuuuge hotels. Even the thought of staying in Ballys which is quite far back from the strip, and a larger hotel, strikes us as too far. Whenever we’ve visited the Wynn for things (not sure been in Bellagio for a long time), it seemed the same as Bellagio, too much casino and too much walking to get to anywhere to stay. Also kind of why we also like downtown. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/275 "2023-03-28T18:20:29Z")
Yeah, that’s kind of the deal with the Strip properties: they’re so massive, that to make a simple trip from your room to the casino across the street, you should probably pack a lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/276 "2023-03-28T18:25:55Z")
We pick our hotel room based on what show we are seeing, and then pick our dinner location based on that. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/277 "2023-03-28T19:23:24Z")
Just returned from a couple of nights at Encore for my birthday. All the Swifties cleared out just in time for a massive Home Remodeling/Decoration convention. Good thing we had made reservations at the restaurants we wanted to hit months ago. For me walking in Vegas is A Good Thing. I think we walked more in 48 hours than I usually do in a couple of weeks at work! Our Uber back from Bootlegger was a Volvo Polestar. Nice car. Finally got to ride in an electric that wasn’t a POS Tesla. Looks like Fountainbleau will be finished just in time for Formula 1 in November. Wynn offered me a great deal for the race: basic room for a couple of days and a grandstand seat - $14K. Needless to say I won’t be taking them up on it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/278 "2023-03-28T19:59:07Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Yeah, that’s kind of the deal with the Strip properties: they’re so massive, that to make a simple trip from your room to the casino across the street, you should probably pack a lunch. An average day in Vegas sees me walk about twelve miles. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/279 "2023-03-28T20:13:09Z")
IMO/IME there are two sorts of Vegas tourists. One sort are the 12-mile folks like you and me. The other sort cover about 100 yards in the morning from hotel room to breakfast buffet to slot machine stool. Then 75 yards from slot machine stool to lunch buffet to slot machine stool. Then 75 yards from slot machine stool to dinner buffet to slot machine stool. Then 50 yards from slot machine stool to hotel room at bedtime. 300 yards per day and 3 ginormous carbo-tastic meals. Plus maybe a dozen watery drinks and 2 packs of smokes. Then get up and do it again tomorrow. Ain’t 'Mericuh Great?!? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/280 "2023-03-28T20:18:42Z")
I don’t know how people afford the buffets on the Strip. The one in Bellagio is $50 for lunch, $70 for dinner. For $70 there is no fucking way I’m getting my own food. I don’t care how good it tastes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948.md?page=15)