To not get Las Vegas?

[EuphemiaMcGonagall]

Someone I know has just gone on honeymoon there; another friend has also gone there with her family for their annual holiday.

As far as I can tell, it's a city full of casinos, a fake Eiffel Tower and a fake Grand Canal.

Sounds hellish.

What am I missing?

[tallulah]

We went in 1994 for 5 days with a 3 yo. We all loved it and didn't want to come home. Stayed at the Luxor and did no gambling at all. Trips out to lake Mead, the desert and the Hoover dam. DS got fed for free everywhere. Would go back in a heartbeat if only we had the spare cash.

[wordfactory]

Hilariously, I got an email from them today and they are in their dacha house in Russia and she was complaining that the housekeeper had two days off in a row.

I am going to be spoiled rotton and could get used to it I tell ya.

[catgirl1976]

2 days off in a row? Bloody hell

I do think they sound fab :)

[katkitya]

More families move to Vegas per year than anywhere else in the States so, it must have something more than the strip going for it. I would rather be there right now then stuck here with the miserable weather! I'm interested to know how you lot get all these cheap hotel rooms though? We did it as part of a package and reckon the venician cost us about 140 pounds a night. I don't think it could be got for less than that. I would stay in the old town next time or do two nights in two different hotels. The flights are expensive to get there, I thought.

[NewShooz]

I've been 3 times now, and would still go back again if I could afford it. I love it! I have never stayed in a better hotel in my life, met such random friendly people in the casinos, and to be honest the staff can't do enough for you either.
The shows are great, and the atmosphere is too. There's so much more to it than just gambling.

[SkelleyBones]

I agree that 3 days in Vegas is something you should do before you die but never do twice, which I will have to do as DH hasn't been.
I have to say I had some of the happiest memories of my lifetime there.
And a cute white tiger cuddly toy

[izzywhizzyletsgetbusy]

You don't need to get 'it', you just need to get 'there'

I adore Las Vegas; I love the synthetic veneer of sophistication that cloaks its sleazy underbelly I so enjoy a walk on the wild side

It's LA's playground, and it's a superb piece of engineering that has to be seen to be believed.

My preferred habitat is lush and verdant but sunset and sunrise in the Mojave desert is spectacular.

A week is more than enough - a 3-5 day break is ideal.

[WannaBeMarryPoppins]

Kat, we were travelling through the States for several weeks so tended to stay in cheap hotels and motels. In Vegas we stayed in a motel just at the end of the strip, a block or two from the Stratosphere I think. Tod's MOtel I think. It was basic, obviously, but we only needed a bed and a small bath anyway, we were out all the time. It was neat and clean though with all appliances needed for three girls. And there was a bus stopping right in front of it, so we sometimes took that as it took us up and down the whole strip.

(The motel also had washing machines, definitely a luxury that far into our travels, haha)

The second time (we had two nights there with a tour we took through the West) we stayed in a more fancy hotel, can't remember it's name though right now. Definitely nicer than the motel but we would have never picked it ourselves. Bit of a waste when you are not in the room for more than a few hours we thought.

[TillyIpswitch]

I've never been - but apparently it's the scale of the place - just immense.

I think it's fairly easy to 'not get' something you've never been to or seen.

[Morloth]

I think it looks like fun, one of the hotels has a rollercoaster on it. Excellent.

I have done museums, I have done art galleries, I have seen castles, I have done natural beauty, I have been skiing and bungee jumping and white water rafting, I have lain by pools, I have been in helicopters, all in all I have had a great time already in my life.

We will give Las Vegas a go at some point I am sure.

Tell you what doesn't appeal to me though, those bits of Spain full of drunk sunburnt Brits with pools that look like human soup. Bleugh.

[katkitya]

I don't get how people don't "get it" when they've never even been. I "don't get" what's not to love. Fantastic climate, scenary, shopping, hotels and food. The Americans are super friendly and there's no fighting or spewing. The only fight I saw was with a pissed English bride and her bridesmaid in the Bellagio of all places.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

I have always enjoyed my visits to Las Vegas although I would not holiday there in August (its way too hot then). Far more to it as well than just the casinos and the Strip (Valley of Fire National Park is a gem). I have always felt welcomed there as a non gambling visitor.

Just wish someone could do something about the shills that operate on some areas of the Strip giving out the porn cards. They try and give these to everyone that passes them.

Have seen some lively Americans partying but its pretty tame and controlled really compared to over here on a Friday night. Have never seen any overt drunkenness on the Strip either. Lots of police around.

No clocks to be seen!.

BTW children are allowed to walk in and through the casinos; they are not allowed to linger.

[HipHopOpotomus]

It doesn't appeal so much to me, but then i never had much desire to visit the Greek Islands or London either. And I've now been to Greek islands about 9 times and lived in London 17 years .

Not Into gambling at all but think I'd love a few days in Vegas. Poolside, shopping, food/drink on tap, desert spas, great entertainment among a city that will look fsmiliar as its been a fiilm/tv set so often - what's not to like?

[robingood19]

VEGAS.....they said you wanna go to Vegas, I said No,NO, NO>.

[squeakytoy]

Another of the good things with Vegas, it really all is about the strip, you dont meander about trying to find places in side streets, you just walk up and down the strip, (for lots of it you can actually go from casino to casino without going outside) which is quite necessary if you are there in September as we were last time and it was well over 100 degrees outside..

We were staying at the Orleans that time, which is off the strip, but the hotel provides a free shuttle to the strip (five minutes away), and the rooms at the Orleans were £20 a night, the breakfast buffet was five dollars.. (about £3).

This thread has made me look back through all my photos and really want to be there right now...

[Malificence]

People are snobby about Vegas the way they are about Disney/Orlando, we've been all over the world and seen many fabulous sights, but Orlando is still my favourite place for a holiday, we've been there 10 times in 15 years and are going back again next June.
We'll definitely go back to Vegas again, when we went last September, we had been upgraded to a tower suite with it's own private lift at the Mirage and we had champagne and roses in the room, all because DH had mentioned it was our 25th anniversary year on their facebook page.

Anywhere that you can get a footlong hotdog for a dollar is ok by me.

[katkitya]

I look outside and it's raining in July. I would much rather be trying to find my way out of the Wynn

[Reiden]

I also got married in Vegas, loved it there, but was only there for a few nights before travelling the coast. Didnt do any gambling (well about an hours worth just for the experience), but was plenty to do - Red rock even closer than grand canyon, and was lovely! Probably wouldnt go back there though.

[redexpat]

It's quite fun! Just walking up and down the strip and looking at the excess of it all, and the people watching - oh my! You wouldn't get the same sort of thing in the UK. Yes you get casinos, but it's not the same.

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

I wouldn't make it the focus of a trip, but I'd go if I took a trip to that area to see the Grand Canyon, Salt Lake City etc. I think it is probably vile in lots of ways but fascinating too. The contrast between the elemental desert landscape and white-bread all-American Mormons thereabouts, and the lights and fountains and goings-on in the original 'Sin City', really interests me. There is nowhere else like it and I'd love to see it. Agree with others that you probably don't need/want to stay very long though.

[glittershoes]

I loved it and really didn't expect to. It wasn't really on my list to do but DH was desperate so with combined it with a trip to New York (which I was desperate to do), six days in each.

It was wonderful, full of fun and glitz and incredible people everywhere. You have to stop trying to compare it to somewhere else or define it and just accept it for what it is. I don't gamble and didn't at all when we were there. We did a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon which was absolutely insane, really breathtaking and fantastic, and the rest of the time we relaxed, saw shows, ate amazing food and just enjoyed it all.

The Bellagio fountains are just spectacular, I could have watched them forever. We also loved Fremont Street - just brilliant.

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

DP and I don't want to get married, but we are agreed that if we ever did the ideal would be to get married in Vegas, by Elvis, with Jackie O as maid of honour.

[PedigreeChump]

Vegas is probably my favourite place in the world. As I was leaving, I wanted to be coming back, it was incredible... Had a Cypress Suite in the Bellagio, it was gorgeous.

[scarletfingernail]

Vegas is amazing and it has to be seen to be believed. I don't think you can "not get" something until you've experienced it really. Fair enough if you've been and decided then that you don't like it, but don't knock it til you've tried it.

FWIW I wasn't sure what to expect the first time I went and was not expecting to be blown away like I was. I couldn't describe it well enough to do it justice as it's such an unusual place.

It's not somewhere I'd choose to go every year as I like to see new places, but I have been twice and I would love to go again at some point.

[bellavita]

We loved loved loved Vegas!!

Went there in 2009 with our two boys - they also loved it.

Grand Canyon was amazing.

The hotels/buffets are amazing.

We will go back!