We are all familiar with the same old Las Vegas tropes of drinking, gambling, Sin City and the whole "yuk yuk yuk" line of, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Well, what if I told you that you could have a totally normal multi-day vacation in a city that has some pretty amazing and often over looked resorts, is full of amazing restaurants and fun bars, and is just pretty much a city all unto itself that in my opinion is trapped in a narrative that just do not do it justice. Most people I know go to Vegas for a quick weekend trip where drinking by a pool during a pool pary, gambling into the early morning hours, and kind of just indulge and be debaucherous is the deal because, being there for more than 48-72 hours in those circumstances is just kind of, well, unbearable. And it truly is under those circumstance, especially staying on the strip which has a tendency to suck the life out of you. I had to be there for work two times many years ago for longer than 5 days and I was glad my hotel had no balcony, both times by day 4 it would have been a swift end to Shannon Devine. Time lapses in a truly grotesque manor where the amount of money you spend for a decent glass of wine is asinine, a meal truly demoralizing, and just trying to walk through the casino to exit the hotel has enough smoke to give you emphysema on the spot. So when my sister's the last two times we got together for vacations said, "let's do Las Vegas" I could not have been more apprehensive both times. But, as I expressed earlier, I am here to tell you, it does not have to be like that and it took these trips with my sister and mother to discover a new side of Vegas that I truly do enjoy.
First of all, I love the strip, for a one maybe two day visit. I am not a big gambler or shopper, but I like to eat and drink so hitting up an unlimited mimosa buffet on a weekend is not something I am opposed to. Though, it has to be said, and lets all just admit this now, from the Bellagio, to Caesars Palace, to the newer Cosmopolitan, though "higher quality," trendier foods, and a more expensive price tag does not equal astounding when it comes to a buffet. There is NO SUCH THING as a truly amazing buffet, there just can't be, the concepts are incompatible. They are all mostly the same, luke warm or room temperature hot and cold food like every other buffet, just a possible quicker rotation for the popular food which is always the pancakes and macaroni and cheese. Rarely do people go for the pork bun, duck, or anything truly different. We did however hit up
Beer Park just outside of Paris and it was pretty nice to just sit outside, chill in good weather, and have a drink or two. New York New York on the other end of the strip can be fun, my little sister and I finally drunkenly went on the roller coaster. She forgot she was wearing glass, I forgot I was wearing a dress, and we were both reminded as we went down the first drop. 😂 And I have to admit, we then ventured back to the two story
Taco Bell because it was 1 am and come on, a TWO STORY Taco Bell! But we stayed off the strip first at the
Wyndham Grand Desert and then moved to the absolutely amazing
Wyndham Desert Blue for the last few days. They both have incredible relaxing pools with NO parties, pretty neat accommodations, and are in general nice resorts. They provide the relaxing and vacation-like ambiance places on the strip just cannot provide.
We happened to be in town when the King of Country (I deemed thus so) George Strait was for two concerts. If you know anything about the Devine girls, you know that growing up Pure Country was one of our most treasured movies, second only to The Man From Snowy River, maybe the best Australian movie of all time (I kid on that one 😋). But anywho, it seems amazingly apropos that Dusty was back in Vegas for a show when we were there, so to T-Mobile Arena we mecca-ed and had an amazing time. There was laughter, tears, lots of tears (Ahem, Mehgan and Molly you saps) and it was not the usual, on demand, overly expensive Las Vegas show. We also ventured to one of our favorite spots we stumbled upon years ago,
La Comida, where the tequila is great and the food is better. Then to some of the more less touristy bars in the area. The ones that make you feel like you are in just a regular city. It would not have been complete if we did not drag Patty down Fremont Street, however, which did not disappoint, especially the look on her face when she spotted a man in just a g-string. Another of our lesser crowded favorite spots for years,
Ellis Island, where you can get $2 beers, cheap food that really sits in your gullet, as well as a good view of the hipsters now overrunning it. beards, flannel, properly manicured fingers and all. This place is an institution, you should get there before the hipsters ruin it. And lastly it would be no trip at all for Molly and I if we did not hit up the
Hofbrauhaus. Again, no drunken crowds,so we were really able to "enjoy" the Austrian band, especially when they blew the Swiss horn in Sheena's face. Her steely nature did not disappoint anyone in that situation.
In sum, did we do some cliche Vegas stuff? Yes and no, but it did not feel like the oppressive and depressing soul sucking Vegas that is so in your face sometimes. Even when we stumbled up an oxygen bar it ended up being pretty fun. Did we party? Yes. Did we relax? Yes. Did we gamble? Yes. But we stayed off the strip and left most of the debauchery to others and it ended up being another fun vacation in a town that offers so much more that just, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" and the over-done club stuff portrayed and advertised on every B-rated reality TV show. If that is your thing, that is great. But for everyone else do not forget, if you just want to go on vacation, sit by a pool, read, relax, eat good food, do not discount this city. It actually does have a lot to offer everyone.
First of all, I love the strip, for a one maybe two day visit. I am not a big gambler or shopper, but I like to eat and drink so hitting up an unlimited mimosa buffet on a weekend is not something I am opposed to. Though, it has to be said, and lets all just admit this now, from the Bellagio, to Caesars Palace, to the newer Cosmopolitan, though "higher quality," trendier foods, and a more expensive price tag does not equal astounding when it comes to a buffet. There is NO SUCH THING as a truly amazing buffet, there just can't be, the concepts are incompatible. They are all mostly the same, luke warm or room temperature hot and cold food like every other buffet, just a possible quicker rotation for the popular food which is always the pancakes and macaroni and cheese. Rarely do people go for the pork bun, duck, or anything truly different. We did however hit up Beer Park just outside of Paris and it was pretty nice to just sit outside, chill in good weather, and have a drink or two. New York New York on the other end of the strip can be fun, my little sister and I finally drunkenly went on the roller coaster. She forgot she was wearing glass, I forgot I was wearing a dress, and we were both reminded as we went down the first drop. 😂 And I have to admit, we then ventured back to the two story Taco Bell because it was 1 am and come on, a TWO STORY Taco Bell! But we stayed off the strip first at the Wyndham Grand Desert and then moved to the absolutely amazing Wyndham Desert Blue for the last few days. They both have incredible relaxing pools with NO parties, pretty neat accommodations, and are in general nice resorts. They provide the relaxing and vacation-like ambiance places on the strip just cannot provide.
We happened to be in town when the King of Country (I deemed thus so) George Strait was for two concerts. If you know anything about the Devine girls, you know that growing up Pure Country was one of our most treasured movies, second only to The Man From Snowy River, maybe the best Australian movie of all time (I kid on that one 😋). But anywho, it seems amazingly apropos that Dusty was back in Vegas for a show when we were there, so to T-Mobile Arena we mecca-ed and had an amazing time. There was laughter, tears, lots of tears (Ahem, Mehgan and Molly you saps) and it was not the usual, on demand, overly expensive Las Vegas show. We also ventured to one of our favorite spots we stumbled upon years ago, La Comida, where the tequila is great and the food is better. Then to some of the more less touristy bars in the area. The ones that make you feel like you are in just a regular city. It would not have been complete if we did not drag Patty down Fremont Street, however, which did not disappoint, especially the look on her face when she spotted a man in just a g-string. Another of our lesser crowded favorite spots for years, Ellis Island, where you can get $2 beers, cheap food that really sits in your gullet, as well as a good view of the hipsters now overrunning it. beards, flannel, properly manicured fingers and all. This place is an institution, you should get there before the hipsters ruin it. And lastly it would be no trip at all for Molly and I if we did not hit up the Hofbrauhaus. Again, no drunken crowds,so we were really able to "enjoy" the Austrian band, especially when they blew the Swiss horn in Sheena's face. Her steely nature did not disappoint anyone in that situation. 
In sum, did we do some cliche Vegas stuff? Yes and no, but it did not feel like the oppressive and depressing soul sucking Vegas that is so in your face sometimes. Even when we stumbled up an oxygen bar it ended up being pretty fun. Did we party? Yes. Did we relax? Yes. Did we gamble? Yes. But we stayed off the strip and left most of the debauchery to others and it ended up being another fun vacation in a town that offers so much more that just, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" and the over-done club stuff portrayed and advertised on every B-rated reality TV show. If that is your thing, that is great. But for everyone else do not forget, if you just want to go on vacation, sit by a pool, read, relax, eat good food, do not discount this city. It actually does have a lot to offer everyone.
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