Am I the only American who hasn't been to Las Vegas?

[jesus marion joseph]

I suck at gambling, I've been to Atlantic City *once*, and never to Las Vegas. Seems like everyone I know has been there, either for vacation or "conventions". What gives?

[Jon Abbey]

nope, never been, doubt I ever will.

[Captain Hate]

I was only there on a layover last year. It has absolutely no appeal for me; I work too hard for my jack to throw it away (other than *investing* in music, of course ). Unless I'm totally overlooking some compelling reason, the only other reason I'd be there would be for really cheap airfare and to rent a car to go to the Sierras.

[Ron Thorne]

You're not alone, jmj.

I'm not so sure that we've been missing something which is irreplaceable or earth-shattering, though.

[Weizen]

On the lengthy list of places I've just gotta hit, it occupies the #12,633rd slot, just above the final trip to the inside of some cannibal's stewpot in a humid, leafy corner of Borneo.

[walto]

This summer my gang is driving from San Fran. through Yosemite, Sequoia, and the Grand Canyon, down to Phoenix. We're trying to figure out a way to avoid Las Vegas.

[tippy]

It might mean your the only American with the possiblity of having good taste. My paternal grandparents lived in Nevada and I remember Las Vegas as the seediest of places with 13 year old hookers operating out of Sleepy Bear Motels. Vegas is gross.

[Brian Olewnick]

Never been, don't have the slightest desire to.

[Dr Dave]

Many visits, always on business. You're not missing anything, unless you need to have your suspicions confirmed that it is a place that appeals to the basest appetites.

[moneyp]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Many visits, always on business. You're not missing anything, unless you need to have your suspicions confirmed that it is a place that appeals to the basest appetites.

Yeah, which is what makes it so much fun. You guys are a bunch of stiffs.

I've gone dozens of times. Not to gamble myself, although I will occupy time at the blackjack table while my friends lose their money, but as a stopover on the way to Tahoe for skiing. Even if you don't gamble, there are some great clubs, great shows, great hotels. Yes, New York has all these things, but Vegas is way cheaper than New York. And there's no better place to have a bachelor party. It was worth a couple of trips a year to me when I lived in California, not any more than that.

[Enforcer]

I'll be the lone voice of dissent: I've been to Vegas many times, and I think it's fun. I couldn't stay there for an extended time, but in small doses, the sensory overload is pretty cool. It's so over the top that even the cheesy stuff (and there's a lot of it) is worth at least seeing once.

[aminadab]

drove through at 4:30am heading up north to alberta. we stopped at a gas station and filled up as a bunch of drunks eyed us waiting for 5:00am when they start selling booze again. it was awesome!

[GoodSpeak]

Was there as a kid.

[kedoane]

Never been to Vegas. I have been to Reno several times as a child and adult (I had my honeymoon there). Not sure if I will ever go there.

[GoodSpeak]

A former neighbor of mine lives in a single-wide in Reno....smokes filterless Lucky Strikes, too. Talks with it stuck to the bottom lip. Name is Shirley and she drives a beat-up old brown Dodge pick-em-up truck.


No kidding.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by kedoane

Never been to Vegas. I have been to Reno several times as a child and adult (I had my honeymoon there). Not sure if I will ever go there.

Were you ever at the Reno Horseshoe in 1978? I worked there briefly as a croupier that summer after writing Keno tickets at another casino a couple of doors down.

"7-11 any craps, who wants to bet the yo? 8, the number's eight. Six, easy six, bet it hard. Eight easy eight, pay the front line!"


The five months I lived in Reno represented a nice diversion between grad schools.

[kedoane]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Were you ever at the Reno Horseshoe in 1978? I worked there briefly as a croupier that summer after writing Keno tickets at another casino a couple of doors down.

"7-11 any craps, who wants to bet the yo? 8, the number's eight. Six, easy six, bet it hard. Eight easy eight, pay the front line!"


The five months I lived in Reno represented a nice diversion between grad schools.

Nope. First off I was a kid in 1978 and second off, my family and I spent our summer vacation on the Delta in a houseboat.

[Pete C]

Never been to Vegas. I was in Atlantic City ca. 1964, at the Haddon Hall hotel.

[Borat Pri Hagafen]

Never been. Sure I'll hate it, but I'm sure I'll get there at some point.

[Mike Schwartz]

Haven't yet been there as yet........coworkers and friends since I've lived in Cali go regularly; more than a few have relocated. Many more go for business and conventions.

[jesus marion joseph]

Christ, if I knew they had 13 year old hookers............

[GoodSpeak]

Hey now....

[Jimmy Cantiello]

I visited Las Vegas twice. I'm not a gambler but I enjoyed the restaurants and the entertaiment. It's basically a Disney World for adults. I think everyone should visit once just for shits and giggles.

[Gary Sisco]

I have several times but long ago before the place blew up to into a parody of itself.

[steve(thelil)]

Originally Posted by walto

This summer my gang is driving from San Fran. through Yosemite, Sequoia, and the Grand Canyon, down to Phoenix. We're trying to figure out a way to avoid Las Vegas.

Sedona I assume? (and heartily recommend)

[Dr Dave]

Walk through the casino at Luxor at 7:30 in the morning and watch the lady with her kids parked in a double stroller feeding a Big Gulp cup of quarters into a slot machine. Check out the look on her face. There are a number of identifiable emotions there, but enjoyment is not one of them.

[BeBop]

Funny thread. I'm biased: I only spend four or so days a year there, but consider Las Vegas "home". People definitely don't understand the place - particularly people who've never been.

For instance: The Strip. Quintessential Las Vegas, right? Wrong. It isn't even in Las Vegas. It's in Paradise. Most visitors - something like 90%, I hear, never go to Las Vegas. (The airport, similarly, is outside city limits.)

Condemning Las Vegas for the grotesque behaviors exhibited on The Strip is like flushing New York because starry-eyed tourists are mesmerized by Times Square. (I typically work about 60 days a year on Manhattan.)

Most of Las Vegas is pretty unappealing, visually and culturally. There are exceptions, many centered around our University.

But the bulk of Las Vegas' appeal lies in its location (I travel, basically, 365 days a year, minus the aforementioned four). Las Vegas is close to some of the most beautiful land in the US - deserts, high and low, Southern Utah... The suburbs are peaceful and one often sees children playing in the yard, phenomenon not often seen in urban America these days.

So look for me in Summerlin, checking out the jazz performance listings over an espresso in a local cafe.

Yeah, I'm probably overselling the place.

[Chris D]

I haven't been. I'd like to see "Love" in that special theater, though.

[sonic1]

I have never been, nor will I ever go to Las Vegas. No interest. I had to do a performance at a casino here in Tucson, and I hated the scene. The show was 5 days in a row and I thought I was gonna die from the second hand smoke, and the piss smell that eminated from the place. Casinos are shitty places. Everyone in there looks so sick.

[Gary Sisco]

Gordon -- I was in Silver City, across the hills from Reno, in '78. If you know where Virginia City is, Silver City is downhill about two miles (of tight "s" curves). The only retail establishment in town was the bar, which was open 24/7. Couldn't buy even gasoline or a loaf of bread in SC. We sure had a lot of fun, there, though. I played once a week to cover my rent on a room upstairs over the bar.