Photo credit: October Jin
My husband and I took a vacation to Las Vegas this summer. It was not the smartest move since the COVID-19 delta variant ran high there and it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day. But it was also low peak season, so we got a good deal when we booked the vacation months before. Also, the crowds weren’t raging and we were able to take extra safety precautions due to the city’s strict COVID-19 protocols. Luckily, we’re both in good health and did not get sick.
I’ve been to Vegas many times. It’s a common destination in my line of work. And nearly every time I’ve been there, my usual protocol is to gamble, eat amazing food, and do at least one fun thing (catch a show, dance at a nightclub, ride one of the crazy rides, visit the ice bar, etc.). We had to change things around this time to deflect the virus.
It was the best trip to Vegas I’ve ever taken.
Photo credit: October Jin
If you’ve never been to the Las Vegas strip, it’s one of those things you can’t describe properly in words. You have to experience it for yourself. And everyone’s experience will be completely different because the strip offers everything. But two words that I don’t think anyone can refute to describe this unique location in the world are opulence and debauchery. Both are everywhere you go on the Las Vegas strip. From the grandiose hotels with their over-the-top architecture and decor, to shows that you just can’t catch anywhere else in the world, to the insane amounts of alcohol, to the seedy underbelly, this town has something for everyone.
There are different types of tourists that go to Vegas. I’m the type who wants to partake in the richness of the unique offerings the city has to offer. I limit how much I spend because Vegas can easily take your fortune if you don’t watch her.
You can be a tourist and have fun on a budget. You can be a tourist who wins tens of thousands of dollars, only to gamble and spend it all and leave no richer than you came. You can also be a tourist who can make enough money to change your life. The range of experiences you can have there are out of this world.
But this time was different.
Photo credit: October Jin
We decided not to attend any events due to the crowds. We limited our alcohol intake. We decided to mask up everywhere, and masks are required just about anywhere you go on the strip. The hotels and casinos are offering them by the handful, and with plenty of hand sanitizer.
We also changed our schedule and, instead of becoming the usual night owl tourists who party late into the night, we became early risers. We did this to avoid crowds and to beat the heat. It was the best decision we made on this trip.
We’d get up around 6 am and exercise by walking the strip when the temps were low and the party-goers were still sleeping. We saw a version of Vegas that we’d never seen before. We saw the shadows of the strip in the light of the morning.
It was beautiful.
It was peaceful.
And all the things I took for granted about Vegas, I appreciated for once.
Photo credit: October Jin
This schedule also allowed us to eat earlier, which helped with crowd control and reservations in general. We had brand new eating experiences to add to our list as a result.
By keeping to this schedule, we walked nearly 40 miles in less than a week. We slept well. We ate well. We hydrated. We came back with trimmer waistlines. And we didn’t feel like we missed anything.
Photo credit: October Jin
And with a clearer mind, I saw Vegas for what it truly is. Every time we went to a restaurant we were upsold on every part of our meal. “What drink can I get going for you?” “What appetizer do you want to start with?” “Do you want dessert tonight?” The upselling seemed genuine — the servers were nice and we did feel that they truly wanted people to have a good time while they were there. But it was clear that we were seen as cash registers. We were tourists and the goal was to make as much money off of us as possible.
While we walked between the shops and hotels, buskers were entertaining us for tips, the homeless held signs asking for loose change, and club promoters were trying to give us free tickets to spend our money at their clubs. There were no relationships created. There were only single-serving friendships. Tourists were seen as temporary, cattle to move through their vacations there, enticed to spend their money.
None of this is a secret, of course. But I realized on my past visits, the facade of Vegas was well hidden by the man behind the curtain. With our eyes wide open, we saw a hurting tourism industry working for every dime it could get under the constant threat of coronavirus. I had more respect for the employees in this town, putting themselves at risk for the city’s largest revenue stream. Desperate to keep it stable. Trying to keep the dream alive for future tourism.
Photo Credit: October Jin
I once read somewhere that every square foot of Vegas is measured by how much money it can bring in. That wasn’t palpable until this trip. But it didn’t bother me at all — of course, that’s what Vegas was built on and what it will continue to be. It was designed to extract every dollar from tourism. I embraced it — I was as nice as I could be to everyone we interacted with, tipped at least 20% to all of our servers, and enjoyed every moment with gusto.
This trip to Vegas was memorable. I hope to be able to return soon.