Two weeks ago, I headed to Las Vegas, Nevada for the Author Nation conference, which was a fantastic conference. Unfortunately, it’s a week in Vegas every year. I have managed to avoid Vegas for 10 years. Last time I stopped there on the last night of a National Park extravaganza and figured that after dinner, a show, and some gambling, one night in Vegas was just about right. This year, I was forced to spend more time in Vegas and this is what I learned.
Get Out of Vegas
The best way to enjoy Vegas, in my opinion, is still to get out of Vegas. There are so many amazing places you can drive to from Nevada. The Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Red Rock Canyon, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon. The list goes on and on. Unless you absolutely love nightlife, high prices, and debauchery, the best part about Vegas is it’s location and the things outside of Vegas.
This year we took a fantastic tour with Comedy on Deck to the Grand Canyon’s West Rim. We stopped for breakfast, saw the Hoover Dam, and then entered a magical world filled with Joshua Trees galore. We eventually ended up in the Hualapai Reservation where the skywalk and Guano Point are located. There was plenty of time for us to hike around and really take in the canyon. We were back to Vegas by around 6pm.
With a car, you open up far more possibilities than just taking a tour.
Take a Friend (Or Two)
My friend, Erica, and I both went to the Author Nation conference and my husband joined us for the weekend before. While I met some amazing people at the conference, I was so, so happy that we’d planned restaurants, outings, and a show before we came so we got to take full advantage of the city. It was also helpful that the friends who came didn’t want to stay out until 3am partying. Having someone who wants to travel the way you like to travel with you really makes Vegas much more enjoyable.
The first time I went to Vegas was for an engineering offsite and I had a blast with that crowd. But, I got a lot more sleep this time.
Eat the Glorious Food
The only thing the Vegas Strip really has going for it, in my opinion, is the food. It’s absolutely not cheap, but the good restaurants are phenomenal. Luckily, we picked some winners this time. Our top three were:
The Eiffel Tower Restaurant, which has a gorgeous view of the Bellagio Fountain (featured image) and wonderful food. I tried the best fish I’ve ever tasted there. It was Erica’s cod. The soufflé was amazing too.
We had the most trouble getting a table at Hell’s Kitchen. I didn’t think I’d really like it as much as the other restaurants, but I was pleasantly surprised. Its pitchfork motif and delicious courses were the perfect way to spend the evening after a conference.
Ocean Prime was my favorite restaurant of the trip. It was unseasonably warm the week we were there, which made sitting outside on their terrace delightful. Our waiter was amazing and the drinks were the best. So was the food. Ocean Prime is definitely on our list for a return trip.
Bring Your Own Food
One thing I would do differently next time is bringing more food. The tea and coffee in our hotel alone was $8. Everything is overpriced and it’s very hard to find good, healthy grab and go-type food. Next time, I would pack my breakfasts, fruit, and at least some carrots. There was a Subway restaurant in the basement, but the lettuce was very questionable. The CVS near us also had fruit, yogurt, salads, and sandwiches. It worked in a pinch. I really missed having easy access to a grocery store, though. This would be another reason to rent a car for part of your trip and perhaps an AirBNB to have access to a kitchen.
See the ARTE Museum
The ARTE Museum may just have been my favorite outing of the whole trip. It is an immersive art museum, each room better than the last. You begin in a room surrounded by waterfalls, then walk into an enchanted forest where you get to create one of the animals on safari. The museum finishes with a large room with 30 minutes of changing scenery. You can enjoy walking on a beach with the aurora borealis above you, enjoy the jumping lights of Vegas, and be inside of Monet’s Giverny Bridge painting. 100% worth the money. We loved this place!
Enjoy a Show
There are a ton of great shows in Vegas. Last time I was there, I saw “O” by Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio. This time, we decided to go the comedy route and saw Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience. All seven Harry Potter books, performed by two people, in 70 minutes. It was part show, part improv, part audience participation and it was hilarious. If Potted Potter shows up near you, go. And take the whole family.
Don’t Stay at the Horseshoe Hotel
We stayed at the Horseshoe Hotel because that’s where our conference was. It’s fine. It’s a place to stay. It smells like smoke in the casino just like every other Vegas hotel (except for the Park MGM, which is smoke-free). What really annoyed me was that each room has a two device limit per room for the wifi. Apparently all Caesar Hotels do. After that, they try to charge you $15/day for internet. INTERNET. A commodity that is free everywhere else. That might suffice if you are traveling alone, but with two people attending a conference and sharing a room, it was terrible. I could never bring my family filled with teenagers who have their own phones here. What a stupid policy. Do not recommend.
Set Your Expectations Low for your Workouts
Another sad part of Vegas is trying to get your workouts in. The workout room in our hotel (shared with Paris) was large, but lacked basic hygiene amenities. There was no water cooler in the room or towels for all the sweaty people using the machines. On the first day they had some machine wipes, but by the second day, they were gone and no one had refilled the bin. It was just….not great.
On the days I didn’t use the fitness center, I tried to go out for a run. You know this already if you’ve been to Vegas, but it’s a maze. You are constantly going up and down stairs, over bridges, and getting cut-off by construction or traffic. There are places where it’s 100% not safe to be running. And on top of that, the streets are littered with drunk and homeless people.
I don’t have any advice here, except you may just not want to stay for more than a day if fitness is important to you.
Quit While You’re Ahead
Which brings me to my last point. Quit while you’re ahead. That means, if you can help it, leave Vegas after 1-2 days. It just gets gross and uncomfortable after that.
I’m also talking about the gambling. Set an amount you want to spend on it and then walk away when it’s gone. Also walk away when you win. This trip, I spent $2 on a couple of slot machines. At the first one I lost immediately. At the second one I won $100 and we just…quit. There were no blackjack tables open and so we just went upstairs and used our money to buy dinner.
I honestly wouldn’t be sad if I never had to go back to Vegas, but Andy Weir is coming to Author Nation next year (yay!) and so….I’ll likely go. But before I return, I’ll cherish my time NOT spent there.