After returning from my first trip to Las Vegas, I was tasked with answering the usual question: “How was it?” People who have never been to Las Vegas were secretly curious about whether I had any “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” stories. Just how wild and crazy was Vegas? But, most importantly, they wanted to know the answer to the biggest question: Is Las Vegas worth the hype?

Well, for everyone wondering how my first trip to Las Vegas went, and for any other Las Vegas virgins out there, welcome to a brief overview of my experience. Although I didn’t personally live on the wild side, I got a solid understanding of where the wild side begins and ends in Vegas.

What should I expect when visiting Las Vegas for the first time?

There is something in Vegas for everyone: the old, young, boring, wild, mellow, sheltered, and daredevils, respectively.

Vegas is what you choose to make it. If you want wild and crazy, there’s a place for you. If you want to relax and chill, there’s a place for you too! Let’s just say that I saw entire families with kids, the elderly, and everyone in between enjoying parts of The Strip. As I said, there’s a place for everyone.

The Strip is full of action: 

To be expected, The Strip—where most of the largest casinos are—was grand, bright, and full of food options, fashion, entertainment, people, characters, and lots of bright lights. If I’m being totally honest, I should admit that I was very underwhelmed in my first hour in Vegas. I checked into the hotel around 7:30 p.m. from the backside of the strip. At first, I was so confused because I was expecting to see more people, more madness, you know, just more. But then again, I had not yet hit “The Strip,” which is where most of the action is.

My boyfriend had traveled to Vegas numerous times, so he kept reassuring me to  “wait until we get to The Strip.” Well, he was right.

Once we walked onto The Strip, it slowly started to make sense…

Everything is bigger, brighter, and louder in Vegas. As I walked along The Strip, slowly taking in the first night, there was so much to see that I couldn’t capture it all.

Behind the lights, and inside the resorts and malls, were just as ornate and grand as presented on the outside. It’s a game of who can do it bigger and better, and I liked it.

There is “freedom” of alcohol: 

Did you know that Nevada allows open containers, cocktails, and “refreshments” in specific areas on The Strip in Las Vegas? Also, did you know that the casinos serve free unlimited drinks (a small tip per drink if you wish) as you sit and gamble? Well, I definitely had no idea! And this my friends is one reason why I say Vegas is what you make it: If you want to walk around drinking 24 hours a day, in the shower, on the street, in restaurants, and even in your bed, you can. If you’re a more occasional drinker like myself, there’s a place for you too.

[Note: Always check for updates to these local guidelines before your travel!]

There are a lot of casinos, obviously: 

There are casinos and smaller places to gamble everywhere–in most hotels, the airport, and smaller establishments. Everywhere! This should be obvious, right? Then again, it’s Vegas! This is the second reason why I say Vegas is what you make it. However, you had better have a good idea of what you are willing to gamble and lose in Vegas, or else you may find yourself crying on a curb because you “lost it all!”

Rule of thumb: Don’t gamble what you can’t afford to lose, especially if it’s your first time there. Personally, I had fun on the slots and the machine version of Craps, which I taught myself laying in bed on the second morning there. Call me boring but I wasn’t willing to risk too much money if any at all. Overall, I did pretty well on Craps for the first time!

There is smoking allowed in the casinos:

The only thing I wasn’t quite prepared for in the casinos was the cigarette smoke. I’ve become accustomed to living in Boston with quite strict laws on where people can and cannot smoke, which is mostly not in buildings. Well, all casinos that I visited allowed indoor smoking. Luckily the ceilings are very high and there is pretty good ventilation so it doesn’t linger on your clothes when you leave! However, if someone chooses to sit at a machine next to you and light one up, there is nothing you can say to the person.

If I don’t go back to Vegas, this would be the one small factor to blame. I had tons of fun in the casinos, but I don’t want to die from second-hand smoke. Vegas is heaven if you are a smoker.  I guess I will have to not become too paranoid about the health of my lungs if I want to spend my days winning big bucks in the casinos!

Dress comfortably, especially in the daytime: 

I was a little worried about how to dress before arriving. My perception of Vegas was filled with images gathered from celebrity social media feeds, reality shows, movies, and the various bachelor/bachelorette party photos posted on my friends’ social media feeds. One thing I knew for sure was I didn’t feel like wearing party dresses and heels all day every day!

Thank God for my boyfriend and other friends telling me to pack some cute comfortable outfits. Why? Well, first, The Strip is very long, and most places require you to walk unless you take a taxi or ride-share service. Second, the hotels are so large you will inevitably need to walk a lot within the resort. Finally, sometimes you just want to be comfortable!

Unless you are going to a particular event, party, club, or restaurant, or you simply prefer the high fashion life, do not feel obligated to dress up in your best party outfit every day. I kept it casual during the day and only dressed up based on which restaurant or lounge I was going to at night. Since we went in late February, the weather was not even close to peak heat-wave summer temperatures. It was about 73-74 degrees during the day and 55-60 degrees in the evenings—too hot for long sleeves in the day and too cold for short sleeves in the evening. There were awkward shifts in temperature, but I made it work.

The daytime is just as fun:

Vegas definitely comes to life at night. When I went to bed at 1-2 a.m. Vegas time, The Strip was still very, very, very alive! I felt like an old grandma going to bed that early, but we can thank the time zone difference for that. Personally, I love seeing new things and enjoying the beauty of a city, so daytime walks and adventures are just as appealing to me as romantic nighttime dinners.

I thought Vegas would be dead in the day, but I was absolutely wrong! I must say I loved daytime and nighttime Vegas equally as much.

The food is amazing, everywhere:

The good thing about having a lot of businesses competing with one another is that close competition makes everyone put their best foot forward! There were many different food options at every price range on The Strip. If you want fast-food chains or to indulge at a buffet, there’s a home for you. If you want average-priced food from a restaurant, bar, or lounge, you better not suffer from indecision. And finally, if you want to go all out on an upscale fancy restaurant, there are plenty of options. Vegas understands that people like to drink and will also need to eat to sober up! Therefore, food options are available 24/7.

In addition, most hotels will give you a credit to cover breakfast so that you only have to worry about lunch, snacks, dinner, and drinks. I don’t want to bore you with the food porn pictures from all the places I ate, but let us just say I ate well.

The smoke in the casinos could keep me from returning to Las Vegas, but the amazing food might offset the risk of second-hand smoke. Hmm, a dilemma: die early or die happy?

There are a lot of great deals:

As soon as you hit the hotels on or off The Strip, people are trying to lure you with a deal, discount, and entertainment of all sorts. As soon as I entered the hotel, I saw slots, tables, lights, and then boom–a lovely welcoming committee. I thought it was the hotel check-in staff, but I was mistaken. It was a friendly group trying to get me to go to a time-share presentation at one of the neighboring properties.

Feeling duped, I initially declined and found my way to check-in. Despite the initial annoyance, there were many great deals available. From shows to food to gambling to cocktails and adventures, there were lots of discounts and deals everywhere.

One weird thing that caught me off guard was the people in the streets clicking small flyers at me. About every 100 steps, someone would click a flyer at the people walking by. On it was a picture of a naked girl or exotic dancer and the location of places you can go to enjoy the X-rated landscapes. I personally declined, but I’m sure one of you out there might want to walk on the wild side.

You may meet/see a range of people (from cool strangers to the famous) on one street:

While randomly walking into the casino, I bumped into Steve Wynn—CEO of Wynn Resorts Unlimited (developer of Wynn Properties, the Mirage, Bellagio, Treasure Island, Encore, and more)—and his wife. It was such a wonderful conversation! I am sure if I went to more of the top clubs in Vegas I might have run into some other popular celebrities, but clubs are not my style and I am not a fan girl.

There were other famous figures randomly sprinkled throughout The Strip—Iron Man, Superman, Walter White from Breaking Bad, and many more. The only issue is that these folks were normal people dressed up like characters who want to charge you for taking a picture with them.

So, in the end, was Las Vegas worth the hype?

Overall, my perception of Vegas before the trip matched only 25% of what I actually discovered during my first trip. I know there was probably a lot of drugs, high-roller gambling, violence, and lots of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” rendezvouses and sex happening right before my blinded eyes. But like I said, Vegas is what you make of it.  One thing I know about myself is that I love adventures but I don’t like wild and crazy ones. By the end of the trip, Vegas and I figured out how to form the right relationship for me.

After sorting out my feelings, the pros, and the cons, I can definitely say I will be back! Las Vegas, you are very different, but I like you a lot.

P.S. When I return, I would love to visit Downtown and Old Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience. I’ve heard that both are just as exciting as The Strip! You should plan to check them out when you go.

Until next time…

Have you visited Las Vegas? What were your thoughts? What places should I check out if I go back?

Comment below!