Las Vegas - seeking an honest opinion

[tizzyb]

Hi Ladies
We have a holiday in March and after much umming and aahing. Will we? Won't we? Husband has decided we will go away, it has to be said predominantly for my health. However he now wants to go to Las Vegas. I have personally avoided returning to America after a rotten experience at security some years ago (too long to go into but totally unnecessary). I originally said that if that was what he really wanted I would do it but I have been looking on the internet and I just don't want to go. Husband is cross with me, unusual for us to have a spat. Neither of us gamble (unless you count the occasional lottery ticket husband buys - I never have bought one) and as far as I can see that is what it is about, gambling.

His argument is that using his company concessions (he works for a major airline) we can get cheap tickets and good hotels for a small amount of money. He says we don't have to gamble if we don't want to. My argument is that I am prepared to go to the USA, even despite my long seated dislike of the place, but not to Vegas which just does not sound like a place I am going to be able to relax.

Has anyone been to Las Vegas who can give me an honest opinion about the merits of two non gambling individuals visiting for a week?

[Enid]

I've never been there, but my daughter's partner goes there three times a year for business. He says the hotels are swish but if he didn't have to go there, he wouldn't.

[jjoj]

I think im with you Tizzy on this one ,But my DD & SIL went a few years ago and loved it ,they did the Grand Canyon Helicopter tour and loved the Hotels they not gamblers and said lots more to do i would check a few holiday sites out first see what other people think if you can see if its for you,
Jean

[Annie]

I think Las Vegas is probably the last place I'd want to visit in the US, Tizzy! From what I've heard, and from documentaries, it really does seem to be all gambling joints and the place where ageing old-time stars go to perform (Englebert Humperdink anyone? ). It seems very brash, lound and garish - not at all the place to relax I would have thought. I do think you should try and find an alternative venue that OH can agree to - it won't be good for your health if you come back frazzled and deaf!

[blondee]

Yes I have tizzy admitting it was August and b****y red hot desert heat we went by road from LA a long way didnt do it in one trip stopped overnight several days wished I had flown straight there. Having said that we drove the route 66 road nostalgic but sad as they built a freeway and now no one goes there . Dont know about March guess its cooler glad I saw it but if you dont gamble which we dont then it is an experience just visiting each hotel for the shops and sheer size of these places good shows but you need to book pop ones now, my ankles swelled up with the heat and was a bit miserable what you see on tv is what you get a bit seedy off the main strip so its a matter of walking up one side and down the other, but you may think it is brill, personally I would have prefered more time in San Fransisco wonderful place. Grand canyon, Palm Springs for health much better not a lot there only Barry Manilow LOVE THAT MAN so many other places I would prefer to go hope it helps we dont want a divorce over it!

[jeangenie]

tizzy - I've only been there once - and it was many, many years ago, when our sons (who came with us) were teenagers. We spent about 3 days there. If you want to go somewhere for your health (mainly to relax?) it's less than ideal.

It's in the middle of the dessert - you have to travel a long, long way to go somewhere else. The Boulder Dam and the Grand Canyon are the nearest places I can remember visiting - again not relaxing. We were there in August (perk of teaching!!!) and when we went down on to the working platform of the Dam it was 123F - Dam-hot. One day we'd been to McDonalds for lunch (doing anything with under-age children is difficult - you have to be 21 to drink or gamble) and quite literally couldn't open the car because the handles were too hot to touch! But this was August, I'm sure March isn't that hot. We were bemused on the Saturday night by the numbers of cars full of teenagers just cruising up and down the Strip - you can get a driving licence at 16!

Vegas is hotel after hotel after hotel - all with casinos. I thought in daylight it looked tacky, and even teenage sons thought the Wedding Palaces were grim and tacky. It's very much a 24-hour scene and inside the casinos there's not natural light and no clocks. There were people sitting at slot machines with jugs full of tokens just pushing one token after the other into the machine - they were like zombies.

If I was going to the south west again, I'd go to San Diego - good beaches, pleasant shopping areas, interesting coast-line and good range of entertainments, much greener (as opposed to arid desert) and more of a Mediterranean climate.

Having said all that, I was glad I'd been just for the experience.

Jean

[blondee]

Agree Jeangenie we had gone in August as OH was teaching 100 deg in bed at 1 in the morning very tacky place in the daylight!

[jeangenie]

jollj - I liked San Fransisco too - but thought it might be a bit cold in March? Not sure on that!

Jean

[nannyviolet]

I agree with you Tizzy, I've never been to Las Vegas, we are not lovers of the States in general, and both OH and myself mention it when we want to convey the idea of tackiness...in fact I expect Hell to be like "Vegas!" Could you persuade your OH to go somewhere else in the USA?

[tizzyb]

Mmmm well when he is speaking to me again we might be able to discuss like adults. As I say it is rare for us to have a spat. Maybe we are both just tired and better to leave it until we have regained our energy. Nothing that anyone has said on here has changed my mind but thanks for the opinions........