Las Vegas: McCarran International Airport

When traveling to, or through, Las Vegas, by air, one must typically travel through McCarran International Airport as a result. Whether you're visiting the city of sin for a long getaway with your pals or simply passing through on a brief layover as you make your way somewhere else, there's a particular aspect to McCarran you'd have a difficult time missing: the ubiquitous presence of slot machines and their changing, jangling little chimes meant to entice. These brightly-lit, loudly clanging little machines make their existence known throughout most manner of business in the city of Vegas, from neighborhood grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations, to even the airport, all looking to benefit from that eagerly handed out money. While for now there aren't any table games, that I saw, I wouldn't be surprised if they were added at some point in the future, in the name of progress and innovation, of course. Of course, they'll probably just install a new generation of slot machines instead, so they won't have to train new dealers or contend with more staff squeezing through an already often overburdened security team. 

Believe it or not, there was a point in time where I was offered a job working at one of the little retail kiosks inside of the airport, but I opted to remain at a different location within the same company so I could avoid that whole hassle of going through security day in and day out. I don't know about you, but I've yet to meet anyone who considers going through airport security to be the highlight of their travel time. If you're that person, though, be sure to drop a comment and let me know!

Personally, I never play slots or wager money. Having grown up in Las Vegas, I've watched other people try their hand against lady luck, and while I've dabbled in poker with my friends at parties, I can't justify it. I work hard for my cash and would rather put it towards something I can see or use, and the casinos weren't built on winners, after all. To each their own, however! If you go to Vegas and decide to gamble $2 or $200,000, that's on you, your bank account, and your priorities, baby. Viva Las Vegas and all that. Don't let me tell you how to live your life, I'm just a girl on the internet.

Vegas: Buzzed bands and blurry nights

If there's one aspect to Vegas to be applauded, it would certainly be the robust options for entertainment and debauchery that spawn up throughout the city like dandelions on a well-watered field. Any day of the week, any time of year, you can spend a short time ambling along Las Vegas Boulevard, weaving your way through any number of casinos, and find some form of entertainment that tickles your fancy, whatever your fancy may be. Perhaps you enjoy a nice piano medley over a cocktail, or grungy guitars dueling it out over a draft beer, there's something for everyone. As a long time local to the city, I generally made a point of it to try to avoid the Strip proper because the sheer variety of options leads to a densely packed crowd of tourists churning through the city on the regular. Some weeks you might find the crowd to be composed primarily of glitter and neon bedazzled dancers and ravers flooding the city for the Electric Daisy Carnival, other times it'll be hoards of billiard players and their teams in the matching uniforms, carting their cues through the casino. The endlessly changing nature of the crowds means that the entertainment options, too, will evolve to try to keep pace and entice each new crowd into spending their cash.

Constant sensory overload is the name of the game, so if you find yourself overwhelmed by the happenings outside on the street you will find no sanctuary in stepping indoors. The casino floors are often the loudest, flashiest, and most chaotic of areas throughout the entire Strip, despite how crazed the streets may seem at times. This may be explained away by the cheap slots and ample free booze that are available inside, along with the air condition's respite from the absurd heat baking the streets beyond. Cool off, or heat up if you're digging the cocktail waitresses' uniforms. There's always the strip clubs just off the strip on industrial if you're getting a little too hot and bothered and want a place to really delve in without the shame of a prominent hard-on in Bally's. You do you, boo boo. 

Reno: Downtown Reno on a grey day

Reno! It's, uh, kind of like going to Las Vegas except the weather's (arguably) better and it's a lot smaller? We didn't spend an obscene amount of time in Reno, unfortunately, so we can't attest to much of the city's greatness beyond it's uncanny similarities to our hometown, down to some of the same casinos (hey, Harrah's and Circus Circus, I'm looking at you),  though the proximity to Northern California and Southern Oregon are also perks and likely attract their own set of regular visitors. Some of the food specials advertised were markedly cheaper than I recall seeing the same basic meal-deals advertised for in Vegas proper ($5.99 prime rib, baby), and that's including Fremont street and the downtown area which are generally viewed as being the more budget-friendly option as far as Vegas goes. Reno, for me, is largely uncharted territory, so I've really only just dusted the surface of what the city and it's essence is. I know that it is, or at least was, a popular college choice for my peers who wanted to get away from home without going so far as to need to a flight or risking having to pay out-of-state tuition or confront that alien and alarming concept of closing-time at a bar. It's north enough of Vegas that it was noticeably cooler outside of our vehicles during the daytime, and we definitely had to add some additional layers to our comfy driving ensembles to confront the weather during our stroll.  

After paying for parking, we just started to kind of wander around the downtown area, though we did have an eventual aim in mind. Antho is a bit familiar with Reno, as he'd lived not-too-far-away in the town of Elko, once upon a time and would visit sporadically. It's not exactly next door to Reno, but it's a shorter drive than it is coming from Vegas, that's for sure! And let's be real here, most of Nevada is wide open desert and there's a lot of driving to be done to get from most cities in the state to the next, or even the nearest big cities. Whether that's a pro or a con is up to you and your preferences on the matter. The area was pretty quiet without much activity during our visit, but it was an overcast weekday so that's probably not something that should elicit alarm. It was nice being able to amble around and take in the sights without feeling imminently hurried. I'd set an alarm on my phone to warn us prior to our parking's expiry, so away we went to explore downtown Reno!