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.