First Trip to Las Vegas

Trip Date: October 2017

“Do I hear wind in the background? What are you doing? Walking somewhere???”
“Girl i’m getting my steps in, practicing walking for the trip to Vegas”
“Mom, really? Practicing walking?”

At the time I thought it was a joke. I was talking to my mom on the phone about a week before our departure to Vegas. It would be my first trip and her second. The trip was planned to celebrate my parents 34th wedding anniversary and there was a total of 8 of us that went. My mom was trying to explain to me (or warn me) that there would be alot of walking involved because the strip was so long and the hotels are so large that just walking to your room from the lobby can feel like a total work out.

I took the advice of everyone I knew that had been to Vegas and booked my flight for the evening. They tried to describe the way the city is lit up as the plane is flying over it but the common consensus was that I had to see it for myself. I must say, it sure was a sight to see… beautiful! Another thing I had to see for myself was the casinos and all of the slot machines inside of the airport! It was so weird to me at first… but Welcome to Vegas!

Some members of the group arrived on different days. I would be rooming with my aunt on her reservation, but because I arrived Wednesday and she did not arrive until Thursday I booked 1 night at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino using the Hotel Tonight app, which provides great last minute hotel deals. I booked my room for only $53! Yes, a hotel right on the strip for only $53! (Don’t be shy, download the Hotel Tonight app and use my code for $25 off when booking your next hotel : JACAMPBELL89 )

MGM Grand

The Next day, I checked in to the MGM Grand with the rest of the crew. It did not take me long to realize that my mom was right! I should have been practicing walking because the amount of walking involved just to get from point A (my room from the Excalibur across the street) to point B (my new room at MGM) was more than I expected! Just to get to my room at MGM we had to walk down a hallway that seemed like it was never going to end. So I guess you can say we all got our fair share of exercise in! The Hotel was Grand to say the least, the casino floor was huge, and there was so much to see and do within the hotel, restaurants, shops,  pools, nightclub, and even Top Golf!

Getting Around

When we were not walking a looooonnnng way from point A to point B we were busy taking the Hop on Hop off Big Bus Tour or the Las Vegas Monorail. The Hop on Hop off tour was great because not only did we get to ride it and learn about Vegas and all that it has to offer, but along with the pass (which we got for a great deal on Groupon) we had 24 hour access to the bus. So we were able to hop off at any point and hop back on later. It was cool to see places like the location of the TV show Pawn Stars and different areas where the movie The Hangover was shot. The start of the Monorail was located at MGM and it ran down several blocks to the SLS hotel. $12 would get you an all day pass, you could also pay for multiple days or just one ride. All in all it was a great way to get around. You could also look out the window and see the sights along the way as it made stops at the different hotels. Check out the Hop on Hop off Tour here and the Las Vegas Monorail here.

Food

We found a few good places to eat. On day one we found great happy hour deals at Ocean One, which is a nice little restaurant and bar not far from MGM. Because we like to check out places that are off of the beaten path we also went to M & M Soul Food restaurant and of course we had to find a Jamaican restaurant (like we try  to do everywhere we visit) and Paradise Palace Jamaican Cuisine definitely did the trick. It was a nice little Uber ride away, but at least we got a chance to see the scenes outside of the Las Vegas Strip. By the way, the drinks in Vegas are plentiful. Oh, and did I mention the drinks are plentiful?

Sightseeing

All of the hotels in Vegas are not only HUGE, but they are unique in their own way, all boasting their own special highlights and features. We had a chance to visit New York New York, Circus Circus, SLS, Bellagio, and the Venetian.

Fremont Street

Fremont Street located in downtown Las Vegas was…interesting. There is plenty to see and do and there is live entertainment all around. The overhead light show is also amazing! But what’s up with all the half naked people?! Lol! Unfortunately I did not go Zip lining although I did want to.. Maybe next time.

Side note: Sadly, this trip took place just a few weeks after the shooting tragedy that took place on October 1st. We had a chance to visit the memorial for the victims, and my heart goes out to everyone who was affected.

Wine Glass Half Empty: We did not have enough time to do everything we set out to do such as see the Grand Canyon and take a day trip to Los Angeles California.
Wine Glass Half Full: We were still able to do so much in the time that we had, there was never a dull moment!

Have you been to Vegas? What are your favorite things to do in Vegas? Leave a comment below 🙂