Las Vegas, Nevada
"A little bit of this town goes a very long way."
β Hunter S. Thompson
About
You might have heard that Vegas is going through a quiet patch right now, with it's biggest drop in visitors in over 50 years, mostly because itβs gotten so expensive. I didn't notice this walking down the Strip though - it's still very bright, busy and over the top, and it was fun to see new additions since I last visited, like the Sphere (a giant glowing ball) and preparations for the Formula 1 race thatβs being held on 21st November.
Photos
I connected from Moab via Salt Lake City for a few hours - it was probably the most beautiful airport I've ever been in.
Flying into Vegas at night, the best time.
First steps in the centre of the strip.
Upper end of the strip, next to MGM Grand where I stayed several nights.
Vegas in one frame.
I never realised Gordon Ramsay has 6 restaurants here - this is his burger location in Planet Hollywood.
I love Lisa Vanderpump and had to visit her new hotel, which is next to the Flamingo. It was a little disappointing, basically a really small casino floor decked out in purple and a bar called Gigolo, dedicated to Giggy.
Everyone kept stopping to take photos of these little dogs in the Bellagio :)
Caesar's Palace in the midday sun.
The Venetian hotel - I'd wanted to see Dita Von Teese, who has a residency there right now, but her Sunday show was cancelled.
The 'Lake of Dreams' at the Wynn hotel - they run multimedia shows here every 30 mins from dusk until midnight.
The extremely luxurious Wynn hotel viewed from the bridge on the strip. I wandered round the casino and thought I saw Jerry Seinfeld in the high limit section. Apparently he's due to start a residency there in 2027, so maybe it really was him!
The sports betting industry is growing massively right now (along with other speculative gambling companies like Kalshi) and this was extremely apparent in Vegas. These big screen sections were packed in every casino.
I saw a video on Instagram about a Vegas 20,000 steps challenge, where you start at the bottom of the strip in the Sahara and collect a chip from every casino you pass until you reach the other end. I did it on Sunday morning, ending at MGM, and gathered 12!
One of the best places I've visited - the 'Neon Museum'. It's set up like a junk yard and has over 200 old signs from historic casinos and businesses.
Camera didn't have battery left, so this is a photo from their website.
Another photo from the website, this neon section with some fully restored signs was my favourite.
The High Roller observation wheel and the Sphere, a massive music and entertainment arena opened in 2023.
My view from the High Roller. It's 550ft tall and this was only halfway.
Views of the strip from the top, including the Hard Rock Hotel which is being refurbished.
The other side of the Vegas - very timely to get an Abu Dhabi ad when I was taking pictures.
Views from the monorail station at dusk.
Main reception and lobby of the Bellagio. The ceiling flowers installation is called "Fiori di Como" (Flowers of Como).
My last night in Vegas was on Sunday 8th, Mum's birthday, and I celebrated by putting a little sprinkle of her ashes in the Bellagio fountains (we stayed there in 2011) and then placed a few $10 bets on roulette, spread across 2, 8, and 17. Whether it's just coincidence I'm not sure, but on the 2nd spin...I won on 8!! This made me SUPER confident, so I kept playing and playing and got up to over $400, then it all started crashing. Cashed at at $300 to feel like I still had a win. :)
That's all for Vegas - next stop, Sedona in Arizona.