So I Went to Vegas...

The city of sin, where anything goes. I went to Las Vegas for the first time last week and… wow lol. I had the best time of my life. At the beginning of this year I said that I wanted to travel a lot and so far I’ve been to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Reno, and Las Vegas. I’ve been to the other places several times before but everything about Vegas was new. I have come to realize that if you want to go somewhere or do something, just do it. Book the flight, reserve the hotel, make the drive, go! I mean, make sure you have the funds because we don’t do vacations while we’re broke. But seriously - go! Make memories and have fun. I booked my flight about three weeks before the trip and I went from Thursday to Monday. (Tip: flights on Thursday and Monday are cheaper than Fridays and Sundays.) I didn’t really have a plan when I booked it but I knew I’d figure it out later. A trip to Las Vegas isn’t complete without a story time so grab a snack and let’s chat!

The trip was in shambles before the trip even started. I waited until the last minute to pack my luggage and, as always, overpacked for the days ahead. My flight was delayed and that landing was roughhh. As soon as I landed I thought, “I’m really in Las Vegas, we in this thang!” There were slot machines in the boarding area and all throughout the airport. I don’t gamble because I’m not into losing my money but it was still cool to look at. There were people taking shots in the baggage claim area and I quickly realized exactly what type of city I just traveled to. We checked into our Airbnb and fam… that was the worst Airbnb ever. The pictures online didn’t quite match the actual room and the bathroom was sickening. The hostess left the door unlocked and kept the key in the microwave because who cares about security, right? It was advertised as a cozy condo close to the strip and minutes away from the airport. Yeah, we were close to the airport - in the hood. Our Lyft driver warned us to watch out at night because homeless people and drug dealers frequent the area on the street behind us. Welcome to Las Vegas, I think?!

We got in pretty late on Thursday so we tried to settle in as best we could and the next morning decided to grab some breakfast and walk the strip. I don’t know how long we walked but let’s just say my knees are still swollen. It was really fun seeing the different hotels, restaurants, shopping areas, and meeting all kinds of tourists. There were very few locals but a lot of people from out of town, and even from other countries. We bought some things from souvenir shops and you know I had to get the Fat Tuesday slushie. I mean, did you even go to Vegas if you don’t get the slushie? We went on a roller coaster inside of Circus Circus and 10/10 would not recommend flipping upside down right after a huge drink. But when in Vegas… I went to this sushi place right in front of the fashion mall and it was pretty good. When night hit, we decided to meet up with some people and go downtown to Fremont Street. Apparently, on the strip you’ll find a lot of tourists and pay a million dollars cover charge to get into a club but downtown will have more locals and give you a better idea of Vegas nightlife. Drake was at one of those clubs but nobody was trying to wait light years and drop a mortgage payment to see him. We only paid $5 to get in and it was really fun. I don’t remember the name of the club but it had a cool vibe and good music. There was an indoor and outdoor portion and we had a lot of fun.

On Saturday we grabbed some breakfast and then spent a good part of the day relaxing by the pool at a gym… shout out to J for the membership plug. It was all good until it wasn’t lol. We got back to the Airbnb and there were cockroaches in the bathroom and living room. I don’t do germs and I definitely don’t do unwanted animals. I’m also kinda bougie when it comes to hotels and places to stay so we had to get the heck up outta there. We ended up staying at the Renaissance Hotel one street over from the strip. It was a really nice hotel - great staff, fair pricing, late checkout, and we even got vouchers for free drinks and desserts. I highly recommend staying in a hotel, preferably on the strip or close to, for your first time. It’s just more convenient and even though it can be a little pricey, it’s better than taking your chances on an Airbnb that could end up horrible lol. Anyway, Sunday is where the real fun begins…

We went to a pool party and Mandalay Bay and it was the best time of my life lol. The music was cool, the atmosphere was great, the weather was perfect. Tyler doesn’t really dance but vacation Tyler apparently has all the moves and had a wonderful time at the pool party. Let’s just say I had to be filled in later on some of the details about that day. I somehow managed to fall into a bush, picked up about 40 bucks from some rich person throwing money onstage (if you throw cash into a crowd, best believe I’m getting whatever comes out the sky), bought pizza, and slept for about 3 hours after. But… Believe me when I say I’ve never had more fun at a party lol! Needless to say, Monday was a chill recovery day. I went to this breakfast place called Truffles and Bacon, fire! I had a 3x3x3 which has french toast, eggs, bacon, and potatoes. I give it 5 stars and the food coma that came afterwards was also worthy of 5 stars. I flew back Monday night and after two late flights and a layover in Phoenix, I finally made it home around 1 in the morning.

I can’t wait to go again. Las Vegas is definitely an interesting city filled with all kinds of interesting people but I think I’ll make it a tradition to go every Cinco de Mayo weekend. I had a lot of fun and it was so fun meeting new people. We met a girl inside of Circus Circus who I’m sure was a part of some shady trafficking scheme so definitely be careful out there. There’s also a lot of people who “promote” for different clubs, I don’t recommend just giving out your number to everyone you see on the strip claiming to work for a club. Just use your common sense, trust your intuition, and be careful. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend going. It’s such a fun place and there’s so much to do and see. What happens in Vegas definitely stays in Vegas… shout out to J, D, and KJ lol. I would post pictures but honestly I didn’t take that many. It was definitely one of those trips where you just live in the moment and soak it all in. I posted a few photos on my Instagram which you can find here, and if you don’t follow me, what are you doing??? I will definitely keep you guys updated on my future travels, and stay tuned for my next post, I have a little something up my sleeve. Make sure you subscribe, you know you’re coming back! Until next time…

All My Love,

Tyler

“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no mind has conceived’ - the things God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV