Before last year, I was a Las Vegas virgin.
I had never walked the Strip, taken a ride on the New York New York roller coaster, or even gambled. The only things I knew about Vegas were what I had seen on TV.
I ended up having a blast - it's impossible not to in Sin City. But there were quite a few things I didn't realize about Vegas until I went.
These are the nine things everyone should know before they
1. You can't walk everywhere
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If you want to walk the Strip, you'll take a lot of walkways above the street.
But you should walk at least part of the Strip once. There are fun elevated walkways and outdoor elevators, not to mention plenty of photo opportunities. Just don't do it in 4-inch heels (better yet - leave those heels at home).
2. You can take your drink to go
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Feel free to drink outside.
Seriously - even classy establishments will let you take your drink outside as long as you use a disposable cup instead of their fancy glassware.
Oh, and once outside, you can imbibe with impunity since Vegas lets you drink (most) everywhere.
3. Bring cash - ATMs are crazy expensive
If I ever went to Vegas again, I'd bring plenty of cash.
4. You can get free drinks by gambling
While I'm not much of gambler, my friend told me to go sit at the bars with the gaming machines built into the counter. You stick in a $20, order a drink, and make minor bets of $.25. I played until I had won all my money back and knocked back a few glasses of wine while I was at it.
Basically, you can just drink for free (but don't forget to tip your bartender).
5. There's art all around
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Nancy Rubins's "Big Edge" in Las Vegas from ARIA's Fine Art Collection.
There are sculptures by famous artists behind the check-in desks, in the hotel lobbies, on the street, not to mention the fact that certain hotels like the Bellagio and The Cosmopolitan have their own galleries that display touring collections from around the world.
There's even the Picasso restaurant in the Bellagio, which is filled with sculptures, drawings, and paintings from the late artist.
6. Everyone smokes, everywhere
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The smell isn't incredibly offensive (especially if you're in a nice hotel), but if you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, you may want to stay somewhere that is non-gaming, such as the Trump International Hotel, The Signature at the MGM Grand, and Vdara Hotel & Spa.
7. The food is incredible
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Mini burgers, fries, and onion rings at TAP Sports Bar at MGM Grand.
Many of these huge hotels have fantastic relationships with seafood and produce providers, and prepare their meat and make their breads in-house. Personally, I'd make the trip back just for the food.
8. Men must buy tickets (or bottles) to get into a club
I saw several groups of rejected men begging women to join their group to try and get in for free, but at the bigger clubs like XS, TAO, LAVO, and Marquee, that's just not going to happen.
Either chip in together for bottle/table service, buy a ticket to a DJ show, or don't try to go to clubs. You'll just be disappointed.
Ladies, you probably won't pay for anything. Enjoy.
9. Downtown Las Vegas is far away (but worth checking out)
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The sextuple bypass burger at the Heart Attack Grill in downtown Las Vegas.
Turns out, it's nice to get away from the expensive strip and see a different side of the city. Plus, there's a Mob Museum, you can see the remnants of Old Vegas before the Strip was built (there's still gambling, too), and you can try some kitschy establishments like the Heart Attack Grill.
It's worth seeing at least once, even though it is a $30 cab drive away.