Title: The Magnetism of Sin City: My Fascination with Las Vegas
The first time I visited Las Vegas was in 1985. It was a road trip with my stepbrother during my late twenties, and he was a college freshman on spring break. We arrived in the city with wide-eyed wonder, driving down the Strip in our shabby little Honda Civic and gazing at the neon lights. After dinner, I took him to a casino – most likely the Tropicana – and taught him how to play blackjack. That night, my stepbrother managed to win $50 while I lost a disappointing $100. Despite this inauspicious start, the allure of Las Vegas had captured my attention, and it would draw me back time and time again.
What draws people to Las Vegas is the promise of transformation. With enough luck, one can arrive in a beater and drive away in a Mercedes-Benz, upgrade from a shabby motel room to a luxury suite at the Encore. Conversely, one can indulge in too much food, alcohol, or other vices and end up losing their life savings or even getting married to someone they barely know at 4 a.m. in a wedding chapel. Las Vegas presents a multitude of possibilities, and it is up to each individual to decide how they want to experience it.
Over the past few decades, I have returned to Las Vegas an astonishing 44 times. Some might find this habit alarming, but I cannot deny my fascination with the city. I have visited Vegas in various roles: as a basketball fan, as a journalist, as a groomsman, as a soon-to-be-wed bachelor, and simply as a tourist. Each experience was unique, and I have the stories to prove it.
Throughout the years, Las Vegas has undergone numerous transformations. From a gambling mecca built by organized crime to a Disneyesque playground, a luxury getaway destination, and an entertainment capital, the city has remained steadfast in its core essence. Beneath the ever-changing hotels and attractions lies the mercenary heart of Las Vegas that never alters.
Despite its reputation, Las Vegas does not judge its visitors. Dress in a Carnival queen costume or don a tacky Hawaiian shirt. Order outrageous drinks like the Viking Tiki Negroni or the infamous Zombie. Indulge in late-night escapades, just remember to spend money and cause no harm to others. Las Vegas is a place where one can be their most authentic or outrageous self, all in the name of entertainment.
I was not the only one who felt the pull of Las Vegas; my fellow reporter Stu did as well. Around a year after our first visit, we became friends over a drink at the end of a long work week. On Friday nights, he would suggest, “Vegas?” and off we went on spontaneous road trips fueled by adrenaline and the prospect of excitement. Crossing the Mojave Desert and witnessing Vegas’ orange glow on the horizon was an unforgettable experience, unlike any other.
During the 1980s, Las Vegas was in a slump. The Strip was populated by aging hotels that offered a mix of faded Rat Pack glamour and 1970s kitsch, such as the Aladdin, Sands, Dunes, and Sahara. Themes revolving around deserts were popular during that time. However, the affordability of Vegas during those years suited our wallets as two broke newspaper reporters. We would hit the $2 blackjack tables for a few hours before indulging in the Horseshoe’s infamous $1.99 steak dinner downtown.
Las Vegas evolved throughout the years, offering more high-end shopping, celebrity-chef restaurants, spas, thrill rides, and family-friendly entertainment like Cirque du Soleil shows in a new generation of sprawling megaresorts. The Mirage was the first to open, featuring its famous erupting volcano, which showcased that free sidewalk entertainment could lure tourists off the Strip. This was followed by numerous other resorts.
In the mid-1990s, I covered major Vegas happenings for a Salt Lake City newspaper. During this period, I attended the Bellagio’s grand opening, which was then the most expensive hotel ever built at $1.6 billion. I marveled at Muhammad Ali’s casual stroll through the lobby and Steve Wynn’s enthusiastic tour of the Bellagio’s dancing fountains, which he proclaimed as the most beautiful in the world. However, just two years later, Wynn sold the Bellagio and his company to MGM Grand. In Vegas, money speaks loudly.
As my friends got married, they went to Las Vegas for their bachelor parties, including mine. These trips were filled with tawdry details best left untold, but one memory that stands out is dressing the groom in a ’70s Elvis costume for an unforgettable Vegas wedding experience.
Despite my many visits to Las Vegas, I never expected it to make me rich overnight. I do not gamble on slots and keep my blackjack bets moderate. However, the city’s energizing carnival atmosphere, its ridiculous architecture, its unparalleled people-watching, and its refusal to take itself too seriously continue to draw me back.
Las Vegas may not be for everyone, but it offers a unique and unforgettable experience unlike any other place in the world. It’s a city where dreams can come true – or fall flat – depending on your luck. And that, my friends, is the allure of Sin City.
