Las Vegas is one of the most loved — and despised — travel destinations in the world.\u00a0 Some folks bask in and are energyzed by its non-stop action and adrenaline, the gambling, the booze, the neon lights — everything you imagine when you think of Vegas.\u00a0 Others visit once and never want to set foot in the city again.\u00a0 I’m sort of in between these extremes.\u00a0 I enjoy Vegas, especially if I’m there to meet friends or family, but only for short periods of time (a weekend visit is about perfect for me).<\/p>\n

There are two main regions to Vegas that attract very different visiting clientele.\u00a0 “The Strip”, or Las Vegas Blvd, has completely transformed itself these past 25 years: from a miles long string of small-to-mid sized resorts has emerged a string a large-to-massive themed resorts. The Strip tends to cater to younger adults (millennials and the like), but also mature adults and even to families.<\/p>\n

Downtown Las Vegas is the other tourist-oriented region of the city, the older more compact historic core where Las Vegas was first founded. \u00a0The clientele you’ll see in Downtown are different than the well-healed youngsters on the strip in that most who stay here are hard-core gamblers. \u00a0These folks don’t care about fancy resorts, gimmicky shows or upscale shopping. \u00a0They care about what the slots are paying out and what their odds in a poker game or at the blackjack table might be. \u00a0When they’re not gambling they like the 99 cent beer or hot dog or shrimp cocktail. \u00a0Food is still cheap downtown, especially if you dine between midnight and 6 a.m.<\/p>\n