Sin City

Gluttony, derived from the Latin 'gluttire' meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items to the point of extravagence or waste

 

I don't live in a cave, nor was I born yesterday, so I had a pretty good idea of what Las Vegas would be like. I knew there would be lights. Casinos were a given. Entertainment, nightlife, and of course those deep, dark secrets. What I may not have been fully prepared for, however, was the sheer volume of all of those things.

Gluttony seemed to be the only descripter that came to mind as I meandered through droves of tourists, many of which carried 2 ft long schooners of adult beverages (you know, so they didn't run out while walking from one casino to the next). Or as I covered portions of the 4.2 mile strip that is decorated with roughly 30 massive hotels and casinos -- 15 of which hold ranking in the 25 largest hotels in the world. How about the endless buffets and bottomless drinks served anywhere and everywhere you turn? Entertainment and shows keep you going 24 hours a day. Best of all, every opportunity to win big (but most likely lose your life savings), staring at you in the face, screaming 'Risk it all, risk it all!!'

The Bellagio

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a jab at Sin City, no. As one who observes and discusses human behaviors and choices by day, I am simply putting a word and description to sum up my observations. This also didn't make me immune to the powers of Vegas. At the end of my long weekend, after letting myself dabble in some sports betting a bit more than planned, I found myself fighting back the urge to cash out my final winnings and circle right back in line to make another bet in the sports book. More. MORE. I WANT MORE!

Sports book at The Wynn

It may be hard to believe that visitors do anything other than gamble while they're in Vegas, with the average gaming revenue on the strip alone hitting $6.2 billion per year, but there are other attractions to The Entertainment Capital of the World. Golf lovers are attracted to some of the finest courses in the world, while others take advantage of luxury spas and soak in some quality R&R. I would imagine that if a person were to divert the average gambling allowance of $485 to a spa experience, they would leave Vegas with a much clearer conscience.

Aside from my own unexpected attraction to sports betting, none of the over-the-top hype reeled me in. Instead, it was the feeling of being in a city-wide wax museum that made me think I was in an adult Disney World. One could (and we did) get lost wandering through the Venetian after an al fresco dinner at Mario Batali's OTTO Pizzeria in St. Marc's square. A gondola ride would've completed the fantasy that we were 5,000 miles away from home but we settled for gelato. How about a little romance in the City of Lights? Take a quick 10 minute walk up the strip and enjoy a crepe at the bottom of The Eiffel Tower. Want to visit the Big Apple? Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge or snap a picture with Lady Liberty. Around the world in 4.2 miles!

Another avenue of fabulous and less risky entertainment in Vegas are the phenomenal shows. Take your pick anywhere from Donny & Marie or David Copperfield, to a plethora of comedy shows or Cirque du Soleil acts. As a virgin to the Cirque du Soleil world, I was giddy with excitment when I heard we had tickets to The Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil show at The Mirage. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined such a visually stimulating, interactive, mind-blowing show. I actually found myself back in that Vegas trance thinking: More! More! I want more! Maybe these shows aren't as 'safe' as I thought. Unless you visit Vegas on a regular basis, I would recommend checking out a show that stays in Vegas. There is some extraordinary talent out there.

Eating happens to be another popular activity in Vegas. Yes, it's popular everywhere, but foodies are often drawn to this desert city because of the big name chefs that brilliantly set up shop up and down the strip. You've got Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsey, Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Tom Colicchio, Joel Robuchon, and the list goes on. Can we get some female competition out there, people?? What chef wouldn't want to open up 5 different versions of the same restaurant in the city where people go just to indulge? My husband and I tested out the previously mentioned OTTO in the Venetian with high hopes of re-living our Italian pizza eating adventures. While the setting whisked us away to a bustling Italian square, I can't say the pizza brought me back. But hey, feeling like we were hanging out in Italy for 2 hours was certainly worth the 10 minute walk.

Las Vegas is simply one of a kind. I cannot think of another city that could even come close to resembling this electrifying hub. For me, though, a huge piece missing in this city of lights, money, and debachery is the active escape. It's out there, just not within a stone's throw from the strip. So if or when I visit this stimulating desert oasis again, I will make sure to stray from the chaos and go for a hike among the red rocks, so that I can balance out any glutonous decisions I made and go home with a little less guilt.