How far back to you go with Las Vegas???

My first trip was in 1969. A trip to celebrate our first anniversary took us to LV, Hawaii and San Francisco.
I can not tell you how different it was. We stayed at the Flamingo which had a half circle driveway. CP was across the street , but next door was a multi cabin motel complete with a tree or two and some grass.

 

1975, group of guys, stayed at the Stardust. Surprised at how many people we met from Milwaukee working there. Of course years later, I realized why.

 

2004, went to see Star Trek: The Experience at LVH. It was part of a 2 week cross country road trip vacation.

 

1994, Stayed at Excalibur, which was pretty new.

 

1976 stayed at Westward Ho

 

1976 0r 1977 or so, not really sure of the year. Extended family vacation. Stayed at the El Cortez. Fell in love with Las Vegas!

 

1982 for my 21st Birthday. The addiction was born and I've been a minimum of 2 trips per year and as many as 5 a year ever since. Every milestone birthday has been celebrated in Vegas. My first stay was at the Holiday Inn Ship on the Strip, now Harrahs. We made a point of staying in every new hotel as they opened and have had many "home" casinos over the years as things have changed.

 

2005, at Monte Carlo. So weird, only a bit more than a decade ago, but the Wynn had just opened, Palazzo construction just underway, Boardwalk still stood, Aladdin was still Aladdin. Feels like those changes are much longer ago than that.

 

1970s - My Dad went to the Mint while I stayed with my Grandparents at the Bonanza Motel.
As an adult mid to late 80s, I think I stayed at Circus Circus.
I became a prolific Vegas visitor in 1997 staying at either Stratosphere or California.

 

I visited the first time in early 1982, 6 months before being born.

then again at 18 months when my dad had all kinds of trouble with Circus Circus security when he let me pull a slot machine lever while waiting for my grandparents (who lived in Vegas)

No wonder I turned into a degenerate.

 

Spring break 1978.....stayed at the Stardust in the back in the motor lodge.

Didn't play anything except the coin flipping machines. Only stayed one night on the way to LA. Redd Foxx was the headliner across the street at the Dunes as I recall, wish we would have gone to see him, I think it was $20.00 and that was out of our dumb college kid budget.

Next trip, that turned me in to a regular was 1989 to see the Grateful Dead, stayed at the Palace Station in the rooms out by the freeway. $190.00, four night package including airfare from Seattle.

 

Spring 2003. Piled into a room at Excalibur with three other guys

 

1999 and stayed at Treasure Island. We got a two bathroom tower suite for $99 per night. We were used to Atlantic City prices and couldn't have been happier.

 

My first time passing through was in 2002 when I was 20 years old with some buddies on a road trip. I was only there for one night and I couldn't gamble so I didn't exactly soak it in. I stayed that the Palms and it must have been just after they opened as the place was shiny and new. My memory is fuzzy but I think we walked through New York New York and a few other placed briefly just checking out the strip. I do specifically remember walking by Caesars Palace and thinking that staying there was basically unattainable.

Second time was 2003 when I was 21 years old staying at the Rio. Same thing as we were just passing through for one night. This time I dropped something like $0.50 into the very first slot machine I could find once we crossed the border into Nevada thinking I was going to get a big hit to get my started. That didn't work out but later that night I got on a pretty good video poker run and managed to make $25 to $100 here and there every place we passed through. I do remember watching a lady sitting across from me playing VP at the Rio get a Royal Flush for $4,000 and some old bag next to her get super salty about it. Once again, the memories are fuzzy due it being part of a much bigger month long trip and I still wasn't of the mind to try and capture that particular day.

Finally in 2009 I made my first deliberate vacation to Las Vegas with my girlfriend (now wife). This was the trip that finally did it for me and it was basically like being in Vegas for the first time. Everything was new and uncharted and we just had an absolute ball exploring the strip and downtown looking for $5 tables. We stayed at Mirage but we frequented the stretch between Casino Royal and Bill's Gambling Hall. Those memories are now firmly just memories now that Imperial Palace, O'Sheas and Bill's/BC have ceased to exist in any recognizable form.

 

October, 1997.

 

June 1996, Celebrating my 20 year Las Vegas Anniversary this weekend.

 

I remember way back when the PH was The Aladdin and Hooters was San Remo, what? That was only like 10 years ago? Seriously?

 

1968, business trip with my dad when I was six years old, but my first gambling trip was 1982.

 

1995...a surprise 5th year wedding anniversary gift from my wife...at the Excalibur...it was fantastic! Been back at least once a year every year since, but so far, not back to the Excalibur....maybe next year!