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Lost that Vegas Feeling?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Bond, Sep 13, 2016.

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  1. Bond

    Bond Low-Roller

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    Have you ever reached a point for whatever reason where you just weren't feeling the love for Vegas any more? Did you find a way to get the old feeling back? or not? I used to go about twice a year but after a bad trip I've pretty much lost the desire to go. Friends keep asking me when I'm going. I feel like I should make a trip but I'm not sure if I'm motivated to go.

    I'm still traveling to other places just not to Vegas.
     
  2. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I think it happens to all of us. There have been a few threads about it here over the years. After a particularly bad trip, I was wondering if I was "done" with Vegas. My next trip was better, but then a series of issues caused a LONG break between trips and now the bug is back. What is it they say about absence and the heart? ;)

    I had a conversation with my husband the other night where I asked him what would happen if I went back and found I didn't love Vegas anymore. There have been a lot of changes that I'm not too happy with. I'm a low-roller and the lack of decent VP pay tables, increased costs and the never-ending need to separate me from my meager bankroll have given me some concerns.

    He asked me to talk about what I used to love about Vegas. It's my happy place where you can be and do whatever you want at any hour of the day. I love that when I hit a good hand on VP, some stranger seems to always be there to give me a high five or congratulations. I love that I make friends on every trip, even though I may never see them again after that one encounter. I love that all that day-to-day nonsense of life seems to disappear as soon as I see the lights on the Vegas Strip and stays gone until I get back home again. I love that I can take a trip where I just relax or one where I am balls-to-the-wall crazy, doing all the things, around the clock.

    He pointed out how much I light up when I started talking about the things I love about Las Vegas and how those things may never change, no matter what the moguls try to do to ruin my good time. :) I guess we'll see in a couple weeks if my love of Vegas has changed at all.
     
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  3. archie1959

    archie1959 VIP Whale

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    I went for Super Contest weekend @ The Westgate. Only reason I did was I won a 2 night stay @ The Westgate & and a free entry into The Super Contest. I had not been to Vegas in 3 years due to unemployment. No matter where I went for gambling, eating or night life did not same vibe.
     
  4. phade

    phade Keeping tabs on LV while not there...

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    Vegas and what it represents has morphed for me. At 35 married, two kids, Vegas is not longer what I wanted it to be when I was 25. At 25, if I woke up in the morning in the street gutter, as long as I was face up, all was well. That's a farrrrrrrrrrr cry from my most recent trip last month. That trip was at such a leisurely pace and was so by design as my wife and I relaxed and unwound.

    Other responsibilities also creep in - I can't spend my work PTO balance on Vegas trips like I used to do. 3-4 weeks of PTO doesn't always include a week for Vegas each year now. Once every other year, yes.

    I first went in 2005 and even in the mere 11 years, Vegas has changed greatly. I felt this trip that it was much more expensive than when I first went - and this coming from someone who went through the typical income escalation of a career. That said, its still a very fun place to visit. If anything - it's one of the very few places my wife and I can get away from it all.
     
  5. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    We travel a lot and find our "happy place" many places. (I just finished a week-plus in central Oregon bike riding and playing golf and drinking beer and Pinot and exploring the brilliant outdoors ... bueno!!) Certainly with 100+ Vegas visits, we had the bug and had it bad (good) for quite a while. Now I go to meet the degens for golf every year or so, some good wine and a steak, some laughs and camaraderie, and I enjoy the hell out of it. And it scratches my itch. My wife likes the concept of going back, but the logistics aren't as favorable from here, and her schedule is far far far more challenging than mine, and she'd/we'd rather tack that time and $$$ on extra days in Hawaii or Banff or wherever, a quick getaway to Napa or Tucson, ultimately.

    Standing back now, Vegas is so predictably assembly line. For all the brilliance of the you-are-not-yourself-here marketing campaign, Vegas is corporate and cookie-cutter. If we had the gambling itch, we'd feel differently. But call it MGM Grand or Four Queens, it's all shades of the same thing. Now the value to be derived by low rollers or no rollers from all that gambling: Vegas is nicely subsidized on the hotel/quality front, and that is to us is its greatest selling point.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2016
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  6. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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  7. Niteshade

    Niteshade VIP Whale

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    Nope - never lost that feeling. I love Vegas now as much as ever. I meet up with
    friends there - from all over and from there too. I've met so many local people and people that have worked places for
    years I still frequent, that it is like "old home week" sometimes - I love the sights, sounds, smells, lights,
    play, all of it.

    Have I ever had a bad trip - of course - but ask anyone that travels a lot - you will
    have bad trips everywhere you go at one time or another. Work keeps me from traveling
    like I used to when I worked in a different field - but when I do get to go - I am always
    thrilled to be there. If you don't go very often - it is much harder to shake off a bad trip.
    Understandable.

    My heart still beats a bit faster, my palms tingle, and I get a "pep in my step" as soon
    as I take that first step off of the plane. I always feel my shoulders relax and my whole
    being gets better walking thru that airport. I love it.

    Hopefully you will find someplace that does that to you. Vegas isn't for everyone and that's ok.
    We all have different reasons for going and if it has lost its luster for you - find someplace that
    makes you feel alive. I think it is important we all have that special someplace. :)
     
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  8. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    I last visited vegas in March. I had some problems with my markers (boyd lowered my credit limit without my knowledge) and had trouble because I wanted to take out markers for daily expenses (gambling, meals, strip clubs, lol) but management questioned why I was taking out markers when it didn't look like I was losing/gambling that much.

    Kind of turned me off so I haven't been back to vegas since (or haven't had the urge to go back) and I don't expect to visit the rest of the year. I do want to go to the CES convention in January so will go back to vegas then but not sure when I will go back next. I may consider going to Japan instead since airline rates are almost the same between Honolulu and vegas and Honolulu and Tokyo. I will actually spend less since I won't be gambling.
     
  9. insin

    insin Speed Spender

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    I still feel the love for Vegas, but I'm not "in love" with Vegas!
    Since my first trip in 1991(Mirage) sooooo much has changed!
    The changes in Vegas are the one thing that's a constant and it's what keeps me coming back.

    I've gone with a shoestring budget and I've had the good fortune to go with no regard to cost at all!
    Overall though....I do believe my trips now cost around double what they used to.
    My trips are way different than they used to be...what I do, where I eat, where I stay and how/where I play.

    My trips are longer (10 -14 days now) and I stay 3 or more days in each hotel.
    I plan in advance more, I schedule meals and shows near where I am staying and any play happens en-route or during down time.
    I have become more accustomed to leisure and enjoy pool time and a beautiful room with a view more.
    No more nightclubs, more traveling off the strip.

    IMO I do Vegas "smarter" than I used to.
    My feet don't get blistered and my budget doesn't get busted.
    I don't end up needing a vacation to recover from my vacation!
    I still feel that Vegas is my "Happy Place" and planning the next trip has become a hobby.
     
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  10. WHU66

    WHU66 High-Roller

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    Due to the prohibitive cost and family commitments, if I make a trip every 3 to 4 years I have done well. I love it. I await my next trip daily. I can't sleep already knowing it is next month. Basically, I CAN'T WAIT!

    Possibly absence does make the heart grow fonder but, there is nowhere else like it in the world. If I wake up at 4am and 'need' coffee and JD, I can get it. If I then don't sleep all night and need Steak, cooked to perfection, I can get it. If we get to Vegasat 1pm, room not ready, I can ditch the bags, gambol and drink 'til I'm stupid and still have no problem getting to my room!

    It's all things to all people - I miss it when I can't go and love it when I'm there, that will never pass.....
     
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  11. joespoolhall

    joespoolhall VIP Whale

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    I have never had that happen to me, but I do LV different from most. First, gambling isn't my first priority on my trips. In fact I usually only play two to three hours a night. I enjoy playing golf during the day or running around town. I do enjoy a decent diinner, but it occurs downtown or off strip.My best reason for LV is that my best friend and wife live there, so I look forward to visiting. I've had numerous friends "lose their love for Vegas" and in most cases their main intent was to gamble. If your reasons are more diverse, there's always something "new" to do. I know some people live to gamble and do so day and night, but I think they're in the minority. Next trip try changing things up a bit. Try some new restaurants, see some new sights. If you don't usually get a car, rent one to run around town or take a day trip. Try some new experiences.

    Good Luck!
    Ric at Joes
     
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  12. makuk

    makuk Low-Roller

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    Yes I did a couple of years back so decided to try new games (table games) as I was just a slot and bj player, on my next trip I tried lots of poker style games, let it ride, high card flush, 4 card poker etc, and realised I loved them, I am now 75% card games and 25% slots and I am happy again, especially since I hit a Royal Flush on let it ride, I cannot wait to get back and play some more!
     
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  13. X-Man

    X-Man Tourist

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    no
     
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  14. Bond

    Bond Low-Roller

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    I definitely agree that Vegas has more of a cookie cutter feeling these days than when I first started going many years ago. The prices of the rooms, while not as cheap as they used to be, are still less than I would usually spend for the same quality in many other places.

    Japan sounds awesome. I hope you have a great trip.

    I'm not quite as frustrated with the rising prices as the OP of that thread. Maybe it's more of a case of my priorities and interests are changing as I get older. I'm not ready to write Vegas off completely.
     
  15. Sdebruyne

    Sdebruyne Low-Roller

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    I have not lost my love of Vegas, but as others have said, my trips have changed quite a bit over the past 20+ years. I have done a few "girls" trips recently and that includes more pool time and much more giggles. My husband and I still go once a year or so, but spend at least 1/2 of our trip outside of Vegas. Last trip included a couple days at the Grand Canyon. Next spring we plan to spend the first couple days and last couple days in Vegas and the middle 5 or 6 days taking a road trip to some National Parks. Bryce, Zion, maybe go to Sedona.

    20 years ago, our trips were very different. Gambling and drinking way too much and very little sleep. We still gamble and drink a little too much, but find a lot of value in a more relaxed pace. Our trips have grown from 3-4 days to over a week.

    Bottom line we enjoy our trips as much as ever, just differently.
     
  16. FYMYAWF

    FYMYAWF VIP Whale

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    I sometimes come back from a trip exhausted and broke (ish) and say "never again". I delete myVegas. I unfollow all the Vegas spots on Twitter. I say "why am I saving/spending $12K a year to go there when I could be having a better time here", yadda yadda.

    It lasts on average about a week, then I get the fever back.

    I sometimes feel like an abused spouse of Vegas. The 4-5 day trips beat me up in a lot of ways, but I keep coming back to it because I love it. It's just a part of my life now.
     
  17. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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  18. monkeyshed

    monkeyshed Highest Vegas Slot Jackpot in 45 Trips = $650

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    Ok.
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2016
  19. VegasDaytripper

    VegasDaytripper Re-Retired Degen

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    i hit up vegas about 3-4 times a year
    this year, i didn't make my first trip until june ... but i've been to vegas 3 times in a span of 5 weeks (mid august to first week of sept) so i'm definitely feeling like i'm over the whole vegas thing right now

    i'll just lick my wounds for another month or two
    thinking about going again for halloween weekend
     
  20. Richard Alpert

    Richard Alpert LOST

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    My bride has lost that Vegas feeling again. She is currently looking at cruises for her next vacation.
    I am still itching to go to Vegas. And the only cure for that itch is...more cowbell...No, wait...

    RICHARD
     
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