Las Vegas has been the entertainment capital for many decades. The city has had many attractions and entertainment that have captivated audiences worldwide from Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack to Wayne Newton, Sigfried and Roy, Celine Dion, Blue Man Group, etc. The city that never sleeps, also never disappoints as Yanira Resendez, a senior communication major at TAMIU, traveled to Las Vegas with her family on September 25, 2009 to experience the magic for themselves.
When asked about whom she experienced this delightful trip with, she said, “I went with my grandparents, my cousin Andy, my sister Jessika and my aunt and uncle met us in Vegas. It was unbelievable. You know you see all these movies about it and of course you want to go and visit to see how amazing this place is. You also hear how dirty the city is and you know you’re stuck between the two. But what I experienced was incredible. I learned a lot about the culture, the hotels, the various types of people, and the attractions,” said Resendez.
There is so much to do in Las Vegas where it seems like there is never a dull moment. Resendez, first hand experienced all the lights and sounds that constitute this magnificent city.
“I visited all of the hotels you can name on the Vegas strip from New York New York to Bellagio to Planet Hollywood to Paris to Treasure Island. All of the hotels have a unique style to them and its incredible how they manage to attract such different kinds of people. The architecture of each hotel is just incredible. They’re like God made buildings, I had never been to a city so beautiful as Las Vegas. Inside each hotel is beautifully crafted and everywhere you turn, there is something that catches your eye. Even the restrooms are nice! I had to take pictures because they are way too fancy. Our routine was to wake up in the morning have breakfast at a hotel, walk miles to every hotel, gamble a little, drink some beers and keep walking. At the end of night you could find us outside a hotel, watching shows like the Bellagio Fountain Water Show or a pirate show outside Treasure Island. My feet were literally aching from all the walking but it was worth every step, ” said Resendez.
When asked about her favorite place to stay, she simply replied, “I can’t choose a favorite place because mostly what I saw were the hotels and their casinos but hands down Caesars was my favorite. Not only because we stayed in that hotel, but because its enormous and the facility is simply gorgeous. The pool was probably my favorite part, it has over 8 pools and the scenery is just from out of a movie,” said Resendez.
When Yanira talked about the restaurants, gambling, and everything that is fun and relaxation she said, “My aunt and uncle go about twice a year to Vegas. Every chain of hotels has a card that you gamble with. The points that you get on the card keep accumulating every year that you go. You could win free tshirts, free rooms at hotels, free plane tickets. So since my aunt and uncle are veterans to this, they got a room for my cousin, my sister and me. Every time they go, they invite someone to go with them and everything is paid for. So they taught us how to use the cards and how to accumulate points and which machines are best for that and so on. So what I spent, which were only the souvenirs, and were fairly cheap. While you’re gambling, the drinks are free so it gave us time to rest from all the walking and to learn how to actually use the machines and gain points on our cards. You see a variety of people there which was great and people are friendly just smiling and enjoying their time there, ” said Resendez.
Yanira did not meet any celebrities at Las Vegas, but she witnessed a skit at the Caesars Palace with Cleopatra.
“I got to take a picture with them at the end. He was checking me out,” replied Resendez.
All in all, Yanira enjoyed her trip to Las Vegas and would definitely go back, but this time she will paint the town herself. Keep in mind that she experienced this trip with her family. You have to play nice, right?
As far as going back to sin city, she simply said, “I would definitely go again. This time I’d go and actually party! I got to know every part of Vegas and can get around because it is fairly easy to do so,” said Resendez.