Originally published: 1/11/2018 | 12:56pm
I am finally back after a year long hiatus! As I have said before, this blog is something that I like to do in my spare time. However, I have had to dedicate all of my time to school, work, and extracurricular activities this past year. I did not have much room in my schedule to just sit down to consistently write new content. My goal is to be able to return to my bi-weekly posting schedule this year, so look forward to more posts!
This winter, I turned 21 and went to Las Vegas, Nevada to celebrate! I have been discussing the trip with my mother for several years, and we decided it was the right thing to do. If you are new to my blog, it is important that you know how my posts about travel are typically written. When I go on a trip, I let you know about what I experienced along with any information you would need if there is something that you would like to do based on what I did on my trip. Okay, so now that I have revisited my writing style, let's get started with fun stuff!
Flights: Whenever I travel, I always want to get the best price on a flight. My mom also likes to travel this way and she chose to book with Spirit Airlines. She spent around $500 USD on a total of 3 round-trip tickets. This was a good deal, but it did come with some discomfort. If you do not like flying on planes with young children, this may not be the airline for you. Due to the fact that Spirit has cheaper prices, this makes it easier for families to travel on a budget. Your flight is also lower in price because there is very little leg room. Less leg room equals more seats, and more seats equals lower prices. If you do choose to fly Spirit Airlines, always check online prior to arriving at the airport for anything else you would need to pay for (carry-on, checked bags, seats with leg room, etc.) because it will cost more at the gate. Another option for saving money is to fly like my brother did and take 2 different one-way flights with any airline offering the cheapest flight on the days you are departing a city. You DO have options to save money!
Hotel: In Las Vegas, there is a plethora of hotels and resorts for you to choose from (and they can be expensive). To save money, ALWAYS stick to your budget. If you do not intend on changing accommodation plans, a great way to get a nice hotel room and save money is by booking a room using a discount travel booking website. There are several websites that exist, and there are even a few that are specific to Las Vegas. This is how my mom and I stayed at MGM Grand to enjoy our time in Sin City. Prices will vary depending on when you plan to go to Las Vegas and the number of nights you intend to stay.
Getting Around: I highly recommend researching the best options for you to get around town. There are several options, but using public transportation is definitely one of the cheapest. My family decided to use Lyft when we didn't want to walk. My older brother also rented a car which we used to go to the Hoover Dam (more about that soon!). These modes of transportation worked for us, but keep in mind that you may want to consider other options for yourself.
Activities: Las Vegas is know for its gambling, shows, and nightlife, but there are plenty of other things to do and not everything is on The Strip. During my trip, I did experience the more stereotypical Vegas activities. However, I am a little more adventurous and wanted to do some exploring and other fun things. I did see a show on my trip, and I went with my mom and brother to see the Jabbawockeez (booking on websites with discounts is great for show tickets). It was a great show that people of all ages could enjoy! I have mentioned my brother multiple times, and for those of you who frequently keep up with travel blogs on other social media platforms, you may know him as Mr. Well-Travelled from Seattle. He suggested going to the Hoover Dam since it was only 30 minutes away. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the Hoover Dam because we did not realize that in order to beat traffic, you need to leave early in the morning. Instead, we just hung around other areas of Lake Mead to take photos for his Instagram (as well as mine). One of the highlights of my trip was zip-lining with my older sister. She is terrified of heights, but promised to go zip-lining in Downtown Las Vegas (Old Vegas) over Fremont Street with me for my birthday. It was great getting to see the city as we waited in line and I had a fun time flying over the cars and people below me!
Food: Sin City is a 24-hour city. Most of the restaurants are open late or never close at all. There is food from every type of cuisine, and, of course, there's buffets! Some hotels/resorts have better buffets than others. Keep in mind that they can be expensive and are open at certain times of the day to serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. My mom and I ate brunch one day at the MGM Grand buffet and breakfast at the cafe in the resort another day. If you want a guide to making the most of your buffet visit, check out my American Buffets 101 post. For my birthday dinner, we opted for a nice farm-to-table style restaurant called Harvest that was in the Bellagio where my brother was staying. The food was of excellent quality and the employees were very friendly and accommodating! Depending on where you want to eat, food in Las Vegas can be very expensive. When planning your trip, I highly recommend picking dining locations ahead of time so that you can incorporate an appropriate amount of money to spend on food into your travel budget.
So that was a quick rundown of my 21st birthday in Las Vegas. It was a 3 day/2 night trip packed with experiences and memories that made this birthday a very special one for me. I love that I got to go with my family. However, I would love to go back with some friends one day to experience some of the other things that Sin City has to offer because I couldn't do everything on this trip. I hope you have enjoyed this blog post. As always, Happy Travels!
Feel free to leave comments below, tweet (@KimiThoughts), or leave a post/message on Facebook (@KimisTravelThoughts) and share your Las Vegas memories or to ask me any questions about my trip to Sin City!