But I Can See It…
We had just arrived for our first ever night stay in Las Vegas at the beautiful Aria. The plan was to see the 8 pm showing of Manheim Steamroller at the Venetian on Christmas Eve because what’s better than Christmas music ON Christmas EVE? When you purchase show tickets you have the option of a digital ticket or a traditional paper ticket that can be collected at the box office will call. I admit, I can have boomer tendencies and fearing the reliability of digital tickets I insisted we get the paper version. After exploring the room, checking out the bathrobes, eyeing the overpriced in-room snack and drink bar, and locating a pricy Starbucks for coffee, we are ready to explore the city! I consider myself to be in better shape than most; and, I believe that I make well thought out plans. “BUT I CAN SEE IT,” I tell my husband when he suggests a cab instead of walking to the Venetian. Google says it’s a mile walking!
But it’s not…at the Venetian, we have to walk through the winding retail section that is interrupted by the indoor river as we search for the ticket office. This is where the steps add up… the hunt inside the casinos for anything! Bathrooms, Players Cards, coffee, it all feels like hide and seek. Tickets in hand, we head towards the New York New York (1.6 miles). Why? No reason, just to see it… And since we are this far already, we proceed to check out the casinos we pass. Just wandering mindlessly in and out until we find ourselves at Planet Hollywood buying another Starbucks because we have been awake since 4am (that’s 2 am Vegas time) because that was the “only place” we could get a coffee. Oh, and as a direct distance it’s 0.8 miles from NYNY to Planet Hollywood (which also sends your through a mall), and let me remind you…we have yet to take a direct path.
Back at the Aria (0.6 miles) we prepare for our concert that’s at the Venetian, which is “only a mile away”. We obviously didn’t learn from our earlier mistake because we leave the Venetian and choose to wander through Caesar’s because “it’s on the way” to the Aria. If you need a total, the Venetian to Caesar’s to Aria is over 1.5 miles. Grand total…at MINIMUM we are at 6.5 miles. Maybe I’m not a planner when it comes to purposeful walking in a meaningful direction…
There are very few direct routes between casinos, so expect to use escalators and bridges and to walk through a casino’s retail space, which adds the steps. Plan to explore the area near a show, and schedule food reservations along the way or in the same casino as the show. This will help you avoid covering the same area repeatedly and allow you to revel in the moment, the sights and sounds of Vegas instead of rushing to the next location. Chasing Tip: The path between two places isn’t always straight; in fact, you should expect twists and turns and stairs…lots of stairs! #Chaseme… in a logical direction
SJ
I'm a Dallas transfer from the Gulf Coast who loves fine cuisine, French bulldogs, the beach and all things Las Vegas. New experiences locally and abroad are my desires while inspiring people to live life to the fullest is my passion.
