Right or wrong, we went to Las Vegas recently. It’s been a little over 2 weeks since we went and no one’s gotten sick (yet!) so I figured I’d share what it was like to travel again.
In the mid-pandemic world, even if a place is “open” that doesn’t mean it won’t still have restrictions. Wearing a mask was pretty much an unspoken rule in public, and not just in hotels and casinos, but even walking the strip. About 80% of people walking the technicolour sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard were wearing a mask. Of course there was the occasional smoker who had traded the mask for a thin cigarette touching his lips or a Bachelorette group with long neon pink plastic cups that had straws inserted into their mouths instead, and the street showgirls, ornately clad in tiny gleaming outfits, forewent the mask wearing. However, most people just wore them. Some out of fear but, most I would say, more out of solidarity than anything. Every establishment had hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrance. Casinos had installed clear plastic dividers on the tables to help encourage social distancing. Some malls had a dedicated door person who spent the day wiping down the door over and over and over again with each passing visitor. If cleanliness is next to Godliness then Sin City never felt so Holy.
An institutional bummer for Vegas in the current restriction-coded climate is the loss of the long standing sign of gluttonous opulence. That’s right folks, buffets are closed. And most restraunts are running on a limited menu, if not on limited staff as well. Wait times were nearly double from what we’ve experienced before and getting reservations was almost impossible. The easiest meal, honestly, was the one we had at the food court in the mall. Everyone was able to get whatever they felt like having and it was fast. Never underestimate the healing powers of a mall food court lunch. In fact it’s kinda one of our family’s travel hacks: the mall food court is a viable dining option. Sure, as someone who LOVES food, I’d go for finding the best restaurant for what I was feeling like in a place where everything great is at your fingertips, but with such a big family and so many different epicurean proclivities that isn’t always easy, or financially responsible. Food courts, however, usually have something that will appeal to even your most discerning child’s palate and is reasonably priced. So say what you will about this tacky hack, but slip it into your back pocket. It’ll rescue you when everyone is starving and the kids are fighting or pouting about where to eat.
Other than that, Vegas was still pretty much Vegas. There were a few other subtle nuances that I noticed, but for the most part Vegas remains the same. The lights on the strip still shine in colors so vibrant they defy the definition of neon. The Boulevard is still littered with expensive sports cars, even if they are merely borrowed and not owned. And the fountains still sing in tribute to the extravagance and ostentatious fun that Sin City has to offer. Under the mask it’s still the same Vegas, baby.