5 Reasons I Hate Las Vegas

I know it’s an unpopular opinion.

Photo by Grant Cai on Unsplash

Last month I went to Las Vegas for an author’s conference. The conference was incredible. The locale: not so much.

I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion but: I hate Las Vegas. I don’t just dislike it, I actively hate it, but I’m definitely in the minority here.

According to an article in the Washington Post, Las Vegas is the top domestic tourist destination in the country. Prior to the pandemic, Las Vegas welcomed about 42 million visitors a year.

After a devastating crash during the pandemic lockdowns, visitor numbers are rising exponentially in 2021, aided by widespread vaccine availability, lockdown fatigue, and the lingering travel restrictions in several foreign countries.

Vegas is back, baby. But it still sucks. Here’s why:

Photo by Nick & Djalila on Unsplash

Everyone is smoking.

I’ve been to Las Vegas about four or five times over the last twenty years and every time I visit I have the same thought:

“I can’t believe this many people still smoke!”