I read a very good article in the New York Times today about a travel writer's first visit to Las Vegas. Matt Gross describes the path most travel writers try to take when they visit new cities: the "locals" route. This is a decidedly different method than the majority of people take: the "tourist" route.
Living in Charleston for many years has taught me the difference. When you live in a city that people visit frequently, there is some sort of "code" that we all have to follow. Residents shall not go to places that the tourists go, and tourists search out all the things that the locals do. I'm not really sure why. For one thing, I can tell you that many a Charlestonian enjoys when family visits so that they can go to the downtown historic section of the city and "play tourist" in their own town.
My point is this: the touristy parts of a city and the locals only corners are all part of the puzzle. In Las Vegas, the Strip and Fremont Street are fun and fantastic. So are Four Kegs and the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas and M Resort. There's no shame in liking the "touristy" parts of town, whether you are a tourist or a life-long resident.
I think Gross puts it quite nicely when he describes his transition from the outskirts to Las Vegas Boulevard:
The 'real' Las Vegas I’d been exploring was a diversion from another, just as real version: the Sin City of the Strip, the crowds, the resorts, the gambling.Absolutely.
Viva,
Mike
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