I remember stepping out of the club in the wee hours of the morning. If I looked to my right, I saw the very first rays of sunshine coming up over the horizon, and if I looked to my left, it was still dark as night.
A fresh start
I moved to Vegas at 29 and spent many years on the Strip, going to clubs and enjoying everything Las Vegas offered to an attractive woman in her 30s.
This was at a time when local ladies could enter clubs for free, and Strip casinos never charged for parking. So much of my time was spent sampling all the attractions that tourists flock to our city for. I went out even more around my birthday. I almost had to—I was born on July 3, and everyone’s always in a party mood by the time it rolls around.
Having my birthday on the eve of a major holiday used to be a massive blessing. All my friends could celebrate with me without needing to work the next day.
Now, as I enter my 50s, the way I view Las Vegas has changed.
The clubs on the Strip no longer offer free admission for local women, and even if they did, I’m not enticed like I used to be. I no longer want to go to day pools. The clubs’ names and owners have all changed, and the music sounds marginal at best.
Beauty of the Desert
So, my attention turns to other parts of Vegas, like the wildlife and the beautiful desert that surrounds our electricity-drenched Strip. In the desert, you find peace in undeveloped areas.
Places like the Valley of Fire and Red Rock, where you can still get stunning views of the night sky with minimal light pollution. Or on the gorgeous hiking trails snaking through the desert. Glimpses of blooming spring flowers and clear skies are common here, even in the summer (just don’t go when the sun is up!).
Our beautiful Ash Meadow lets you see endangered pupfish.
I’ve turned in my dancing and drinking shoes for the solitude that Nevada’s 209,180 acres of national and state parks offer, not including the multitudes of local neighborhood parks.
Still on the Strip
If you want to see something more people-centric, visit our very cool Arts District, which is filled with small business-owned restaurants and stores.
Or, hey, go to the Strip. I understand the appeal.
I find myself venturing less to the Strip, as nightlife has become less important to me. However, I still go at least five to ten times a year to play tourist with visiting friends and relatives.
Being a lover of Frank Sinatra and nostalgic, I get the same thrill as always when I drive down the Strip at night and see the neon flash.
The Evolution Continues
Sometimes, I feel my city has evolved, leaving me behind. I no longer partake in Las Vegas’s parties, as shinier structures are built on the remnants of my old haunts.
“How would an aging Frank Sinatra view Vegas through the lens of time and tide?”, I wonder. Did he look at the gleaming lights of the Strip and feel a little blinded, too?
Sunrises look different now. I still see them because I get up early most days to enjoy some caffeine and the stillness of the cooler air. I look back at my previous drunken sunrises fondly, but they’re just memories now.
I celebrated my 50th birthday at a local casino in a pool cabana surrounded by loved ones, including kids. Instead of enjoying fun libations, I drank my fill of water to offset the boiling Vegas heat.
It was a tame party, but I would not have chosen any other city to turn 30, 40, and now 50 in. Las Vegas is the greatest city on earth, and I look forward to the next chapter in my city.
Happy 50th birthday to me!
