My first time in Vegas was actually pretty rad.
Granted, I was expecting it to be a lot of fun given all the crazy stories I’ve heard about the infamous city. But what really intrigued me about the way Vegas has been portrayed in various forms of entertainment is how central Vegas feels. Almost as if it’s a city in the center of the world, a place where everyone gravitates to at some point in their lives.
I was lucky enough to be able to go with a really rad group of people. My cousins who, despite our differences, have always made me feel at home. My aunts who I’ve always admired and adored. And of course, the patriarch of the crazy Keaveny clan: Michael T.
Hard to believe this wonderful human being is still gambling at 91-years-old. I can only guess that God isn’t quite ready for him just yet. Which is fine by me! Every moment I get to spend with Michael T. is a moment to savor. This man has lived one of the fullest and most interesting lives of anyone I know, and I hope one day his incredible story can be told to the world.
Certainly every moment spent with him on the Vegas trip was one to remember.
The Digs.
We stayed at the Venetian, which is quite the monstrosity of a hotel if I ever saw one.
This was, unfortunately, the best picture I got of the place. Mostly because the week we went to Vegas was EDC week so it was jam-packed everywhere, and difficult to get a good shot of the entire hotel unless I was willing to get run over by a plethora of Uber drivers.
Though the real grandiosity of the Venetian had to be what was on the inside. The Casino floor, the restaurants, the rooms, everything down to the finish on the walls made everything feel so grand.
The rooms we stayed in were also pretty sweet. Ryan and I were in awe, as you could probably tell from the following snaps:
And of course, the casino. I don’t know how many hours we spent hanging out on the casino floor, getting served free drinks by lovely ladies, and blowing all of our cash on slots, but I’ve gotta say, it was a pretty enjoyable time. There’s something relaxing about being able to gamble the night away when your mind is in a haze from a combination of roller coasters of dopamine shots to the brain and free Gin and Tonics, and being able to stumble back up to your room at 4 in the morning and catch re-runs of Frasier.
Fremont
By far the most fun part of the trip had to be the night we spent at Fremont Street, evidently the “historic” part of Vegas.
I can’t say what in particular was fun about Fremont street. Perhaps it was the wide open streets, the $20 I spent to get some very naughty pictures taken with some models on the street, or the giant, colorful drinks we walked around the street with. The most fun part had to be the moment we got Eileen, the most studious, responsible, and oldest of the Keaveny clan, to take a Jagerbomb.
All in all, my first trip to Sin City was an enjoyable, if debaucherous one. I lost my wallet one night, I got to see the Hoover dam, I got to spend time with some of the best cousins a person can ask for, had some great conversations with my aunts, and got to spend quality time with the Keaveny patriarch before his time on this earth is up.
But if I had to pick one moment that stood out from the rest, it had to be this one:
I ended up winning almost $1200 on that bad boy the last night we were there. Not a bad way to go out.
Here are some other highlights from the trip, in no particular order.
