Lessons.

Some personal lessons learned during the past year of "challenged" pandemic Vegas trips. If some of these help out the intrepid COVID Vegas traveler reading this, so much the better.

Go on weekends: Vegas is dildoes during the week in-pandemic. 75% of the strip, especially during the daylight hours, is closed or severely restricted. The town comes more alive Friday to Sunday, so I'll play the game for a while. The next trip on the docket is April and it's a Thursday to Monday trip. The bean counters were already diminishing things for day drinkers to do even before COVID and now it's doubly as bad. Adapt and adjust.

Don't assume anything will be open: Relates to the above. On the June trip, I walked down to to the The District food area at MGM on a Tuesday at lunch time and nothing, nothing non-food court was open. What a joke. You can't reopen the casinos and not reopen amenities to serve the people in the casinos. Or the people will not go into your casinos. Pre-schedule and make reservations. That's usually not my style but that way I'm not wandering aimlessly for an hour on strip looking for something open to eat or drink at.

Don't assume slots or VP are any looser: I did 3 trips in-pandemic and came back the same amount of broke, or at least not up, every time, just like before COVID. I never expect to win in Vegas, but could it happen like, once?

Don't assume the same staff will be in place: That cool bartender you've known who has worked at the same place for years? Yeah, likely he's not there anymore. Union tenders are picking up shifts wherever they can with so many venues being closed, so don't feel bad if you see your former high class mixologist slinging vodka Redbulls at the VP bar. They don't, they're trying to make rent. Tip them like they just made you an $18 cocktail. Tip EVERYONE like they're trying to make rent, because right now, they are.

Don't assume even if things are open they will be hopping: Former lively spots, if they're open at all, are now by default less lively because they can only get 25% of the patrons in there. Energy bars like Fuel or Carnival Court or Blondies? Fuggedaboutit. Do cocktail bars and lounges where the vibe is chill and the crowd is dispersed by nature. 4 people in a flair bar that used to pack in 30 is just a sad sight to see.

Sleep: Not pandemic related, but stop with the low grade limo driver key bumps and constant coffee martinis. I don't think I slept more than 10 solid hours cumulative over a 6 night trip last time. Let your natural body clock work. Even if that means getting to bed by 11p, stop fighting yourself with chemicals, it's ruining full fucking days in Vegas, which is expensive.

Don't forget to enjoy it: You're still on vacation, and even 25% of Vegas is better than 100% of your town, especially during the pandemic. They ARE open, you CAN have fun, you just need to be a little more "strategical" about it. Make a plan and know what's open and available. There is a time and era for wandering aimlessly in Vegas, that time and era is not now.