Las Vegas, Travel, Road Trip, Nevada Madeline Jacobs Las Vegas, Travel, Road Trip, Nevada Madeline Jacobs

The Sober Guide to Las Vegas

I've been to Las Vegas. Quite a few times. The land where... there's gambling? Hangovers? Also known as "Sin City"? Despite the reasons why I would avoid Las Vegas, I was pretty determined to make my Vegas experience everything good, sober and without gambling. And I have a fun and memorable time every time. ;)

Thus, The Sober Guide to Las Vegas*:

Bonus (places that are more of a drive):

*This is a list I'll continue to add onto. I mean, the shows in Las Vegas alone some people travel to see specifically (Beatles Love show is definitely on my list...and Blue Man Group). We also tried to go to the aquarium one visit but the line was too long, among other places — including food. Food is everywhere. Just watch out for the price of everything. It seems exponentially greater in Las Vegas.

Read more for further information and photos about my experiences in Vegas...

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Road trip: To Las Vegas and back again

Above is me. In probably my happiest captured form: open road, blue skies, friends, adventuring, and just being completely in love with where I am.

I love road trips. Maybe because I'm from LA and having a car symbolizes freedom a bit more than in other cities. There really is something freeing to me about being able to take your car and go to some place new. Even more so than flying. Sometimes flying doesn't feel as far away — it feels more about the destination: you're in one place, and then all of a sudden you're in the next.

With a road trip, there's a journey. There are stops, there are things to look at, to observe. There are long hours, lots of snacks, and "are we there yet?" moments, but it's all part of this random journey. You know that eventually you'll get to your destination, but might as well be flexible, take the time to explore and have fun along the way.

And the road trip I'm highlighting today is one of many that I've taken from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and back.

Our stops included:

and back

READ ON FOR ALL THE RANDOM DETAILS...

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Rise Festival 2014

Go. Experience this event.

Tickets go on sale today at 9am Pacific time for the Rise Festival. I went last October with some friends, and it was truly the most magical — and then one of the most challenging — experiences of my life. But let's focus on the magical. They've implemented changes this year, and they moved locations from the Jean Roach Dry Lake Bed to the Moapa River Reservation, which sounds more promising. They are also hosting it in Pheonix if you can't make it to Nevada.

Find out more about the event and buy your tickets here. Seriously, this is an event you would not want to miss if you have the opportunity to go.

READ ON to get my personal experience of the event, and to see photos, and a video. Also, look out this week for the road trip there and back. I mean, might as well make the journey fun too, right?

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Las Vegas: Neon Museum

Utah and Las Vegas have been primary visiting points these last few years. Maybe because it's within driving distance. And if you're driving from Los Angeles to Utah, you go right through Las Vegas, so you might as well stop.

When I'm in Vegas, I don't drink, gamble, or usually go out to show off my moves at a club. So what the heck do I do?

Surprisingly for some, Las Vegas is actually more than just for partying. For example, there's places like the Neon Museum.

FIND OUT WHY THIS IS A MUST-SEE PLACE...

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