4 Unpleasant Surprises in Las Vegas

And nothing to do with gambling!

1950s Advertising poster, courtesy of the author

It’s been six weeks since I returned to Las Vegas to visit for four months.

In 2009 I left Las Vegas after 37 years as a resident and active member of the business and casino communities.

In the past six weeks I’ve had a rude awakening…and wondering, can I survive 10 more weeks?

Here are my 4 unpleasant surprises I had not thought through before this return visit.

The weather

Ten more weeks of this abominable weather? Biting cold, with temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

Okay, before you remind me there are lots of places in the world with winter temperatures a lot lower than these, may I just say I would never go there, and I’m not used to this.

When people talk about how hot Vegas is in the summer and how cold it is in the winter, they always neglect to mention the wind. Constant winds of 7 (not a “lucky” number here) to 10 miles an hour. No city for hats and wind chimes. I remember losing several hats and wind chimes to winds.

Wind also has a significant effect on cold temperatures, making them feel much colder than they actually are. This phenomenon is known as the “wind chill factor.”