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Bangkok, ThailandBackpacking

10 Hours in Bangkok

TThomas Masters·18 min read

New York, United States · Food & Drink

New York for the food!

Emma Clark · 3 min

Palma Nova, Spain · Beaches

Our First Family Holiday: Palmanova, Mallorca

Thomas Masters · 9 min

Hanoi, Vietnam · Backpacking

The Same Road, Differently

Thomas Masters · 6 min

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The whole idea

Same city. Different reason. Different planet.

A family with kids, a cooler and a crack-of-dawn drive to the Grand Canyon. A couple on a loop of casino floors, cabaret shows and late bars with no alarm set. Same city. Not even close to the same trip. Every story on TravelPen is sorted by place and reason. Find the version of the city that fits the trip you're actually taking.

“Both of these are Las Vegas. Both of these are real. Neither belongs in the same guide.”

Las Vegas, Nevada

For a family, gateway trip.

Two parents, two kids. The canyon is the whole point.

The day, roughly

06:30Pick up the rental SUV at the airport, beat the heat
09:00Hoover Dam stop, kids out of the car for an hour
12:30In-N-Out for lunch, then drive to the South Rim
18:00Sunset at Mather Point, the only thing on the agenda
21:00Asleep by 9. Tomorrow is Bright Angel Trail.

Where to stay

Off-Strip suite at a Hilton, parking, pool, breakfast included.

Roughly

≈ $1,400 for four, three nights

vs.

Las Vegas, Nevada

For a couple, vegas for vegas.

Two people, casino floors, cabaret shows, late bars, no alarm set.

The day, roughly

14:00Land, straight to the suite at the Cosmopolitan
16:00Buy in at the Aria poker room, low stakes warm-up
21:00Steakhouse at the Wynn, the long one with the wine list
00:30High-limit blackjack at the Bellagio. Dealer is on a run.
04:00Diner on the Strip. Eggs. Tally up. Sleep until two.

Where to stay

Two-bedroom suite on the Strip, walk to everything, sleep all day.

Roughly

≈ $1,100 each, three nights

Las Vegas, Nevada

For a family, gateway trip.

Two parents, two kids. The canyon is the whole point.

06:30Pick up the rental SUV at the airport, beat the heat
09:00Hoover Dam stop, kids out of the car for an hour
12:30In-N-Out for lunch, then drive to the South Rim

vs.

Las Vegas, Nevada

For a couple, vegas for vegas.

Two people, casino floors, cabaret shows, late bars, no alarm set.

14:00Land, straight to the suite at the Cosmopolitan
16:00Buy in at the Aria poker room, low stakes warm-up
21:00Steakhouse at the Wynn, the long one with the wine list

One city. Two stories. The reason changes everything.

An honest note

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