When I went to Las Vegas for the first time in 2016 I was only 18-years-old (I am turning 24 this year). I wasn’t old enough to have my first Vegas gambling experience, and I wasn’t of age to sip on the fruity cocktails my mom, sister, dad, and grandma were. I was, however, able to walk and observe – and in Vegas, there is lots of walking to do, and lots to observe.

The Linq Promenade quickly became one of my favourite areas of Vegas to explore.

The Promenade is located outside the Linq Hotel right in the heart of the Las Vegas strip and offers a countless number of restaurants, shops to browse through, and activities. And perhaps one of the best parts about the Promenade is that it’s always changing – so every time you go back, it’s almost guaranteed that something new will have popped up.

When I walked to the Promenade for the first time I didn’t know where to look. Should I look at the overwhelmingly pink Sprinkles cupcake shop (which has since closed), the water display in the centre that is synchronized to the music playing, or the High Roller (the famous 550-foot observation wheel)? Or, should I simply just close my eyes and take in all the sounds and flavourful aromas?

After debating for a few minutes, my family and I decided to beeline to the High Roller.

After getting our tickets, and waiting in line, it was time to get on. The High Roller is often described as a Farris wheel but it is so much bigger. The air-conditioned carts you can either stand or sit in are big enough to hold up to 40 people, and the entire ride takes about 30 minutes. Once we made it to the very top though, I quickly understood why it is such a popular tourist attraction – you can see all of Las Vegas, the lights, and everything the city has to offer. After our feet were planted firmly on the ground of the Promenade again we continued to explore the carnival-like street.

The next stop we made was in a few of the shops. We made our way through the ‘Welcome to Las Vegas Gift Shop’ where I bought a tie-dye t-shirt, Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, Harley Davidson, and Nectar Bath Treats where I also bought a milkshake bath bomb.

After all our walking and shopping we decided to grab a bite to eat. Our options to pick from were endless but we decided on Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips. We split a meal between the five of us and it was the perfect amount to fill us all up but not leave us bloated (which can happen quite often in Vegas when you’re surrounded by food). We all sat on the cement ledge of the water display and observed the hustle and bustle of the promenade. The promenade can be a lively and restless place, and taking the time to sit and just look around is one easy way to relax a bit. While we sat and slurped on our Cokes, and munched on our crispy and salty french fries, and took bites from our salt and vinegar chips I took in everything around me. Parents trying to calm down their jumpy and sugar-filled children, the groups of friends enjoying a drink on a patio, tourists in general snapping photos, and the zipliners soaring through the air above me.

We visited the Linq Promenade on one of the last nights of our vacation and I remember thinking, what a perfect way to end a great trip. The only thing that could have made my first experience at the Promenade even better was if the In-N-Out Burger was open (sadly, this now hot spot opened a year later in 2017).

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