For the majority of my previous Vegas trips, I’ve followed the same formula: Go with a lady posse. Stay on the strip. Bring dresses you would never dare to wear in your hometown. Go to pool parties and da clurb.

I do not particularly enjoy this formula. So this time, I wanted to do Vegas differently.

My basic strategy was pretty simple: do the opposite of everything I usually do.

Here’s a list of what worked for me to make this Vegas trip better than all other trips.

1) Stay in Old Vegas.

Prior to this trip, I’d never seen anything in Vegas other than the corridors of the Venetian, Bellagio and Cosmopolitan. This time around, I ditched them all for the glorious Golden Nugget in downtown Vegas. The rooms and amenities are about half the price, it’s gloriously strange, and it has a pool with a SHARK TANK IN IT. You are also sitting right on Fremont Street, the historic strip full of neon signs, old casinos and even the Las Vegas Beauty Bar (if you're in the mood for a SF-style hipster dance party). You can get to the newer strip easily on the bus (Vegas’ public transport was awesome) - a 24-hour ticket costs you a total of $8.

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