You've decided to make your first visit to Vegas? Good. It's one of the liveliest cities in the world with a diversity of activities not seen anywhere else. You're going to have a great time. You're also doing the right thing by researching the town before starting your trip. There's so much going on in Sin City that it's easy to feel a little lost on first arrival if you're going in blind.

There are thousands of travel books and websites that exist for the sole purpose of giving you the standard take on Las Vegas tourism — some of which are very good and we'll recommend them — but they focus far too much on the same typical travelogue categories. The information First Time Las Vegas has to share is different. A glossy "Guide to Las Vegas" may spend several paragraphs waxing in detail about the gourmet selection of $200 wines at a Strip restaurant that requires reservations made weeks in advance, but most first-time travelers are far more curious about "Can I carry a beer with me on the sidewalks?" and "Which hotel should I really stay at to get the most partying for my dollar?"

That's what this site is for, to provide the information that will make your visit more fun and less confusing. We'll tell you what to expect and when to expect it, what unnoticed places are must-sees and which hyped attractions are better off skipped, how to act and, more importantly, how NOT to act, and the bare minimum of knowledge to hold your own in the casinos.

Again, you're going to have a great time on your trip. When you get back home we hope you'll drop us a note sharing your own tale or something you learned that may help future visitors. That cheesy motto of "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" is a load of crap. Sharing your tales with others is almost as much fun as being on the Strip with the jangling of the slot machines ringing loud.

And that question about the beer? Yes, you're allowed to carry and consume drinks in public, but glass containers are banned for certain occasions like New Years or other super-crowded times. And unless you visit in the middle of winter your walking-around beer is going to get warm very fast. Buy in small quantities if you prefer your brew cold.