1997 with a stay at the Golden Nugget for 3 nights only. What did I learn? I learned that 1. Never to take a trip from the East Coast for less than 5 nights. 2. To sleep on occasion while I am out there (which took me to the 5 night stay). 3. How to play the comp system.
But most important, it taught me that the best vacation spot for me was Las Vegas.