“The sheer concentration of restaurants, entertainment and spectacle gives people a lot of reasons to feel good about being there,” the report stated. “Alongside this, it’s a popular destination for weddings, milestone birthdays and stag and hen parties [bachelor and bachelorette parties], meaning many people arrive in the city already in a mood to celebrate.” Plus, with so many things to do in Las Vegas, travelers of all ages and interests can find exactly what brings them joy, whether it’s the famous Bellagio fountain show, a professional sports game, or an immersive experience at Sphere.

Not convinced Las Vegas is your kind of place? There are plenty of other destinations in the U.S. where happiness is just as much a part of the experience. JustCover recommends Maui, which ranked as the second-happiest place to travel in the U.S. (and No. 5 overall), and New York City (No. 3 in the U.S. and No. 6 overall). In fact, most major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Austin, Miami, and Los Angeles, solidified their spots in the top 20 ranking.

Read on for the full list of the happiest places to travel in the U.S., and check out the full report on JustCover.ie.

No. 4: Las Vegas, Nevada (88.0)
No. 5: Maui, Hawaii (84.6)
No. 6: New York, New York (81.5)
No. 9: Chicago, Illinois (74.0)
No. 12: Austin, Texas (71.3)
No. 13: New Orleans, Louisiana (70.3)
No. 16: Miami, Florida (68.0)
No. 17: San Francisco, California (67.5)
No. 18: Nashville, Tennessee (64.7)
No. 19: Los Angeles, California (61.9)
No. 20: Boston, Massachusetts (58.8)”

Many people may feel that visiting Las Vegas, Nevada, is not exactly a happy place since it is often associated with gambling, vice, crime, and visitors losing a ton of money. However, since Nevada is our home state and our son Richard lives there, we have found Las Vegas to be quite enjoyable in many ways.

No, we don’t gamble, so we don’t fall into the trap of losing our hard-earned money at the casinos. Since we’ve been traveling, gambling hasn’t been appealing, especially when the odds are always in favor of the house. By avoiding the casinos and staying away from the most expensive upscale hotels, Las Vegas can actually be quite affordable and appealing.

There is also much more to Las Vegas than gambling. The restaurants, entertainment, shopping, beautiful hotels, spectacular shows, and constantly changing attractions provide plenty of reasons to visit. The Las Vegas Strip itself is fascinating, especially at night when the lights make the entire area come alive.

As for the crime rate, Las Vegas falls somewhere in the middle compared to other major US cities. As in any other place, we use common sense and remain aware of our surroundings. For us, Las Vegas has always offered much more than gambling.

A real perk of having residency in Nevada is the lack of a state income tax, which can save residents thousands of dollars each year. For people who earn a good income, this can make a significant difference in their overall finances. It is one of the reasons Nevada can be an appealing place to call home, especially for retirees and those looking to keep more of their hard-earned money. Of course, there are other taxes and living expenses to consider, but not having to pay state income tax is certainly a nice benefit. For us, it is another reason we enjoy calling Nevada our home state.

We plan to return to Nevada sometime in the next year to see Richard and renew our driver’s licenses.

Last night, at Jabula, the four of us had so much fun at the bar, chatting with each other, Dawn and Leon, and other locals and visitors. It’s delightful to see how much our friends are enjoying this lively restaurant bar and its great food!

Be well.