As a Nevada girl at heart, gambling has always been somewhat present in my life. And I don't mean that in the sense of I personally gamble or that my family does (although we have on occasion had a fun night or two in Vegas), it's just something I grew up with and never thought twice about. Oddly enough, whenever I land back at the Reno/Tahoe International Airport back at home, the chanting of the "Wheel of Fortune" slot machine that sits outside most gates makes me oddly nostalgic. Maybe at some point I should consider checking out online casinos similar to if I Register Happyluke. My friends from Nevada said that it brought back some nostalgia for them as well. It's a funny detail to remind you of home, and it by no means represents what Nevada means to me, but it's part of the quirky charm that I like to mention whenever someone raises their eyebrows at me after I tell them I'm from Reno.

The conversation usually follows this same flow: we go through Reno 911 (and how it's nothing like how the show portrayed) and then a few Johnny Cash songs (because he apparently shot a man here, just to watch him die). And then I mention Lake Tahoe and how much I loved being outdoors growing up. It's a funny thing, witnessing someone who's starting to let go of preconceived ideas of how they thought a certain place or a person might be. Personally, I love being surprised by something, the more unexpected the better.

So when the folks over at the Sands Bethlehem and Time Out New York invited me out for a ladies weekend video shoot at their casino property in Pennsylvania, I was immediately curious and jumped at the opportunity. For starters, I had never been out to Pennsylvania before and loved how rich the area seemed in natural beauty and history with the steel industry and secondly, it's been a little while since I've played Blackjack, besides the odd game here and there playing casino on phone. I quickly agreed and started packing a bag.

For those of you who have been out in that area of Pennsylvania, you know the drive is relatively short. Actually, only an hour and half to be exact. As someone who adores quick little road trips, I loved how easy it was to escape the city for this weekend jaunt.

As for the Sands itself, I have to say, it's the right amount of Vegas, without being too much Vegas. Does that make sense to anyone not from Nevada? Perhaps not, but I'll try to explain. The casino floor is decently sized, with a lot of my newer favorite slot machines (hello Dolly Parton and Michael Jackson), but it's not obnoxiously large, where you can't orient yourself almost immediately. It's buzzing and intimate, two things that are hard to come by with a casino on the Strip -- it's the feel of a local casino, with just enough touch of grandeur.

But as I said, I don't gamble much. The only gambling I really partake in is games like dadu online; I can get the feel of being in a local casino while sitting at my computer desk! Give me $20 to lose and I'm happy. I'll stop there. That isn't to say I don't indulge in the occasional poker session or blackjack round, but generally speaking, I like my money where I can see it: in my closet or on the table at an incredible restaurant.

Speaking of restaurants, the Sands doesn't disappoint here. We indulged in rich, hearty steaks at Emeril's Chop House, a to die-for veal dish at Buddy V's and a burger that I won't soon forget from Burgers and More (In N' Out might be dethroned now actually in my book). I rounded out the weekend with a little retail therapy right there on property at the outlet stores (DKNY, Calvin Klein and Coach were among my favorites) and a relaxing deep tissue massage at their Steel Magnolia salon. Other highlights include the nearby abandoned steel mill, which now houses a beautiful Highline-esque art path (you can see it in some of these shots with the missing windows) and Musikfest, a 10 day musical festival which happened to be taking place during our stay.

All in all, it was the perfect 48-hour escape, one that I hope to repeat soon with a group of girlfriends in tow.

This post was in collaboration with Sands Bethlehem and Time Out New York. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!

Photos by Alejandro Iglesias