But the last thing I expected was that even I would come under fire for a visit to the Strip. Last September, my boyfriend broke up with me over a five-line email. I had a speaking engagement at Juniata College, but that would have to wait. I cancelled the speech and fled to Vegas for a girl’s weekend. I was at the blackjack table at the Bellagio when one of my girlfriends told me the Internet was going crazy. What now? “Meghan McCain Blows Off Book Tour to Party in Vegas,” declared Gawker. The Chronicle of Higher Education weighed in with, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless you’re arrogant enough to post it to your Twitter feed.” It wasn’t so much that I had cancelled a speaking engagement. It was that I was in Vegas instead. I later saw a video by the infamous Web series The Young Turks where one of the hosts came to my defense and said, “Sometimes you just need to go to Vegas.”

We all do. We need to take back the Strip, the casinos, the night clubs, the all-you-can-eat buffets, the shopping, the restaurants, and especially the Stratosphere. Let’s all jump on a plane and head to Vegas, baby. This is my plea to the American public, because the next time I go, I’d like to bring my dad with me.