Mona Shield Payne/Special to the Sun
Continuing their New Year’s Eve celebration, from left, Chase Smith, 19, of Las Vegas, Jordan Joni, 28, and David Tirdio, 28, of Spain, hoot and holler walking along the Las Vegas Strip at 7:30 a.m. New Year’s Day.
Friday, Jan. 1, 2010 | 12:47 p.m.
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After a long night of New Year’s celebrations and shenanigans, residents and tourists were still partying on the Strip this morning.
The smell of liquor and beer lingered in the air as cleanup crews tended to the littered sidewalks and streets at about 8 a.m.
Party-goers walked the streets and danced while trying to find their way home. Some looked exhausted and confused, and others were just trying to find the hotel where they were staying.
Kyle Hartman, 25, of Orange County, Calif., said he drove to Las Vegas with his friend, Mike Warthen 24, to gamble and watch the fireworks show.
“We drove up and got here at 11 p.m.,” Hartman said. “We’ve been celebrating all night.”
Hartman said he was in the Army and wanted to come to Las Vegas for New Year’s because he’s been deployed overseas for the past two years.
“It was the best New Year’s ever,” Hartman yelled while raising his fists.
Rachal Budden, 26, and Chermaine Lung, 34, of Australia, said they also had an enjoyable New Year’s celebration.
Budden danced around on the sidewalk and said she had been on the Strip all night.
“The Strip looks so beautiful,” Budden said. “New Year’s was pretty fantastic.”
Budden said while dancing that she could keep partying for the rest of the day.
Inside the Paris Hotel and Casino, employee David Kigotso said he was watching people gambling and still partaking in New Year’s festivities throughout the morning.
“I’ve seen some guys wander in and they can’t walk,” Kigotso said.
He said he enjoyed New Year’s from home this year because he had an early morning shift.
Like many visitors, Scott Clark, 22, and Kyle Larocco, 21, of Sacramento, Calif., said they came to the Strip to gamble.
Clark said he had been awake for 24 hours and was going to stay up to gamble at the Casino Royale and Hotel with his free slot play of $50.
“It’s easier to say, ‘where didn’t we gamble at,’” Clark said while trying to count the number of casinos he visited overnight.
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