Vegas Not Just for The Gambler
My husband and I have been to Las Vegas, Nevada many times. Surprisingly we are not there to gamble when we go. Las Vegas is the home to so much excitement and things to do and food that we keep ourselves busy the whole time we are there. What I like about Vegas is that it provides a central location with great dining that you can venture off in all directions to find things to do. My list based on my past experiences will be based on expensive, affordable, and budget friendly. There are so many opportunities that we never run out of things to do. I think we will run out of money first, because we like to do more of the expensive things on the list.
Expensive Adventures:
Speed Vegas: This is one of my husband’s favorite things to do. We have driven race cars and jumped baja trucks around a dirt track here. Not a cheap activity though, but a very thrilling experience. They have a designated racetrack that you drive around as fast as you want or as fast as the car will go with an instructor in the vehicle with you.
Gun Ship Helicopters: This was a bucket list activity for us. We thought that flying in a helicopter while shooting a machine gun at targets along the hill side would be exciting. It did not disappoint. We would do this again, the thrill and excitement and sense of satisfaction from overcoming the fear of hanging out the open helicopter door. We were strapped in well, so there was no risk of ever falling out.
Helicopter to the Grand Canyon from outside Las Vegas: We had driven to the Grand Canyon before and thought it would be exciting to fly into the canyon. We were right. The viewpoint from inside the canyon and landing on a plateau inside the canyon was very exhilarating.
Dine at a High-End Restaurant along the Strip: We have visited several of what I would consider high-end restaurants that are usually located inside the hotels. One of my favorites, that unfortunately is not there anymore was the Twist by Pierre Gagnaire on the top of the Waldorf Astoria. We went there for my birthday; they served several amuse-bouche that I would have never known to order on my own that were out of this world flavorful. I ordered the risotto, which was served with black truffle shavings, what an umami bomb in my palate. Everything we served was amazing. A few other restaurants that we have dined at include Gordon Ramsay Steak, Hell’s Kitchen at Cesar’s Palace, Prime Steakhouse at The Bellagio, Jean Georges Steakhouse at Aria. This is not an all-inclusive list of every place we have tried, but some of the highlights. Most of what makes it additionally expensive for us is we like to enjoy an adult beverage with our meal.
To be honest, most of our trips to Vegas tend to be on the expensive side for us as we usually combine some expensive things with more affordable things. We usually stay at a luxury hotel along the strip and rent a luxury or sport vehicle.
Affordable:
Most of what is affordable can get too expensive depending on how one decides to experience it. Here is a list of a few that we have experienced. I would say first on the list are shows. Since I feel that is one of the other main reasons that drive people to Vegas over gambling.
Go to a Cirque Du Soleil Show: There are several different show types when it comes to this everything from The Beatles Love show, which we went to and found very worth the money. Cirque Du Soleil shows involve a lot of performers skating, trapeze acts, flips, skateboarding, dance, etc. There is so much going on all at once with Beatles music playing in the background. It is like taking multiple circus acts and putting them on steroids.
Take in a Magic Show: There are several different magicians that take up residency in Las Vegas and perform multiple shows throughout the year. We went to a Penn and Teller performance on one of our trips there and it did not disappoint.
Take in a Comedy Show: Again, like magicians there are several comedians that have taken up residency in Las Vegas as well.
See a musician in concert: There are always an endless stream of musicians putting on shows along the Las Vegas Strip. We have been to a few at the Venetian that are affordable.
Go to the gun range and do a gun rental package: If you think you would like to shoot a gun but have not had the experience you can learn how to shoot a submachine gun, carbine, handgun, etc. at a local gun range. They have packages that include several types of gun shooting experiences.
Other fun affordable things to do along the strip include:
Ride the High Roller Ferris Wheel: We have done this a couple of times as it is fun to take a trip in the evening as well as during the day. The high roller is a large Ferris wheel that contains pods that you stand in. You can also purchase drinks from the bar while you gaze out at breath-taking views of the city and surrounding hillside inside a glass pod.
Stratosphere rides: If you are not afraid of heights or want to face your fear factor this is great. Located at the top, the Stratosphere hotel has several rides and a bungie experience. You can buy a package for several rides at once, so that is what we did. We went on Insanity, X-Scream, and Big Shot. I think the Insanity was the scariest for me.
Catch Happy Hour at one of the fine dining restaurants: If you don’t want to fork out the cash for a full dinner. This is a nice way to sample what a restaurant has to offer for a more affordable price. One of the ones we really enjoyed was The Cut by Wolfgang Puck at the Venetian Hotel. They have a bar bites menu; we enjoyed the American Wagyu beef sliders. They were so juicy and melted in my mouth. The Cut is one my recommendations. The bar service was stellar, and we did not leave disappointed.
There are also many famous chef restaurants from Food Network and TV that are affordable options for dining along the strip. To name a small few: Gordon Ramsay Burger, Guy Fieri has several places, Gordon Ramsay also has a fish and chip location.
Las Vegas is also a nice central location to take affordable trips to different sites with a short drive away:
Drive or take a tour to The Hoover Dam: The dam is a huge feat of building marvel and a must see if you are in the area.
Drive or take a tour to the Grand Canyon: From Las Vegas the west rim of the Grand Canyon is the closest to drive to and visit. The west rim offers many scenic viewpoints.
Drive to other canyons and parks in the area: From Las Vegas you can rent a car and take a day trip to Valley of Fire State Park, Red Rock Canyon, Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon
If you feel as though your wallet has become tapped out from your trip, there are always a few relatively cheap or free adventures that you can take in that are also fun.
Pinching pennies:
View the Fountain Show at the Bellagio: Times vary by day of week and time of year. There are more than a thousand fountains that sway in front of the Bellagio hotel that are enhanced by music and light. I would recommend doing a day show and seeing a night show to appreciate the true greatness of the show.
Walk up and down the Strip viewing all the interesting buildings: When walking up and down the strip, I find that in the morning there are less people and the temperature is cooler.
Tour the Mob Museum: This is in old Vegas and is relatively inexpensive to tour.
Visit Fremont Street: This is in old Vegas and is a pedestrian mall that is covered by an illuminated barrel vault canopy that has many floating pictures displayed on it.
Whether you are a gambler or not Las Vegas offers many exciting things to do and see. Â
