Awesome Adventures: Vegas Not Just for The Gambler

Gunship Helicopters Las Vegas | Ultimate Aerial Adventure

Gunship Helicopters was a bucket list activity for my husband and me.  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.  My husband and I would do this again. The thrill and excitement and sense of satisfaction from overcoming your fears. The fear of heights and falling while hanging out the open helicopter door. Don’t fear you are strapped in well, so there was no risk of ever falling out.

Helicopter to the Grand Canyon from outside Las Vegas:

My husband and I had driven to the Grand Canyon before. Therefore, we thought it would be exciting to fly into the canyon in a helicopter. 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. Most of the high-end restaurants are usually located inside the hotels and casinos.  One of my favorites, that unfortunately is not there anymore was the Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. The Twist used to be at the top of the Waldorf Astoria hotel. My husband and I went there for my birthday one year. The Twist served us several amuse-bouches that I would have never known to order on my own. The amuse-bouches were out of this world flavor bombs in our mouths.  I ordered the risotto, which was served with black truffle shavings, what an umami bomb on 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.  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. 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. 

Vegas Not Just for the Gambler 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. I feel the shows are one of the main reasons that drive people to Vegas over gambling.  

Discover Shows, Tickets and Schedule – Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil has several different show types when it comes to this. The shows include 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, etcetera.  There was 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 do that as well. Learn how to shoot a submachine gun, carbine, handgun 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:

High Roller Observation Wheel | Official website

We have done this a couple of times. We find the High Roller Ferris Wheel is fun day or night.  The high roller is a large Ferris wheel that contains pods that you stand in.  The Ferris Wheel also offers drinks on some pods. The drinks can be purchased from the bar inside the pod. Sip on a drink while you gaze out at breath-taking views of the city. From the glass pod you can see surrounding hillsides around Las Vegas. 

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.  The Cut has 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. My breakfast favorites can be found at Breakfast or Bust – Traveling Garden Lady

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 in front of the Bellagio hotel. The fountains perform a shows periodically 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 Las Vegas 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:

The Mob Museum is in old Vegas and is relatively inexpensive to tour. 

Visit Fremont Street Las Vegas:

Fremont street 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.