Going to Vegas. What to do besides gamble?

[TreAdidas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazychile /img/forum/go_quote.gif In-n-out...YES!!!! I used to visit those when I lived in CA. I gotta go back...and then add a few .99 Heineys ...Now thats what I'm talking about!!!!

Yep $.99 Heineys... Hey I'm not so far removed that I do not realize the going rate of $8 a box for crackers in California is ridiculous.

Oh yeah, the Wagon Wheel also had these $1.50 frozen margarita things. They were crazy good too. $1.50 hot dogs. I think I spent more time there than I care to admit

but we were staying at the Riviera across the street (which I also don't care to admit) so this was the obvious choice.

 

[Uncle Erik]

The Liberace Museum. Even if you're not much of a fan, go. That kind of excess is difficult to find anywhere else. A must-see.

 

[bellsprout]

poker tables

it ain't gambling

 

[TreAdidas]

Oh... I see you're also into Mountain biking.... Assuming both you and your wife have bikes ever thought of bringing them? Outside of town there are an INSANE amount of trails for off roading and what not. I'm sure you could find some mtnbk stuff. You could get some crazy good views of the desert. Might be biting off too much for a 4 day trip but it is a thought.

 

[aluren]

spend money at the buffets in bellagio and wynn... they are top notch and worth a try, even if it's expensive (around $45 per person). once you're done, go take a stroll through the venetian with those blue sky ceiling, shop around, walk the food off... eventually you'll be so sick of hearing all those slot machines that you'll be tempted to put a couple bucks in there!

 

[nismo96]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreAdidas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh... I see you're also into Mountain biking.... Assuming both you and your wife have bikes ever thought of bringing them? Outside of town there are an INSANE amount of trails for off roading and what not. I'm sure you could find some mtnbk stuff. You could get some crazy good views of the desert. Might be biting off too much for a 4 day trip but it is a thought.

+1 on the trails. I didn't ride them, but bike rentals and a shuttle to the trails are available. I hope to take advantage of that on a future trip.

The golf in Vegas is also awesome. Heck, there's a 24 hour golf course out there called Angel Park. I played 9 holes out there once.

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazychile /img/forum/go_quote.gif Waterpark. Yeah....thats a good idea. Thanks. Is that on the north or south end of the strip?

Wet n Wild: north, just by the Sahara BUT I just checked their website - says they closed in 2004......oops.

Ah well, go to the sky drop ride instead (you can see I'm good at remembering names, right?)
Think that was near W&W....

You're into mtbing? Go riding instead!

 

[Samgotit]

Take a drive to Rachel, Nevada: home of Area 51. Take some of the dirt roads toward the mountains until you see the signs that forbid photography and trespassing (I took a picture of the sign forbidding photography. Irony would not let leave without doing so. I had no trouble then, but ever since I feel like I'm being watched.

<--- See! ) Drive around on the back roads enough and the infamous private security will make themselves known. It's a hoot to see all the surveillance transmitters (functional or not) sticking up in the middle of the desert.

Go to the Little A'Le'Inn in the actual town too. Go there first in fact. The bartender and/or patrons will tell you where to drive and they have guide maps. Also, as you may have guessed, there's some pretty special individuals that hang out there. They're used to getting visitors, be it tourist or probing spacemen.

The town and the surroundings are stark. Place is completely desolate and has an eerie air. If you want to hear the sound your mind makes, drive to Warm Springs at the end of The Extraterrestrial Hwy (Hwy 375). This "town" was on a map I was using once. I needed gas badly and thought it would be my salvation. There's nothing there but the shell of an old building and a small sourceless stream (Thank You National Geographic Road Atlas) . I have never felt so alone in all my life: the quietest quiet I've ever not heard.

Make sure you gas up before you go:
http://www.rachel-nevada.com/

Only do this if you like to drive and have most of a full day.

 

[epaludo]

Choose to watch either Love (Beatles theme) or O Cirque Du Soleil shows. Both of them are marvelous entertainment ...

 

[crazychile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samgotit /img/forum/go_quote.gif Take a drive to Rachel, Nevada: home of Area 51. Take some of the dirt roads toward the mountains until you see the signs that forbid photography and trespassing (I took a picture of the sign forbidding photography. Irony would not let leave without doing so. I had no trouble then, but ever since I feel like I'm being watched. <--- See! ) Drive around on the back roads enough and the infamous private security will make themselves known. It's a hoot to see all the surveillance transmitters (functional or not) sticking up in the middle of the desert. Go to the Little A'Le'Inn in the actual town too. Go there first in fact. The bartender and/or patrons will tell you where to drive and they have guide maps. Also, as you may have guessed, there's some pretty special individuals that hang out there. They're used to getting visitors, be it tourist or probing spacemen. The town and the surroundings are stark. Place is completely desolate and has an eerie air. If you want to hear the sound your mind makes, drive to Warm Springs at the end of The Extraterrestrial Hwy (Hwy 375). This "town" was on a map I was using once. I needed gas badly and thought it would be my salvation. There's nothing there but the shell of an old building and a small sourceless stream (Thank You National Geographic Road Atlas) . I have never felt so alone in all my life: the quietest quiet I've ever not heard. Make sure you gas up before you go: http://www.rachel-nevada.com/ Only do this if you like to drive and have most of a full day.

That sounds like fun and I would do it if I was making the trip myself. There is NO WAY my wife would go for this. She already thinks I'm crazy for listening to the Coast-to-Coast AM show.

But an A+ for the suggestion. High marks for originality........

 

[rb67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif How about the waterpark at the end of the Strip? Great fun...

They closed the water park

I used to go there as a kid

 

[ken36]

In my experience, nothing is cheap, anywhere. Walk a lot, don't go near the tables. See a really good show. Give the guy at the door $50, and get a great upfront seat. (These wiseguys are connected)

 

[rb67]

I'm a big photographer and love hiking. I was born and raised here. Been around here for 22 years. So here are some recommendations.


1. DEFINITELY see the Valley of Fire. It's about 1 hr 15 minutes from the strip and the landscape is just insane. You can take multiple short hikes by driving to nice locations. There is a firework store about 30 minutes before you enter the park that sells fireworks that would be considered illegal in other places (it's a Native American reservation). At night, you can fire things like mortars, and other big and dangerous things if you really want. $6
http://polloloco.deviantart.com/gallery/ this is my photo gallery. The pictures with the really red rock are from valley of fire. Look at the bottom of the page "Contrast", "Leap of Faith" etc for what you can expect.

2. Red Rock National Park is also amazing for the scenery, although I prefer Valley of fire. It's a more grandiose, but the landscape of valley of fire is a little stranger and interesting in my opinion. $6

3. Mount Charleston is a forested mountain at a higher elevation. It is about 45 minutes from the strip and has many many forest type hiking opportunities. Choices 1 and 2 are desert type. http://www.hikinglasvegas.com/hikes.html
The lodge has interesting burgers such as bison burgers and whatnot. If you don't want to hike, it is a very nice and relaxing place to just breath the mountain air in after some hot days in Vegas. $0 -- ~$15 lunch

4. See a Cirque du Soleil show. The tickets will be expensive, but let me tell you, I brought my college friends on spring vacation there, and we all thought it was worth it in spite of the fact that we live the normal college life.. that is being poor. O ($100/ticket), Ka(~$90?/ticket), Mystere(~$70/ticket) are all great, but many say O is the best.

5. The Gun Store on Tropicana has a whole bunch of various guns you can try that you won't find anywhere else. 50 caliber squad automatic weapon, remington 700 police sniper, fully auto m-16/ak-47/mp5, huge pistols, and many many many other guns. It's rather expensive $20-50, but if you really like guns, it might be worth it try something you've always seen at movies.

I've got to get going, but I'll later for some restaurant recommendations as I'm a huuuuge foodie. In the meantime; how adventurous are you?, what kind of food do you want?, do you drink?, anything you've been meaning to try?, are you willing to drive away from the strip?

 

[bong]

i went to Vegas twice in the last few years and this is what i remember:

i don't gamble either so we just went casino hopping to look at the atmosphere and went to a few shows. Penn and Teller was really good, Jubilee! was really over-the-top and campy in the traditional Vegas sense (but not worth the asking price), and same goes for Folies Bergeres.

Bellagio's fountains was free, and so was Rio's ceiling show thingy. the Fremont Street Experience is also free.

if you're renting a car, Red Rock Canyons is only a short drive away, and the Vegas Premium Outlets is along the way for cheap shopping. loved Red Rock Canyons... very nice and scenic.

of course there's Hoover Dam. however, i missed the guided tour, twice.

i'm sure i can think of more but i better go back to work!

 

[crazychile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've got to get going, but I'll later for some restaurant recommendations as I'm a huuuuge foodie. In the meantime; how adventurous are you?, what kind of food do you want?, do you drink?, anything you've been meaning to try?, are you willing to drive away from the strip?

Thanks for the outdoor activity recommendations. I think we might rent a car for a day if the destination is worth it. I like to bike/hike, the wife may not be up for that though. But scenic stuff is great. We did a day trip to Sedona from Phoenix once and really liked that. We thought about doing the Grand Canyon, but nixed the idea after realizing it was like 5-6 hours each way from Vegas.

Yeah, we like to eat. Almost anything is a go except the wife doesnt do seafood (I love it). Ethnic is always good, especially Asian and Mexican. We also drink occasionally. I'm into good beers and wine, the wife is into wine. Hard liquor, not so much for either of us. But neither of us really care for bars or night clubs. If you know a good place to just buy a decent bottle of Cab Sav or a 6'er....

Adventure is good, but if we have to walk too many miles I'm gonna hear about it from the old lady.....

Thanks again