Going to Vegas. What to do besides gamble?

[crazychile]

My wife and I are going to Las Vegas next week for our anniversary. We'll be there for 4 days. Our hotel is on the strip and we dont gamble. I figured that we'd spend a lot of time by the pool and a lot of R&R. We're going to see Blue Man Group on Friday night, and besides that its pretty much open. We had also thought about renting a car and checking out Hoover Dam.

I know theres a bajillion places to shop, (which we both would get tired of after a couple hours) so we are wondering if any of you could share your recommendations on the following:

1. Fun stuff to do on the strip thats free or cheap.

2. The best places to eat that are Cheap/affordable. Especially breakfast and dinner.

3. We'll probably do one or two dinners that are a little nicer, so some recommendations for good places to eat that are in the $100 range for a couple.

I'm thinking about getting monorail passes and we figure we'll be doing a lot of walking.
We'll also be staying at Excalibur and I know they have a bunch of restaurants and shops. Any places there that are good or that should be avoided?

Thanks in advance,

 

[steviebee]

How about the waterpark at the end of the Strip? Great fun...

Enjoy your stay!

 

[Squeek]

What is there besides nudie clubs, shooting guns, eating buffet, drinking and gambling?

 

[perplex]

Look for those infamous prostitutes

 

[crazychile]

Ah guns. Now theres an idea. ...but the wife isn't too hip on that. Ditto on the prostitutes.


Waterpark. Yeah....thats a good idea. Thanks. Is that on the north or south end of the strip?


Thanks. More ideas please!

 

[meat01]

I think it is fun just to see all of the different hotels and themes.

 

[nismo96]

Make sure to check the magazines that'll be placed in your hotel room. There are tons of listing for cheap buffet meals. The really good prices are off the strip, but Balleys has fair prices. The Bellagio's buffet isn't the cheapest, but it freaking rocks. Make sure to eat lunch there once.

Skip the monorail, it only goes to certain stops and is expensive. Get bus passes. The city bus is only $5 for a 24hr pass each.

Circus Circus has acrobats, contortionists, etc upstairs during the day. We took our kids to that and it was good. The Venetian has a quick gondolla ride (not free) with a senenade. Go look at the art galleries at the Bellagio and Venetian. The MGM has a lion show, and I think the Riviera does as well. Oh, the dance clubs aren't free, but your wife might dig it if you took her dancing.

This stuff ought to get you started.

 

[bhd812]

to the OP..

One thing I learned about Vegas after my first trip was there is nothing free or cheap there!

Vegas is all about taking your money, so since it is just go there spending it!!!

 

[nismo96]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhd812 /img/forum/go_quote.gif to the OP.. One thing I learned about Vegas after my first trip was there is nothing free or cheap there! Vegas is all about taking your money, so since it is just go there spending it!!!

Billy's got a point. Vegas was designed to take money out of your wallet. However Vegas CAN be done on the cheap by non-gamblers. You've just got to be willing to walk a lot and travel to each hotel for minimal stuff. Also, all the buffets and stuff force you to walk through the casinos. I guess they want to tempt you to gamble.

The entire time I was there I was thanking God for all the gamblers who enabled me to have a cheap vacation.

 

[crazychile]

Nismo,

Your suggestions are great. Thanks. I never considered the bus. Do the hotels have places where you can get the bus passes or how do I go about getting those?

everyone,
Thanks for the suggestions. I realize the purpose of Vegas is to get your money. But cheaper ways to get around maximum bilkification is alway sought.


you guys rule

 

[Assorted]

Eat, eat.... eat more.

 

[nismo96]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazychile /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never considered the bus. Do the hotels have places where you can get the bus passes or how do I go about getting those?

Just wait at a bus stop and pay for the pass when you board it. Also, make sure to get the front seats on top. All the buses are double deckers.

 

[NightWoundsTime]

Celine Dion anyone?

Seriously though for a stage show I'd go see Penn & Teller. Not cheap at $82.50 but they're awesome.

 

[TreAdidas]

So Vegas on the cheap.... It can be done, but I want to reiterate what was already said.. Vegas has the uncanny ability to extract money from your wallet. $12 stop at Arby's? $13 at Subway? for one person?!?!

Luckily the place is so massive you can burn up 2 days easy just walking around if you so please. Not so much shopping but Vegas in and of itself is just something to see.

Well since you're coming form the Midwest you would be remiss to not get yourself an In-N-Out burger. Coming in at just around $6 a pop, that's pretty much the cheapest meal to be had in Vegas. In-N-Out is just behind New York New York on Tropicana. It's on "the other side" of the 15 freeway.

You can go into pretty much any casino sit down and drink free drinks while you pump pennies into a slot machine. I know you said you're not much of a gambler but neither am I, heck I even hate video games but found this once in a blue moon opportunity to be amusing. I liked New York New York the best.

If you go to the "Wagon Wheel" casino at the north end of the street just past where Stardust (newly demolished) used to be, you can get $.99 Heinekens in bottles. I found that a regular stop when I did Vegas on the cheap.

My favorite buffet is at the Luxor, that's the pyramid looking one. I think it was about $16-$18 per person but well worth it as far as buffet's go.

Aside from that...

1. Excalibur is a hole, you can skip it unless you want to feel like you're in the Midwest again. The place reminded me of growing up in Cincinnati.
2. MGM has cool tigers that you can gawk at.
3. Mandalay Bay has nice shopping.
4. Cesar's Palace has even better shopping... go to the toy store in there and play that huge foot piano thing like you're Tom Hanks in the movie Big that's always a good hour worth of exercise and laughing for me.
5. Stand in front of Circus Circus and think... hmmm where did 2 Pac actually get shot?
6. Go to the Hilton and enjoy the Star Trek thing if you're into that. I'm not but one of the guys with us made us go.
7. Riviera is pretty ghetto nowadays but it is fun to walk through as in its day it was the place to be. You can check out a Liberace piano and car. Plus see all kinds of pics of the Rat Pack and what not.
8. The Rio buffet is supposedly heaven but I never went... it is like $26

Have a good time!

 

[crazychile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreAdidas /img/forum/go_quote.gif So Vegas on the cheap.... It can be done, but I want to reiterate what was already said.. Vegas has the uncanny ability to extract money from your wallet. $12 stop at Arby's? $13 at Subway? for one person?!?! Well since you're coming form the Midwest you would be remiss to not get yourself an In-N-Out burger. Coming in at just around $6 a pop, that's pretty much the cheapest meal to be had in Vegas. In-N-Out is just behind New York New York on Tropicana. It's on "the other side" of the 15 freeway. You can go into pretty much any casino sit down and drink free drinks while you pump pennies into a slot machine. I know you said you're not much of a gambler but neither am I, heck I even hate video games but found this once in a blue moon opportunity to amusing. If you go to the "Wagon Wheel" casino at the north end of the street just past where Stardust (newly demolished) used to be, you can get $.99 Heinekens in bottles. I found that a regular stop when I did Vegas on the cheap. My favorite buffet is at the Luxor, that's the pyramid looking one. I think it was about $16-$18 per person but well worth it as far as buffet's go. Have a good time!

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!!!!