Things to do in Vegas if you don't gamble

[Grub]

Okay...here's the deal. One of my wife's sorority sisters is getting married in Sin City the first weekend in October. We are going (sans children of course) and staying 6 nights. I'm not that much of a gambler, unless I'm playing cards with the guys. I like my money and feel like I should be getting something of value for it. What are some "can't miss" recommendations?

[BrassowFan]

Cirque De Soleil's "Love" is the single best show I've ever seen!!! It's one of the more expensive shows but if you're a Beatle's fan, or even if you're not, it is well worth the money. If you decide to go, make sure to go ahead any buy tickets as they will likely be sold out when you get there.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/love/intro/intro.htm?sa_campaign=internal_click/redirect/love

If that's not your cup of tea, there are tons (literally) of other shows to choose from. It's a little raunchy but Anthony Cools (adult hypnotist) is quite entertaining.

http://www.anthonycools.com/

Make sure to go by the Bellagio at night and watch the water fountains, they have a different show every 15 to 30 minutes (I cannot remember which) and IMO is just incredible. Get there a few minutes early as it's a crowd favorite.

Treasure Island also sinks the ship in front of the casino every 30 minutes in the evening.

It's a 30 minute drive but if you've never been to Hoover Dam, I hear it's a great tour. I've driven over it twice but have yet to stop and tour the facility.

If you have some extra time (days) the Grand Canyon or Los Angeles is just a 3 hour drive from Vegas, both are tremendous.

I'm actually headed to Vegas this week, as I see things I'll be sure to post some additional suggestions here. While gambling is the #1 activity in the city, if that's not your thing, no worries, there's still plenty to see.

[pharmcat]

[quote=BrassowFan;499197]Cirque De Soleil's "Love" is the single best show I've ever seen!!!


I will second that. Definitely a must see.

[BrassowFan]

Grub,

It would also be beneficial to know if you're planning to stay on the strip, if so, do you know which hotel?

If you're not interested in staying on the strip there's an area close to Lake Meade called Lake Las Vegas which has some very nice hotels and a little village that's great to just walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. You won't get away from gambling, it's available the second that you get off of the plane, but this is a step away from the craziness and is still a great way to spend an afternoon/evening.

[Sir Richard F. Burton]

Hoover Dam, Red Rocks, for outdoor stuff. Lot's and lot's of golf. Great pools Mandalay Bay. Amusement rides on top of the Stratosphere. Shopping tons of bars.

[Grub]

Grub,

It would also be beneficial to know if you're planning to stay on the strip, if so, do you know which hotel?

If you're not interested in staying on the strip there's an area close to Lake Meade called Lake Las Vegas which has some very nice hotels and a little village that's great to just walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. You won't get away from gambling, it's available the second that you get off of the plane, but this is a step away from the craziness and is still a great way to spend an afternoon/evening.

Staying at Tahiti Village just south of the airport (courtesy of the in-laws time share deal).

[Terry L. Wildcat]

Hoover Dam, Red Rocks, for outdoor stuff. Lot's and lot's of golf. Great pools Mandalay Bay. Amusement rides on top of the Stratosphere. Shopping tons of bars.

Highly recommend getting a good buzz and riding The Big Shot on top of the Stratosphere :eek:

[surveyor]

Highly recommend getting a good buzz and riding The Big Shot on top of the Stratosphere :eek:

Eat an elephant ear and a corn dog or two prior.:thumbup:

[Terry L. Wildcat]

Eat an elephant ear and a corn dog or two prior.:thumbup:

only if you don't barf easily ;)

[surveyor]

only if you don't barf easily ;)

For some reason, I'm more likely to barf on an emptier stomach than a fuller one............:icon_lol:

[The Old School JPS]

Eat well. Seriously - there's a lot of good food to be eaten there.

Taking a walk up and down the strip is pretty cool; you can see a lot of the hotels' drawing cards, and wander into those that interest you.

The Hoover Dam is pretty cool and the Grand Canyon is spectacular. Both are easily doable with a rental car. The Hoover Dam is not far away.

The fountains in front of the Bellagio at night, as mentioned above, are pretty cool to see.

[UedK]

Go out to Red Rocks and take an ATV tour. Great machines, and a great way to see the Red Rocks. Old Indian sites, desert springs, and much more. The one we went on let us make our own way back and they had set up a BBQ lunch.

[Terry L. Wildcat]

For some reason, I'm more likely to barf on an emptier stomach than a fuller one............:icon_lol:

:thumbup: I always have my anti-nasuea Mother Nature relief...thanks, mom. :icon_mrgreen:

[Jody Porter]

There's a great little restaurant right across from the Bellagio which offers patio seating. GREAT view of the fountains from there. Not to mention the good food, as well. Highly recommended.

Googling to find the name....

[Jody Porter]

There's a great little restaurant right across from the Bellagio which offers patio seating. GREAT view of the fountains from there. Not to mention the good food, as well. Highly recommended.

Googling to find the name....

Mon Ami Gabi (http://www.harrahs.com/casinos/paris-las-vegas/restaurants-dining/mon-ami-gabi-detail.html)

If you can snag a patio seat (first-come, first-serve) at night, you're in for a treat.

Maybe it was the desert air, and/or the fact that we'd spent the entire day walking the strip, but I still contend that the water there is the best I've ever had. :icon_biggrin::thumbup: (And it was FREE!)

[CatFaninChattanooga]

Check out that link, very good article and things to do for FREE!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5396173/

Here are 10 free things to do in Las Vegas.

1) White tiger exhibit at the Mirage. Famed illusionists Siegfried & Roy once presented a world-famous magic show complete with lions and rare white tigers at the Mirage hotel. When Roy Horn was bitten and dragged offstage by a white tiger in the fall of 2003, the show was canceled. Fortunately, Horn is recovering, and you can still see the big cats that are the show’s legacy. Step inside the Mirage’s lobby, and there to the left, several of the rare white tigers play and nap inside a lavishly painted habitat resplendent with swimming pool and fountains. The white tiger habit is open throughout the day and evening. When you’re finished gazing, cross Las Vegas Boulevard (aka The Strip) and walk directly to The Venetian hotel to enjoy …

[DenCat]

10 free things in Vegas (http://boards.msn.com/Travelboards/thread.aspx?threadid=283632&boardsparam=Page%3d1)

[capcat]

Las vegas has changed so over the years, upscaled, no longer an inexpensive place to visit. However, to me, that was a good thing in some ways. Lots of shopping or looking in stores such as Gucci, etc. I enjoyed the mall next to the Mirage, day turns to night periodically with the lighting and visual effects on the ceiling. The Venetian was a little grandiose, but fun to visit. The mall attached to it was fun...not for the shops therein, but watching people get married on the gondolas, people posing and looking like statues, then "coming to life". With all of the sights and sounds, it's like an adult Disneyland. Pretty exciting place, just to be there to see the sights on the strip and to people watch. Making a trip downtown is something to take in as well. The famed cheap food fare of Las Vegas is still available at places like the Golden Gate...I think it's called that.

[ukfubar]

Golf..Sky Dive...Visit the city jail...eat cheap breakfast buffets...collect as many porn ads from the guys on the strip as you can...watch zoomania...watch danny gans...

[BrassowFan]

I'm in the airport right now waiting to fly home so I'll post more later. On this trip I stayed at the Palazzo (an incredible hotel!!!), gambled quite a bit for the first 2 days, spent yesterday going to Hoover Dam and then catching Zumanity.

If you're going to walk the strip you're going to get annoyed (I assume) with all of the people peddling porn. Even if you're into it, just the sheer number of people putting their hands out in front of you for this is annoying.

I again STRONGLY suggest going to the Bellagio to see the fountains. The show is every 30 minutes until 8 pm, every 15 minutes thereafter until midnight. Each show is completely different. I have a few videos that I'll post links to later.

If you're into shows I've seen Anthony Cools (hypnotist) whose quite good, Cirque de Soleil's "Love" and "Zumanity". As stated before, "Love" is the single best show I've ever seen, unfortunately "Zumanity" was a huge disappointment in comparison. "Zumanity" is supposed to be the sensual side of Cirque, and it clearly is with the topless women, even a little male nudity, but there's too much focus on sex than the actual show, IMHO. THere were a few incredible feats, I absolutely loved the two women in the pool and the woman with the rings but there were several side shows that seemed almost like commercials between acts. It was entertaining, just not what I would want nor expect from a Cirque show.

Hoover Dam was really cool to see. I caught the tour offered at the hotel, it was a little expensive considering the actual cost of the tour vs. what they charged, however, I didn't have to rent a car and even learned a little about the area on the way. It's 30 miles from Vegas and well worth the drive.

The Grand Canyon is a 3 hour drive and is one of the incredible spots on this planet. If you have the time, definitely make the trip.

If you're worried about costs, or just want to make the trip a little cheaper, there are places on the strip that advertise 1/2 price tickets for shows that day. The are legitimate, it's how the casino's get butts in the seats when they don't sell enough. I was told that another great place to look is www.craigslist.com (http://www.craigslist.com) where often the tickets are offered well below market.

If you want to checkout a good website to review, checkout www.vegas.com (http://www.vegas.com)

[capcat]

Have a safe trip back, Brassow.

[BrassowFan]

Have a safe trip back, Brassow.

Thanks! I was tired of the strip and just came on over to the airport, now I'm just wasting time until it's time to go.

[MurphyLee]

Take the groom to the Bunny Ranch!He will be your best friend for life.

[surveyor]

Take the groom to the Bunny Ranch!He will be your best friend for life.

As well as looking to live at yer place for a while................