I’ve been lucky enough to visit the vibrant city of Las Vegas, Nevada four times, three of which were before I turned 21 and I still had a fantastic time. So whether you are a gambler, are there to sample the talent in a live performance, taste some delicious cuisine, appreciate the architecture of the city or people watch, you can see sites from out of this world absolutely free. Yup, I said it, FREE!
- Las Vegas welcoming all!
(TIP: Check out bargain travel sites like Priceline, Travelocity, or Expedia for great deals on Las Vegas vacation packages or call hotels you are interested in staying at to get their latest deals.)
Walking “the strip” or Las Vegas Boulevard, will give you plenty of exercise, but there is public transportation and escalators outdoors (crazy!) in case you are a bit light on exerting yourself physically.
(TIP: Stay in a hotel near the middle of the strip and tackle seeing the sights in 2 days or site see at one end, then take a break at your hotel pool or casino and venture off to the other end.)
There are spectacular sites to see all along the strip, for example real lions and sometimes lion cubs at MGM Grand, the pyramid architecture of the Luxor, high flying speeds of a roller coaster, great cheeseburgers and Coyote Ugly Bar at NY, NY a medieval fencing dining experience at The Excalibur, a rainbow of chocolaty colors at M&M world, a shrine to Coca Cola at Coke World, an amazing fountain show and decor at Bellagio, a tunnel of lights at Bally’s, a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower at Paris, Sky bars and nightlife at the Palms, high flying indoor masquerade at Rio, pink flamingos and turtles at The Flamingo, dueling pianos at Harrah’s, luxury shopping and decor at Caesar’s Palace, white tigers and an exotic animal exhibit at The Mirage, outdoor pirate ship show at Treasure Island, a gondola ride at The Venetian, outdoors indoors and a Ferrari dealership at The Wynn, circus performances at Circus Circus, an indoor/outdoor race car roller coaster and NASCAR Cafe at Sahara, mind blowing views and heart-wrenching thrills atop the Stratosphere and discount prime rib or crab leg dinners and little white chapels just about anywhere!
Outside? Nope, inside The Wynn.
- Night scene of Las Vegas Boulevard “The Strip”
Pretty much everything I mentioned above you can do without being 21 (minus the bars), for free or at a very low cost. If you do have some extra time I would definitely take a tour of The Grand Canyon and The Hoover Dam, they are magnificent and are not too far from the strip. If you have the resources, or are lucky enough to gain some resources while you are in Sin City (woo-hoo!) I would look into taking a helicopter ride over The Grand Canyon, it is truly breathtaking.
(TIPS: Visit Stratosphere during the day and at night if possible, the city completely morphs and both are great to experience and take photos of. The rides atop Stratosphere are exhilerating in a word, they are definitely not for the faint hearted, but worth trying at least once. Take a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris during evening hours to witness and photograph the fantastic fountain display of the Bellagio across the street. There are usually two shows a night and it may be hard to hear the music the show is choreographed to high in the Eiffel Towel, so my suggestion is to watch the show from the ground the first time and then take the trip up the tower.)
So how can I go to Vegas and NOT see one of the many shows they have to offer? I can’t. There is definitely a show for every preference and then some. Whether you are looking for family-friendly shows, musical performances, mild to racy adult entertainment, dance performances, action packed thrillers, crowd involvement, comedy shows or the famous Vegas Showgirls, you will not need to look far and will not be disappointed.
Suited up and waiting for The Blue Man Group to start! Very interactive.
Some shows I’ve seen and would recommend for all to see are Blue Man Group, Michael Flately’s Lord of The Dance, David Copperfield and Ba-Da-Bing Murder Mystery Dinner. There are so many more I did not get to see as these are often pretty pricey depending on the show, but all were worth the ticket price especially Blue Man Group ( you get to meet and take your pictures with them after the show too!)
Hungry? There wasn’t a restaurant I was disappointed with, whether I was dining in the Eiffel Tower at Paris or sampling a cheeseburger at NY, NY the food is mouthwatering (my mouth is actually watering now just thinking about it!)
(TIPS: Take a minute or two to check out shows you want to see and book them before you get there to get a good seat if possible or you can get them when you arrive as their might be a deal featured that is not listed online or in a brochure that way you can go with the flow of the city instead of having to be somewhere all the time. Also, when you arrive, look at deals on dining or look up a few places you definitely want to eat at when you arrive, this will make these decisions easier and can often lead to a great day or evening making your way to that restaurant.)
*Now comes the not-so-exciting part: don’t be paranoid or let it ruin your trip but, please be careful and watch your belongings and your travel buddies as there is crime, this is a big city and huge tourist destination. Do bring some spending money, but not your entire life savings as things are a little pricey, depending on what you want to do and where your hobbies are, you wouldn’t want that one trip to Vegas be your last. It is a very fun place with a ton to do and see, just be wise.
I wish I had more photos to share, but you know the saying, “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas!”
(Really my computer crashed and I had a hard time back-tracking to find all of my photos
sorry, I guess you will have to take my tips and run to Vegas yourself!)
