Las Vegas for a Prude.

[Camelfeet]

I've only been to the US twice, not including getting stuff from a PO box in Port Huron.  But this summer the husband will be interrupting our vacation to Canada by going to a conference in Las Vegas.  I've been invited to come along.  We will only be there 2.5 days, and I'll be alone all day long.  The kids will be staying at their grandmother's house in Canada. This will be our first kid free time away in years.

 

I don't drink.  I don't gamble.  I don't dance.  I don't really care for Elvis.    

 

I see that there is an outlet mall - does that actually have decent discounts/selection?  Shopping in the US sounds exciting, but maybe not all day for 2.5 days exciting.  What else is there to do?

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I've been to Vegas twice, but not to the outlet mall.  I got married there (not by Elvis!).  Dh is a gambler, but I'm not.  We took a couple day trips- one to Death Valley and one to Red Rock Canyon and some deserted village with glass bottle houses.  After we got married, we went on a tour of the Hoover Dam. While dh was playing the slot machines, I enjoyed walking around the strip and visiting all the different outrageous casinos.  I sat in a pastry shop in "Paris" and drank tea.  I walked along the "canal" in Venice.  I went into the Bellagio and MGM Grand and New York, and a couple of others, just to see what they were like.  I also hung out by the pool at our hotel and swam and drank fancy virgin cocktails.  It's not a place I would choose to go if there were other options.  I'm not really interested in that much decadence, but I used the opportunity to relax and unwind.

[Camelfeet]

Yeah, Vegas wouldn't be my top pick either if I had a choice. But its *almost* free and we'd actually be alone with each other at night for the first time in aaaaages so I'm hesitant to pass up the opportunity.  Day tripping might be nice - is August too hot for Death Valley or Red Rock Canyon?   

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

We went to Death Valley in August.  It was 113º the day we went.  We mostly stayed in the air conditioned car and hoped that the car didn't overheat.  Still worth it.  Death Valley looks like a different planet.  So amazing.

[marbel]

I have been to Las Vegas a few times and I dislike it intensely.  

 

To be honest though, I'd still jump at the chance to go on a trip like that.  I'd take books, a swimsuit, workout clothes, a needlework project.  I'd have mix of hanging out at my  hotel and exploring other hotels.  Go out for coffee or tea, etc.  Then enjoy the time with your husband in the evening. 

 

And, I did go to Hoover Dam in August! It was worth the time and heat.  But only if you like that sort of thing, you know?  Not everyone enjoys looking at a dam.  If you can handle the heat, a day trip to Death Valley could be fun.

[emzhengjiu]

I've been to Las Vegas several times but the trips were years ago for business.  I don't care for all the drinking and gambling, but I thoroughly enjoyed traveling around the desert area.  With a rental car, there are several amazing places you can drive.  It will be hot as you already know so bring lots of water.

[Camelfeet]

I don't drive either.  :/  I'm usually a bucket of fun, I swear ... 

 

I'm used to the heat so I'm not worried about that aspect too much.   

[momto3innc]

I'd probably just think...I am alone at a nice hotel for 2.5 days! Woohoo! I'd sleep in, read a couple great books by the pool, workout, eat good food, shop if I wanted, people watch, etc... Then go out with your husband at night for a nice dinner or movie or whatever. I'd just take it as a break and a recharge and not really think as much about it being Vegas.

[marbel]

I don't drive either.  :/  I'm usually a bucket of fun, I swear ... 

 

I'm used to the heat so I'm not worried about that aspect too much.   

 

Check out bus trips. Again, if you like that sort of thing.  Could be lot of fun!  And air conditioning.

[Alessandra]

I am with you. I would hate the very ideas of Las Vegas too. I haven't been there, but if I had to go....

 

Springs Preserve, in Vegas, has a 100 plus acre botanical garden, the Nevada State Museum, other attractions, sounds pretty appealing.

 

Eldorado Canyon has mining tours and boating. Sounds like a great way to learn about Nevada history. It seems to be near the Hoover Dam. I have been on mining tours and found them fascinating with a good guide. Also cool, lol. Perhaps there are bus trips that combine the two?

 

When I travel, I try to learn about history of a place and about plants/animals. Pleasant though it might be to stick to the hotel, I would want to take advantage of being in a new area.

[OneStepAtATime]

Because of business conventions DH and I used to go to Vegas nearly every year.  It would NOT be my 1st choice for a vacation (or even 16th) but it isn't TOOOOO bad if you know where to look.  I haven't been back in years so I am sure specific things to go see are different but get on the Vegas websites and see what you can find.  There are usually some great shows so look around for tickets at reasonable prices on the internet.  Not sure what is showing there these days but definitely look into it.  There are some that are family friendly so surely they would be o.k.?  DH and I saw a concert we enjoyed and Cirque de Soleil and a couple of other things that we really enjoyed and we are pretty conservative.  Things are pretty pricey in Vegas so you may not find any discounts when shopping but you might find it fun to take a gondola ride through the shopping area at the Venetian.  Also, walk through the Forum shops at Caesar's Palace.  I think they have some free shows there, too.  Hoover Dam is definitely worth a trip, IMHO, but they no longer do the really detailed behind the scenes tour for security reasons.  You might read up on Hoover Dam ahead of time just to have some context.  There are also helicopter rides and plane rides if you want to get an aerial tour.  Lots of restaurants to eat at, some really tasty.

 

Mainly, though, when I wasn't at the convention I used that time to read, work on personal paperwork, catch up on sleep, etc.

[redsquirrel]

LOL, DH just left there. He was at a conference. He does drink, doesn't really gamble but did once with friends for fun.  There was lots to do. There were some amazing pools at the hotels. There is shopping but dh doesn't shop. There is lots just to just look at. He said the food was much better than he expected and better than the usual hotel/conference food. You do eat, don't you?

 

There was no Elvis, but there is a lot to look at. Different places have different themes (Circus etc) and it is fun just to go look. You don't have to gamble to go into places and just look. There are different types of shows, like magic shows and singers. DH didn't go to any but some looked like a fun evening.

[ChristyB in TN]

I don't really gamble, dance or enjoy Elvis memorabilia...any memorabilia come to think of it. I do drink, though, but I don't like the feeling I got when I got to Las Vegas.  I did enjoy Vegas when we got off the strip. Red Rocks is FABULOUS! The parks and outdoor activities away from the Vegas strip are soooooo much fun and I am so glad I was forced to spend a week there so I could get bored and rent a car and venture out. I think it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I rode a donkey, a horse through a canyon, I hiked and ate great food. I recommend it. 

[catz]

Springs preserve is very nice.  We saw a couple family friendly shows and went to the Pinball Hall of Fame.  It is fun just to walk and look there. 

 

ETA - hoover dam is a nice day trip too!  We were on a cooler weather road trip so we did outdoorsy stuff too.

[aug17girl]

You could take a pink jeep tour to Red Rock Canyon.  They will pick you up at your hotel:  http://pinkjeeptours.com/las-vegas/tour/red-rock-national-conservation-area/

[Garga]

We just got back 2 weeks ago from a trip to Las Vegas. Same thing as you: DH went to a conference. I had the kids with me. (We visited my parents a few hours away from Las Vegas before the days at the conference.)

 

We hated it.

 

What hotel will you be staying in?

 

I thought the decorations of the hotels were cheesy. They were like walking through fancy malls. People had gone on and on about how we'd walk around staring at the decor, but we didn't. We're used to walking through cathedrals and museums and historic capitol buildings. We were thoroughly unimpressed with the fake decor of the hotels.

 

We stayed at Caesar's palace and couldn't afford a single thing to eat. The toast, if you ordered room service, was....are you ready? $6. An omelet was $27. I just couldn't justify us spending $100 for breakfast (for 4.) The water in the room was $6.00 for a normal sized bottle.

 

The hotels force you to walk through the casinos to get from your room to the car and the casinos are HUGE. The size of a mall. Our feet hurt. But that wasn't my point. My point was that as you walk through (and you're forced to to get to your car) you also have to breathe in all the cigarette smoke. My husband was coughing non-stop the entire time we were there. He couldn't speak a single sentence during our week there without coughing. I couldn't speak a sentence without him coughing through it. Completely unromantic.

 

DH's coworker, who's been to Vegas before, said next time:

 

1. Stay in a cheaper hotel so that it's a.) less of a walk to the car, b) a cheaper restaurant at the hotel.

2. Go to a show.

3. Save your money and go to one nice dinner. Head off strip to eat other meals. Bring donuts for breakfast for your room.

 

We saw Hoover Dam and went on the tour ($10 for parking, $30 per ticket). It was nice. First come, first served. We got there when the doors opened and still had to wait for the 3rd tour of the day because there was a line before us. If you show up mid-morning, you may have to wait a while for a tour spot to be available. Show up when the doors open.

 

There was a chocolate factory a few miles away. It was a joke. Don't go.

 

When we drove through the countryside to get to my parent's house it was AMAZING. Go to Red Rock Canyon (I think it's called---other posters have named it). Buy a case of water to put in the car. People's tires blow out and then you're stuck in the most intense heat I've ever felt (you are used to it, so you know you'll NEED water.) Even if you don't go far, just go somewhere to check out that countryside. We fell in love with it. It looks so ugly in movies/pictures, but in real life the American West is pretty amazing.

 

So, bottom line:

 

Cheap hotel

Skip looking at the decor of the hotels

Be sure to see the countryside

Save your pennies to go to a fancy restaurant

See a show in the evening (expensive. $80 per ticket, oftentimes.)

Swim in the pool

Read a book

 

If you care about American reality TV, the pawn shop from Pawn Stars is in Las Vegas. I don't watch the show, but my dad does and he asked me to go there and buy something for him. It was easy to get to if you're interested.

[MeAndTheBoys]

We went back in 1999 or so when I had a business trip--DH went too.  It was a very depressing place--we stayed at Treasure Island, and the whole pirate theme was REALLY cool when we first walked in--and draining by the end of the week.  But the room was gorgeous-- 

 

I got very depressed having to walk through the casino every time we went in and out of the hotel--all the big hotels are like that, guiding you through the casino to reach the stores, restaurants, etc.  I cried the first day :) but then I toughened up a bit.

 

And we did gamble just because we were there--we each spent $10/day on slot machines, then, poof, we moved on.  It wasn't nearly as fun as I thought it would be :)

 

We found things to do--not sure what is even there now.  But we went to a wax museum, some Siegfried and Roy animal gardens (seems like it had dolphins, tigers, etc), maybe an aquarium?  And we saw a show--maybe one with knights and stuff?  I don't know, we chose one of the least expensive and it was fun enough.  Away from the city, we went to the Hoover Dam and it was very cool--but HOT and far away.

 

The big hotels have gorgeous pools! so I think you can find some relaxation and beauty--just be aware of the General Vegas Atmosphere, be prepared, but find things that you will enjoy.  Lots of good pools and restaurants.

 

Betsy

[fairfarmhand]

I have been to Las Vegas a few times and I dislike it intensely.  

 

To be honest though, I'd still jump at the chance to go on a trip like that.  I'd take books, a swimsuit, workout clothes, a needlework project.  I'd have mix of hanging out at my  hotel and exploring other hotels.  Go out for coffee or tea, etc.  Then enjoy the time with your husband in the evening. 

 

And, I did go to Hoover Dam in August! It was worth the time and heat.  But only if you like that sort of thing, you know?  Not everyone enjoys looking at a dam.  If you can handle the heat, a day trip to Death Valley could be fun.

 

I've never been to Vegas. However, I would LOVE a trip to be just my dh and me. I'd hang out at the hotel, enjoy their cable TV, workout at the gym, relax at the pool, draw and paint.  Just enjoy stuff on my own that I don't have time for at home. We do this when my dh travels for work. I love it.

[Lanny]

There are a bunch of National Parks, within a few hours drive of Las Vegas. In S.W. Utah: Zion National  Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, etc. Grand Canyon National Park is nearby. Possibly you can take a one day sightseeing tour of Las Vegas and or Hoover Dam? Go to Mt. Charleston. Go to an Art Museum. tour UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas).  There are tons of things you can do in Las Vegas, without gambling or drinking. 

 

WARNING: Be very careful and DO NOT walk without shoes!   People can and do get severe burns, just walking across "the Strip" in bare feet.  I began going to Las Vegas when I was 11  years old and one of my earliest memories are of a man who walked across "the strip" in bare feet and then he came back on the plane with us with his feet in casts and using crutches.

 

The Las Vegas metropolitan area has a very large population and you can do almost anything there that you can do in any other large U.S. city. And, you can probably do many more things in Las Vegas than in other cities...

 

If you would like to flight see, you can take a Helicopter or Airplane tour, from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon National Park.

 

 

[gingersmom]

Show Las Vegas some love people!!!!

 

I love love Las Vegas!!!

 

Mac King comedy show is great and he has shows during the day.

 

I love hanging out poolside with an alcohol free margarita and getting food delivered to my chair.

 

The coca cola store has cokes from around the world you can sample. Crazy flavors!!

 

M&M store for gifts for kids at home.

 

Caesars palace has beautiful grounds to walk around and enough shopping to keep you busy for days.

 

The Buffett at the Rio hotel is the biggest I have ever seen. It's insanely large and a favorite of my teenage son.

 

Sugar factory is fun to eat at (crazy colored drinks, breakfast pizza is amazing and attached to their candy store).

 

You can take a bus off the strip to casinos that have bingo.

 

Relax and enjoy!!!

[KungFuPanda]

The only time I went was about 5 days ago.  I don't smoke, gamble, or drink very much.  Honestly, I'd have no trouble killing two kid-free days.  i'd sleep in.  If you don't mind the heat, you could easily kill a day looking at hotels up and down the strip, visiting the M&M store, watching the free fountain show . . .  you can even watch circus acts for free every hour on the hour down at Circus Circus.  They have an indoor amusement park if you like wimpy rides.  Personally, I prefer wimpy rides, but I don't know that I'd bother without my kids.  There must be some sort of touring tram attached to one of those hotels where you can just ride around and look.

 

If it were me, I'd be tempted to eat, sleep, swim, sleep, read, eat some more and splurge on a day spa.  Canyon Ranch has a nice spa in the Venetian hotel.  I'm sure it's overpriced, but how often do you walk around in a robe and allow yourself to be pampered?  Personally I NEVER do the spa thing, but Vegas is kind of FOR things you don't do ordinarily.  Get cute, buy a nice outfit at the Fashion Show mall, and plan to see a show when your DH gets back for the day.  

[redsquirrel]

My husband kept sending pics of the monorail. It's a Simpsons thing. But I am really over seeing that.

[Camelfeet]

WARNING: Be very careful and DO NOT walk without shoes!   People can and do get severe burns, just walking across "the Strip" in bare feet.  I began going to Las Vegas when I was 11  years old and one of my earliest memories are of a man who walked across "the strip" in bare feet and then he came back on the plane with us with his feet in casts and using crutches.

 

The Las Vegas metropolitan area has a very large population and you can do almost anything there that you can do in any other large U.S. city. And, you can probably do many more things in Las Vegas than in other cities...

 

 What?  Why would anyone walk around without shoes to begin with?  That is very weird.  Thanks for the advice anyway.   :lol:  

 

Care to elaborate on what I can do in almost any other US city (including vegas?) I haven't been to any major US cities.  I'm secretly planning on going to an american grocery store.  I love grocery shopping in foreign countries.  

 

You could take a pink jeep tour to Red Rock Canyon.  They will pick you up at your hotel:  http://pinkjeeptours.com/las-vegas/tour/red-rock-national-conservation-area/

 

This looks great, fantastic even.   Horseback riding looks fun!  I wonder if it would be too hot for the horses?  I love off-roading and dune bashing.

[JessReplanted]

Vegas isn't my favorite place, but I'd have fun by enjoying the gym (maybe), spa, and pool. Bring a few good books and relax! :)

[marbel]

The only time I went was about 5 days ago.  I don't smoke, gamble, or drink very much.  Honestly, I'd have no trouble killing two kid-free days.  i'd sleep in.  If you don't mind the heat, you could easily kill a day looking at hotels up and down the strip, visiting the M&M store, watching the free fountain show . . .  you can even watch circus acts for free every hour on the hour down at Circus Circus.  They have an indoor amusement park if you like wimpy rides.  Personally, I prefer wimpy rides, but I don't know that I'd bother without my kids.  There must be some sort of touring tram attached to one of those hotels where you can just ride around and look.

 

If it were me, I'd be tempted to eat, sleep, swim, sleep, read, eat some more and splurge on a day spa.  Canyon Ranch has a nice spa in the Venetian hotel.  I'm sure it's overpriced, but how often do you walk around in a robe and allow yourself to be pampered?  Personally I NEVER do the spa thing, but Vegas is kind of FOR things you don't do ordinarily.  Get cute, buy a nice outfit at the Fashion Show mall, and plan to see a show when your DH gets back for the day.  

 

Wow, I'm not a fan of Vegas but you're making me want to go right now! :laugh:

[redsquirrel]

What can you do in a major city?

 

Go to a great museum

see an art film or a foreign film (now that is more common but used to be a big city thing)

see a really good play by professionals

see an opera

see a ballet

go to a really good restaurant for every meal, doesn't have to be expensive.

find a fabulous vintage store

Forget vintage, just find a good used clothing store. More people means more cast off cool stuff!

find a huge used bookstore and browse for hours

find a non-used bookstore and browse for hours

find a cafe that makes fantastic coffee or tea or chai or whatever you like

flea markets

Get a haircut at a really good salon. It's all about the cut!

get a manicure, it is often cheaper in the larger cities

go to a music performance you wouldn't normally get to see. Small bars often have fantastic music

 

a big american style supermarket isn't that common in major cities, at least in the NE because of space. It might be more common in big cities out west. Supermarkets need lots of space. They do have them on the edges and lots in the 'burbs. And I love to go to supermarkets when I visit different places. That might be my favorite thing, after a bookstore.

[Desert Rat]

August is our warmest month in Las Vegas. 

Many of the hotel-casinos have shops Venetian, Caesar's. Mandalay Bay has a wonderful aquarium. 

I wouldn't recommend any types of tours of Red Rock. It can get up to 120* in August. 

The outlet malls are technically "on the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd.)" but are far south. And they aren't good. And you don't save any money. Pass. 

Any walking around should be done before 11 or after 6. Drink lots and lots of water. 

I live in Vegas. Any specific questions you can PM me. 

Oh, and I live here by choice and love it. ;)

[Excelsior! Academy]

There are tons of things to do in Vegas even if you don't drink or gamble.  At MGM you can see the lion, at Caesars they have 2 indoor animatronic shows and the forum shops are awesome.  Even if you can't afford to purchase, it is fun to look.  The aquarium at Mandalay Bay is really neat.  You can eat at the Rio buffet free if you sign up for one of those player cards.  (We did and never used the card.)  There is a McDonald's on the strip, so you aren't always locked into really pricey food.  Just do your research and you will be fine!

[Cricket]

I went for the first time a few months ago. It was fun for me just walking around and checking out the casinos. We went to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, watched the free show outside Treasure Island, watched the fountains at the Belagio. There are many, many shops all through the casinos. Are you staying on the Strip? My dh learned to keep his hands clenched as we walked because there are people who kept trying to shove call girl cards into his hand as we walked. They wear neon colored t-shirts but you can't really avoid them. They are everywhere. If your hand is open, they will slip a card in. (Um, he's walking with ME!?)

 

I highly recommend Wolfgang Puck's in the MGM Grand. The food was fantastic and so was the service. Reasonably priced for an upscale restaurant--about $30 each.

[Camelfeet]

August is our warmest month in Las Vegas. 

 

Many of the hotel-casinos have shops Venetian, Caesar's. Mandalay Bay has a wonderful aquarium. 

I wouldn't recommend any types of tours of Red Rock. It can get up to 120* in August. 

 

The outlet malls are technically "on the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd.)" but are far west. And they aren't good. And you don't save any money. Pass. 

 

Any walking around should be done before 11 or after 6. Drink lots and lots of water. 

 

I live in Vegas. Any specific questions you can PM me. 

 

Oh, and I live here by choice and love it. ;)

 

If the outlets suck, is there any other affordable shopping?  The only other time I went to an outlet place was in Orlando, and I bought tons of stuff that seemed really affordable to me.  I was hoping for a similar experience.

[J-rap]

My husband and I went to Las Vegas once, and it was kind of fun to see...just once.  :)  We just walked around, it was a "show" enough to just walk around, walk through some of the spectacular hotels, etc.  We found dinners to be very inexpensive because hotels want to lure you there to gamble.  We did gamble one evening, but I think only allowed ourselves $20 each.  :)  We spent one day touring Hoover Dam, which was really interesting.  I think there were tours there that left from Las Vegas.  If you have an afternoon alone, perhaps you could join up with one of those?  Otherwise, if the hotel is nice and you're alone, I think it's fun to just hang out by the pool and read a book and relax. 

[LibraryLover]

I' m with you. Go. It's a chance to have an almost free weekend in a hotel with your husband, My recommendation for LV is to not walk the strip. It's possible to go to Vegas and stay in the hotel complex. Get a massage, swim in the pool, have some wine by the pool, window shop in the ($$$) indoor mall, eat good food (there is plenty of good food in Vegas), maybe catch the Cirque show. If you have a choice of hotels, pick Belliagio. (It sounds awful, I know, to say avoid the iconic strip, but consider how dang hot it is there.) maybe go see Dancing Waters. Have hotel tea.

 

Going outside means being subjected to thousands of flyers and large busses advertising prostitutes. And I am not a prude, but it is overwhelming . I've walked the strip in Vegas just because, but it can be disconcerting.

 

PS Craps is surprisingly fun to watch. A 'hot' table is a social anthropologist's playground. ;).

[Spryte]

DH goes to Vegas every year for a conference, and I've been several times with him, as well as a few before we were married (close friend grew up in Vegas).

 

There's so much to do, even if you don't gamble or drink.  Usually I hang out poolside and just relax.  But so many of the casinos have free shows - ask the concierge to help you time it so you can go down the strip and see them.  The first time I went to Vegas, I timed it all wrong and missed everything - it was funny.  Take a gondola ride at the Venetian, I love the Venetian.  I'm not going to list everything, just ask the concierge for help.  :)  Definitely go through the touristy areas of the casinos, just to see them.  The themes are pretty interesting.

 

Oh, and the food... I am confused by the people saying it was very expensive to eat there.  Maybe room service - yes, that would be pricey.  But eating out in Vegas is not expensive.  There are a ton of nice, upscale restaurants that are very competitively priced.  And if you want to eat inexpensively there are amazing buffets.  (We can't do those anymore, due to allergies, but they are insane!)  The casinos want to pull people in to gamble - and they do this by offering food and drinks relatively inexpensively.  So definitely explore.

 

Definitely go to a show.  Or two.

 

I have no idea about shopping.  I'm not a shopping girl.

 

My favorite things about Vegas are the ways to get *out* of Vegas, though - I love the desert.  I love the SW.  But I see those have been covered here already.  I mainly wanted to address the food issue - there are great ways to eat, and cheaply, but you do have to get out of your room and walk or use the public transportation a bit.  

 

Enjoy your time with DH, and I hope you'll get lots of relaxation!

[SoCalLynn]

We are going to Las Vegas this weekend because my husband is working. He's a musician and his band is playing at Gilley's; we're staying at Treasure Island. It's not my idea of a great fourth of July holiday, but it's a free weekend at a hotel! My daughter is going, too, as she will be babysitting the other band mates' kids. During the day we are going to see the aquarium, get a pedicure, do some shopping, maybe go to the pool, and eat at a great restaurant. My daughter and husband are going to do the free-fall jump off the Stratosphere and I am going to try not to cry. ;-}

 

We went to Hoover Dam last year and really loved it, but we went in November. If you go remember to bring lots of water because it will be HOTTTT!

 

I didn't know about the botanical garden until this thread. I might want to go there, too.

[RoundAbout]

I love Las Vegas and go every year for an event. Pools, shows, people watching, are all fun. I did not find food expensive. Many hotels have a food court type place and some of the buffets are very reasonable. There are plenty of nice restaurants as well for a date night. Though for 2 days in hotel I would not need a lot of entertainment other than my kindle and a swim suit. Definitely would not consider any outdoorsy things in August.

[SoCalLynn]

I just remembered this. I am a big fan of Dale Chihuly, the glass artist. The Bellagio hotel has several displays of his work that I plan to go and see. Maybe you would like this: http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/fiori-di-como.aspx

[texasmama]

I've been to Vegas once when I was six months pregnant with baby number 1.  I found it to be dirty and bright and did not care for it.  You might look for natural sights to visit around the area while you are there. 

[Garga]

 

Oh, and the food... I am confused by the people saying it was very expensive to eat there. Maybe room service - yes, that would be pricey. But eating out in Vegas is not expensive. There are a ton of nice, upscale restaurants that are very competitively priced. And if you want to eat inexpensively there are amazing buffets.

See, we must have done it wrong. We went to a buffet that was $35 for adults (and our 11 year old was an adult) and $27 for kids.) I can't remember which hotel it was in.

 

That was $132 for the 4 of us. We found eating out in Vegas to be VERY expensive. And my kids don't like much. My 9 year old ate two bowls of mashed potatoes and gravy and didn't touch anything else. The food was just ok. Honestly, it tasted like diner food, even the "chinese" section.

 

We had to drive away from the strip, maybe a 10 minute drive to get to restaurants that wouldn't run us into $100 a meal. We ate lunch at McDonalds a few times.

 

DH's coworker said that 7 years ago you could go to Vegas and get super cheap meals and the hotel room rates were very low. The casinos made their money on the gambling. But then, 5-7 years ago, it changed, and everything shot waaaay up.

 

As I said before, he told us we stayed in too expensive of a hotel (work paid for part of it and we paid for the rest). Caesar's Palace (where we stayed) had 10 or so restaurants in it, and we really couldn't afford any of them. Not at $100 a meal. Oh, and if you wanted to eat at the steak place, it was $100 a plate, not including sides.

 

As another poster said, just walking through the casinos was enough to make her cry. I can understand it. I felt so beaten down walking through those stinkin' things (literally, from the smoke) to get to the car. We had to get to the car a couple of times a day and it was like walking through a mall a couple of times a day. It just wore us out.

 

Well, I'm a Debbie Downer, huh? All I'm saying is to stay in a hotel off the strip, get away from Vegas and see the countryside.

 

We saw plenty of grocery stores off the strip. Really, Vegas isn't a metropolitan city. It's more like a sprawling suburb with the 4 mile strip at the center. So, you can find normal restaurants a few minutes off the strip and you can find normal grocery stores. And it's in the middle of NOTHING. Once you drive away from the general area, there is NOTHING. You can see the NOTHING around you. It's this dab of buildings in the middle of NOTHING. So, don't expect a city. I have to say I looooved the NOTHING. It was so much nothing! I've never seen so much nothing! I fell in love with it. It was so wide and open and big. All I could think was, "I've been in America my whole life, but I feel like I'm seeing America for the very first time. THIS is America." It was amazing. I loved the nothing.

 

Hoover Dam is about 45 minutes away. Someone said it was "far" up thread, but I live in the farms of Pennsylvania where everything is 45 minutes from my house. Hoover Dam didn't feel far to me. One's sense of "far" depends on how close things are to one's home.

 

If I were to go again without kids for only 2.5 days here's what I'd do ( and if I were you) :

 

Have donuts, or something, for breakfast in the room.

 

Day 1: Plan to go to Red Rock Canyon. On the way, check out a grocery store. (Buy lunch at Red Rock.)

That night, when hubby was done, we'd go to a fancy dinner and a show.

 

Day 2:

The next day, you could find the outlet mall. If you like it, stay. If not, head to Caesar's Palace and check out their stores. They're the opposite of an outlet mall. These stores are designer stores with $700 pairs of shoes and $400 shirts. Just go to ogle.

If there's time, I'd swim in the pool for a little bit for fun before DH was done.

When DH was done, we'd head off strip for a normal priced dinner. We'd come back to the strip after dinner to watch the fountains at the Bellagio and the Volcanic eruption at that other hotel.

 

Wear super comfortable shoes. My legs hurt badly because I didn't wear proper shoes.

[Vida Winter]

I have been there a few times - greatly dislike some parts of the visit that are visible - but there are some things to enjoy.

1. Mandalay Bay aquarium is beautiful.

2. In August, swimming is a must. It is HOT. Take taxis or shuttles - one time in July I thought my shoes were melting on the pavement.

3. I like the shopping mall attached to Planet Hollywood - they have a daily indoor thunderstorm.

[MeAndTheBoys]

On the buffets--yeah, unless you eat a LOT, they are fun but not a great deal. DH and I ate in Luxor and Treasure Island and somewhere else? and they were all over $20 each.  I wish we'd gone to one of the regular restaurants---  We did go to a cool place called "Dive!", themed like a submarine, but it's closed.

 

Now that I have two preteen boys, the buffets might be a better deal, lol--but not so much for dh and I.  Although they were spectacular to look at, the spread of food :)

 

Betsy

 

 

[Jilly]

Has The National Atomic Museum been mentioned? It is worth a visit while in Vegas although little kids might not enjoy it. It is close to the strip and quite educational. 

[KrissiK]

I went to Vegas a couple years ago with Dh. He had a trade show, so I was on my own. I don't gamble and I did get pretty sick of all the "stuff" that was advertised, but I had a pretty good time. I visited some of the more famous hotel/casinos (the Venetian is really cool and some of the others are neat) but generally, I stayed in the air conditioned room with a tub of ice cream and sat in the extremely comfortable chair with the remote and just relaxed and enjoyed having the maid come in and do the vacuuming. Homeschooling moms never get time off, so 2 days of just vegging out were heaven!

[NotSoObvious]

I could easily spend 2.5 days eating at the Bellagio buffet, swimming at the pool, and seeing Cirque de Soleil.

 

And I am not a fan of the strip. The smoke is the worst. But even I could fill 2.5 days with amazing things in Vegas.

 

Oh, I would not recommend day trips. You aren't there long enough.

[fraidycat]

Just sightseeing the hotels can take up your DH-free time. The details. Going from Caesar's Palace to Paris to New York. I could spend hours just taking in the "coolness" of that.

 

Or reading a book by the pool, or in the hotel room. I don't think I'd have time to get bored with only 2.5 kid-free days, even if I were on a desert island.

[Alessandra]

 

a big american style supermarket isn't that common in major cities, at least in the NE because of space. It might be more common in big cities out west. Supermarkets need lots of space. They do have them on the edges and lots in the 'burbs. And I love to go to supermarkets when I visit different places. That might be my favorite thing, after a bookstore.

 

I have a loyalty to card to Kroger's in Houston. The aisle are as wide as a house! I live in NJ, but I love the big markets that there is no room for here.

[fraidycat]

Oh yeah, I recommend one evening in Old Vegas for sure.

[Slache]

I have to fourth Cirque du Soleil.

[Desert Rat]

If the outlets suck, is there any other affordable shopping?  The only other time I went to an outlet place was in Orlando, and I bought tons of stuff that seemed really affordable to me.  I was hoping for a similar experience.

Not really, no. Not nearly the Strip. If you'd like to window shop, I recommend the Venetian or The Forum shops at Caesar's. The Fashion Show is on the Strip. It's a traditional mall. The outlet mall I go to most is probably too far for you to travel. It's probably 20 minutes away. But, again, online prices are still better.

 

Bellagio has an Andy Warhol exhibit right now. That' was really neat. 

 

If you like Cirque du Soleil shows, there's plenty to choose from and seats are pretty reasonable. We saw LOVE (The Beatles show) in November and it was amazing! There's a Michael Jackson one right now I hear is really good. Zumanity is not a Cirque show you want to see. 

 

If you are only here for 2.5 days, don't bother with day trips of any kind. Even the Valley of Fire is almost 2 hours away from the Strip and you wouldn't be able to get out of the car. Zion is 4 hours. Not day trip material. Hoover Dam is fine, but again. Hot. Hot. Hot. 

 

The food on the Strip can be pricey, but most hotels have regular diners that are less expensive. Room service is absolutely ridiculous. Don't ever order. 

Up thread someone mentioned a very expensive buffet. It was probably The Feast and yes, they are that expensive. I haven't been in years, but the food is really top notch and usually has some very good sea food. Stay away from any food at Circus Circus. You will get food poisoning. Promise.

 

Here's something that might be fun. Where the Imperial Palace used to be, they've created a mall with a few fun shops and a new concert venue/bowling alley called The Brooklyn Bowl. Behind that is a huge, and I mean huge, Ferris wheel. You will get to see the entire valley. Many of my friends have even gone down to try it out. They say it's amazing. It's a little more expensive, but you would get to see all the lights (if you go at night) and would be a great Vegas experience. Here's a link for you. We just went to a concert at the Bowl and had a fun time looking at all the shops. 

[Camelfeet]

I live in Dubai, where the malls have ski hills and dinosaur fossils and things in general are done OTT.  So while I am looking forward to seeing the hotels and the decor, I don't know that it would take up more than a couple hours.  Window shopping is out - I can window shop where I live currently and I find intentionally going out to see things I want but can't have is depressing lol.  I'm pretty easily entertained, so I think I'll probably enjoy seeing the themed places, I don't know that this would take up a whole day.  However, it just occurred to me that I could walk around from place to place drinking coffee WITHOUT KIDS so maybe that simple pleasure will make it all seem more idyllic than it otherwise would.

 

Desert Rat:  Can you elaborate on where you go shopping, even if it is 20 minutes away?  My DH may be able to cart my behind a half hour away.  That doesn't seem that far.  One of the reasons I'm so enthusiastic about shopping isn't because I have a passion for it, but because Canadian prices tend to be cheaper than Dubai prices, and american prices are even lower.  Canadians like to cross border shop for a reason, right? :D  So I keep all my shopping energy stored up for my trips to north america. 

 

So far on my agenda thanks to this thread:

- Staying at a super swanky hotel with a really nice pool/spa and relaxing.

- Looking into seeing a show - possibly cirque

- Buying clothes that are cheaper in the USA than in Canada/Dubai (maybe, if it exists)

- Ferris wheel

- Wandering around looking at the gaudy places.

- Eating at upscale restaurants.  

- Possibly visit Red Rock Canyon, if I can find a mostly driving tour that doesn't involve a lot of being away from the AC. Otherwise more pool time.

  

Also I just found out I'm gonna miss the star trek convention by 4 days.   :crying:

 

Thanks all for your help. Since it is only two days I'm not too worried.   :D

 

 

[Cricket]

I live in Dubai, where the malls have ski hills and dinosaur fossils and things in general are done OTT. So while I am looking forward to seeing the hotels and the decor, I don't know that it would take up more than a couple hours.

 

With malls like that, you might be underwhelmed by the casinos. :-) but it will definitely take more than a couple of hours. The Strip was much bigger than I expected, especially when walking. Dh and I were there for four days and didn't see all the casinos. Each casino is outrageously huge.