We try and do something new off strip every time we go. Last time it was these guys
Horseback riding through Red Rock. We did the sunset ride and dinner while not 5 star was tasty and plentiful and the ride was gorgeous. They cater to all levels of riders but their insurance only allows walks (and for most of the trail that’s all that is reasonable). They are definitely on our list for next time.
Valley of Fire is also well within reach for a day trip and is amazing, particularly if you time your visit to end around sunset. The park closes at sunset but as long as you’re near the road by that time the rangers won’t give you a hard time. They just dislike people heading off on hikes that gets them lost in the dark.
Silenus is right as well, see a show and have at least one fabulous meal. I’m not a big gambler but I love Vegas.
One of the new problems with Flamingo is the noise from Drai’s next door. Since they moved the club outdoors to the roof, the din has been horrific. The rooms are schizo - the upgraded rooms can be nice, but the ones that haven’t been upgraded are awful. The food options there are scanty as well. But the Linq is just next door, so there is that. Of course, if you aren’t a gambler you can kick some of that money saved into rooms and stay at Mandalay Bay, Wynn, or Venetian.
As can I. There’s a great presentation about mob connections in Las Vegas, as well as many interesting exhibits–everything from equipment casino cheats used, to the wall from the St. Valentine’s Day massacre.
This one can make for a nice afternoon. The dolphins are trained dolphins, and fun to watch, and some guests are selected to interact with the dolphins. The staff educates and informs, and there are underwater windows, so you can watch them swim.
The cat exhibit seems small at first, but the cats don’t seem to mind–they’re cats; they spend a lot of time napping. They do have things to play with, and I quite enjoyed watching one shredding a cardboard box one of the staff threw in. Siegfried himself makes the occasional appearance and is happy to greet visitors and pose for photos. (I got to meet him there once.)
Excellent choice for deli food, and huge portions–do a Google Image search to see how big the sandwiches are. But I’m unsure if I like the way it works–you place your order and pay, like at McDonald’s; then you find a seat and they bring it to you; like in a restaurant. It’s a little weird to me, but I’ll go back the next time I’m in town; the food is that good.
In addition to coremelt’s ideas, Death Valley is also a doable daytrip distance. If you are at all engineering or architecture geeks, and you go to Hoover Dam, take the long tour. Getting down into the walls of the dam is pretty cool.
We visited LV about 5 years ago, over Thanksgiving. It actually got cold enough for ice to form on some of the water features, so bring jackets.
I stayed at SLS when I was there earlier this year and it was pretty nice. It’s the former Sahara, which closed in 2011 and was completely remodeled. It’s one of the smaller casinos, but the rooms were great and the décor was very modern and elegant. It wasn’t too pricy - I wanna say less than $75 a night including the resort fee, but this was in August and rates are probably higher when it’s not the dead of summer. It’s at the northern end of the Strip, which as I mentioned before isn’t very walkable these days (pretty much nothing but vacant lots between it and Circus Circus to the south, and Stratosphere to the north), but it connects to the Monorail and there’s a Walgreen’s right across the street.
The second night I was there the toilet in my room broke and the room flooded, but they upgraded me to a suite to make up for it.
Speaking of which - pretty much every resort on the Strip and Fremont charges a “resort fee” in addition to the nightly rate, which usually runs around $20-30 per night and is collected at the hotel instead of when you book. They’ll usually take it out of your deposit when you check out. Just keep that in mind when you’re assessing room prices.
