Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Ongoing Las Vegas 'pro-tips' thread

billybob123 · 07-26-2011, 08:01 AM

We stayed at the Tropicana - it's near to the South end of the strip but it's relatively cheap and the rooms are huge with great beds. The bus and monorail run up and down the strip so staying somewhere at one end or the other isn't a deal-killer. Don't walk it though, it's a lot longer than you'd think.

So, I'm pretty much the worst person to go to Vegas - I don't really drink and I don't gamble (I just lose anyway, so why waste my money!) -- but I've been twice - once sans kids, and once with my 2-year old. I loved both times. THere's lots to do other than gambling with (or without kids):

1) Lied Children's museum is pretty great for kids
2) Red Rock Canyon in fantastic for hiking - though both times wasn't in summer. I think it would be too hot in summer to hike far. It's even nice just to drive out there to take the scenic drive.
3) Other hiking is good around the city, though a short drive might be necessary. A good site:
http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/_Hike_index.htm
4) The M&M museum/store is great if you have kids; if not avoid it completely, it's a total waste of time.
5) Free fountain show at Bellagio is a hit with kids. The pirate show at TI is good too, but crowded.
6) Go see the Hoover dam and the bypass if you're at all into construction. A nicer drive (but costs $$) is through the Lake Mead Rec area.
7) Don't drive on the strip if you can avoid it. Traffic is a disaster. Koval is one block east and moves 100x faster - take the east-west road you want back to the strip. I-15 is bad too.
8) Rent a car unless you plan on spending the week loaded - they're not terribly expensive and you usually get free parking (or included in the stupid "Resort fee").

There's a lot more to Vegas than gambling if you're not into it. But it's a great place to party too if you're into that! It's an easy city to lose a lot of money.

07-26-2011, 08:01 AM	#55
billybob123 Powerplay Quarterback Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Calgary, AB Exp:	We stayed at the Tropicana - it's near to the South end of the strip but it's relatively cheap and the rooms are huge with great beds. The bus and monorail run up and down the strip so staying somewhere at one end or the other isn't a deal-killer. Don't walk it though, it's a lot longer than you'd think. So, I'm pretty much the worst person to go to Vegas - I don't really drink and I don't gamble (I just lose anyway, so why waste my money!) -- but I've been twice - once sans kids, and once with my 2-year old. I loved both times. THere's lots to do other than gambling with (or without kids): 1) Lied Children's museum is pretty great for kids 2) Red Rock Canyon in fantastic for hiking - though both times wasn't in summer. I think it would be too hot in summer to hike far. It's even nice just to drive out there to take the scenic drive. 3) Other hiking is good around the city, though a short drive might be necessary. A good site: http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/_Hike_index.htm 4) The M&M museum/store is great if you have kids; if not avoid it completely, it's a total waste of time. 5) Free fountain show at Bellagio is a hit with kids. The pirate show at TI is good too, but crowded. 6) Go see the Hoover dam and the bypass if you're at all into construction. A nicer drive (but costs $$) is through the Lake Mead Rec area. 7) Don't drive on the strip if you can avoid it. Traffic is a disaster. Koval is one block east and moves 100x faster - take the east-west road you want back to the strip. I-15 is bad too. 8) Rent a car unless you plan on spending the week loaded - they're not terribly expensive and you usually get free parking (or included in the stupid "Resort fee"). There's a lot more to Vegas than gambling if you're not into it. But it's a great place to party too if you're into that! It's an easy city to lose a lot of money.