OT- Las Vegas Trip Info

[Bar2ski]

Everyone, my Son in law is taking my daughter to Las Vegas for their 20th wedding anniversary over Labor Day Weekend. Las Vegas is one of the few major cities I habe never spent any appreciable time in all my years traveling for work and play. Therefore I am asking the AKB for help.
Some questions:
1. How do you get the best / cheapest flights (leave from Detroit.
2. They are not gamblers, need info on a cool hotel with good food and interesting shows?
3. Other than Hoover Dam, any neat day trips in the area?
4. Any other neat things to do?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[jp3272]

Red Rock Canyon is pretty cool. https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/

 

[Nohow]

https://www.redrockresort.com/
A bit pricey. But good eats.

 

[nittanyfan333]

Yeah red rock canyon is cool.

Mt. Charleston is pretty cool too

Valley of fire is about an hour away

Lake Las Vegas is a cool little spot

depending on when you go, see what events are going on at las Vegas motor speedway

Grand Canyon west is only 2.5ish hours away

 

[WanderingSpectator]

Just check out all of the resorts. Each has plenty to see. Bellagio fountains and conservatory are a couple of my favorites. Venetian gondolas.

A couple of unique museums there. Mob Museum and Neon Sign Museum are downtown Vegas. And one of my favorite surprises was the free pinball museum down by the Famous Welcome to LV sign.

Cosmopolitan is a hipster resort worth a cocktail. People watching in Vegas is top notch.
That said, I always say I can only take it in small doses. 3 days, 2 nights is plenty for me.

Use Google Flights to monitor flights and get alerts on prices.

 

[PSUSignore]

A couple of unique museums there. Mob Museum and Neon Sign Museum are downtown Vegas. And one of my favorite surprises was the free pinball museum down by the Famous Welcome to LV sign.

Pinball hall of fame, it's a fun place. I haven't been since they moved locations. http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

 

[BrucePa]

Older Las Vegas is where I would spend my time, away from the Strip. And the best eating is off the Strip, over in Chinatown, plus Lotus of Siam for Thai and Golden Steer and Oscar's for steak.

Oscar's is run by the former mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, and it has been known as "Oscar's Beef, Booze, and Broads" as an homage to old Las Vegas. It's an experience and a meal, all in one. But Golden Steer is as good if not better when it comes to eating red meat in Las Vegas.

Lotus of Siam has been known as the best Thai restaurant in the U.S., and it's genuine northern Thai. Don't go in there ordering Pad Thai or any of the southern Thai dishes. Go with the Penang Chicken or the Crispy Duck. Chinatown has sprung up to handle the high rollers from China who come to Las Vegas to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in the casinos, but absolutely crave the $10 bowls of soup in the genuine establishments in Chinatown. There are also some good Japanese and Thai restaurants thereabouts.

Don't know if your daughter and son-in-law are into a genuine look at Las Vegas after hours, but the Peppermill is open all the time. At 2:00 or 3:00 or even 4:00 in the morning, the chefs and the showgirls and the minor acts from all over the Strip usually head there to have dinner/breakfast and tie on a serious drunk buzz before heading home for their daytime snooze.

I wouldn't voluntarily spend a minute or a nickel on the Strip.

 

[Bar2ski]

Thanks for all the good info guys. Ill forward to the son in law.

 

[psuro]

Thanks for all the good info guys. Ill forward to the son in law.

If he (or your daughter) are into exotic cars, you can go out of town the Speed Way and drive some exotic cars on the track.

 

[Hugh Laurie]

Things to do.

 

[Bar2ski]

Things to do.

Thanks Hugh, this looks like a great site for them to plan a trip.

 

[1995PSUGrad]

Vegas has something for everyone. In general, it's not too expensive to travel to Vegas (i.e. flights & hotel). It's everything that you spend money on while in Vegas that is so expensive. Definitely recommend staying on the strip. I saw someone recommended the Grand Canyon; definitely worth a day. There are a ton of shows, something for every taste. A lot of shopping from cheap souvenir places to high (really high) end. Great restaurants and cheesy, tourist traps (the kind I like to frequent). One of the great things about Vegas is you don't have to plan anything, really. You can just go and find things to do.

 

[84lion]

Death Valley is a day trip from Vegas. Awesome sights. An overnight in Flagstaff and you can see the Grand Canyon and Sedona.

 

[Catch1lion]

Cirque shows are amazing

 

[ODShowtime]

smoke some grass

 

[Jwsjr]

researching Vegas now. Going in April with the wifey - who has never been. Had a very nice room at Ballgio until i realized Cosmo is Mariott property. So that's where we'll be looks like. Got upgraded to a Terrace Fountain View suite. Looking for updates on restaurants, shows and activities. Been there plenty but not in the last 10 years.

So far Ive got tickets to shows :
O by Cirque
Mo Town

Restaurants looking at :
Lotus of Siam
Oscars
Raku
Wang Lei
Jaleo


Activities considering:
Hoover
Canyon Helicopter
Driving Experience
Red Rock
Mob Musuem
Pinball Museum
Freemont

We've got 5 days which i will most likely regret. but also not nearly enough time to do everthing,,,,and oh yea gamble!!

Give me your "cant miss" recommendations.

 

[Bosco2]

researching Vegas now. Going in April with the wifey - who has never been. Had a very nice room at Ballgio until i realized Cosmo is Mariott property. So that's where we'll be looks like. Got upgraded to a Terrace Fountain View suite. Looking for updates on restaurants, shows and activities. Been there plenty but not in the last 10 years.

So far Ive got tickets to shows :
O by Cirque
Mo Town

Restaurants looking at :
Lotus of Siam
Oscars
Raku
Wang Lei
Jaleo


Activities considering:
Hoover
Canyon Helicopter
Driving Experience
Red Rock
Mob Musuem
Pinball Museum
Freemont

We've got 5 days which i will most likely regret. but also not nearly enough time to do everthing,,,,and oh yea gamble!!

Give me your "cant miss" recommendations.

As far as Cirque shows, Michael Jackson One at Mandalay Bay is the best. Mystere at TI is underrated. Saw both of them twice. Took a flight over the Grand Canyon once. Unless the copter goes down in it I wouldn't bother. Everything looks pretty flat from high up. Hoover Dam is pretty great. Restaurants: Bobby Flay's new place at Ceasar's if you can get a reservation. Nora's is great for Italian but it's off the Strip.

 

[WanderingSpectator]

Personally, compared to Sedona, I think Red Rock is a waste of time. If you’ve never been to Sedona it might be worth it but I wouldn’t waste my time. And I agree that seeing the Canyon from the air is also a waste of time. Plan another trip to Arizona so you can see Sedona and be on the ground at the Grand Canyon. Mob and Pinball are fun. You might want to add the Neon Sign Museum too if you’re looking for something else to do near Fremont St.

Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had was at Pizza Rock downtown. Multiple styles by award-winning pizzaiola Tony Gemignani.

 

[bbrown]

Everyone, my Son in law is taking my daughter to Las Vegas for their 20th wedding anniversary over Labor Day Weekend. Las Vegas is one of the few major cities I habe never spent any appreciable time in all my years traveling for work and play. Therefore I am asking the AKB for help.
Some questions:
1. How do you get the best / cheapest flights (leave from Detroit.
2. They are not gamblers, need info on a cool hotel with good food and interesting shows?
3. Other than Hoover Dam, any neat day trips in the area?
4. Any other neat things to do?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

For hiking: I know people like some of the red rocks area and trails around Vegas but I wasn't impressed.
Valley of Fire was much, much better.

 

[bbrown]

Personally, compared to Sedona, I think Red Rock is a waste of time. If you’ve never been to Sedona it might be worth it but I wouldn’t waste my time. And I agree that seeing the Canyon from the air is also a waste of time. Plan another trip to Arizona so you can see Sedona and be on the ground at the Grand Canyon. Mob and Pinball are fun. You might want to add the Neon Sign Museum too if you’re looking for something else to do near Fremont St.

Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had was at Pizza Rock downtown. Multiple styles by award-winning pizzaiola Tony Gemignani.

I was not impressed with Red Rock. I liked Valley of Fire a lot more.
I don't think Sedona should be a hurry up day trip kind of thing. There is just too much to do (if your into hiking and photography) in Sedona and then you can do the day trip from Sedona to The Grand Canyon or Monument Valley.