One of the city's most photographed sights can be found at the end of The Strip. Photo / Getty Images
One of the city's most photographed sights can be found at the end of The Strip. Photo / Getty Images
With top-rate cuisine, stunning desert surrounds and plenty to see, you don't have to be into gambling to enjoy Las Vegas, writes Ashlyn Oswalt.
Driving into Vegas from its desert surroundings is a perfect metaphor for the city itself. You notice it, off in the distance, normally after you've cranked the air conditioning to full blast and sweated a bumline on your seat.
It glimmers — the city, not the bumline — and you're not entirely sure it's real. As you approach, it seems to spring alive, with shining lights in every colour of the rainbow. Seconds ago you were in the red dirt solitude but now you're in the centre of the city, eyes blinking wildly at towering replicas of Egypt's pyramids, street performers, and more flashing lights.
As city surrounded by desert, there are plenty of ways to discover nature near Las Vegas. Photo / Getty Images
Welcome to Vegas. Sin City has a bad rap for existing only to gamble, booze, and wreak havoc. While there's plenty of that in Vegas, there's also plenty of fun to be had if that's not your scene. Though no trip to Vegas is complete without a walk on the Strip and a stroll down Fremont St, there are plenty of other reasons Vegas should be on your list of must-see destinations.
It's cheap to stay in a nice hotel in Vegas. You can stay in the centre of the action, sleep in a comfy king bed, order room service from fancy hotel restaurants and have free parking all for around US$100-200 a night. Most hotels are casinos, so they anticipate making up their lost dollars in gambling, but there's no rule that says you have to gamble while you stay.
The Bellagio fountains blast into the sky every 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the day. Photo / Getty Images
Most hotels have multiple restaurants inside, pools — sometimes even on rooftops! — or free entertainment for hotel guests. Though rates go up on the weekends, it's not hard to find accommodation for under US$100 a night on weekdays. Places like the famed Luxor offer long-running shows like the Blue Man Group and a wedding chapel to get married in, while the Golden Nugget features a shark tank with a water slide that runs — safely — through it.
The Food
Since 1991, when famed chef Wolfgang Puck was convinced to open a version of his popular restaurant inside Caesars Palace, celebrity chefs have been flocking to Vegas. With big names like Gordon Ramsay, Giada De Laurentiis, Guy Fieri, and Thomas Keller all owning restaurants in the city, there are myriad cuisines available for tourists to take their pick. If you want a one-stop-shop, try the Cosmopolitan for Hattie B's Hot Chicken, David Chang's Momofuku and Milk Bar, and Italian American Superfrico.
While most of these well-known chefs offer fine dining experiences, there are plenty of cheaper options offering hearty meals, gimmicky options, and quality food at every price point. If you're looking for a real treat, head to Heart Attack Grill on the Fremont St Experience to don a hospital gown and chow down on dishes like the "bypass burger".
If you're wondering where the locals hang out in Vegas, it's not the Strip or Fremont St. Chances are, they're hanging out in the Arts District, also known as 18b. The neighbourhood is full of trendy art galleries, craft cocktail bars, Mexican restaurants, and breweries, plus plenty of murals to ogle at.
Las Vegas also has a Chinatown, featuring more than 150 restaurants and six Asian supermarkets. It's become a foodie destination, with famous chefs opening outposts of their restaurants in the neighbourhood.
It's hard to miss the neon lights of Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas. Photo / Getty Images
The Outdoors
Just 40km from the strip is a different sort of wild world. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area makes up 77,000ha of the Mojave Desert, and features towering red sandstone formations, Native American petroglyphs, and dinosaur footprints. Weave your way through the park with more than 20 trails to choose from or take the 21km scenic drive, though reservations must be made.
Away from the city lights, the nearby Valley of Fire State Park boasts striking sandstone landscapes and walking trails. Photo / Getty Images
Less than an hour away sits Instagram-famous Valley of Fire, Nevada's oldest state park. More bright red Aztec sandstone can be found here, among petrified trees, petroglyphs, and short hiking trails. The park got its name from the shifting sand dunes that formed the unique colour patterns on the rock more than 150 million years ago.
Pools
Vegas is hot — summer temps can reach upwards of 40C. Luckily it excels in pools, mostly on rooftops, with gorgeous aesthetics, DJs, and massive silly drinks via poolside bar service.
The artificial beach at the Mandalay Bay Hotel is a popular spot to cool off. Photo / Getty Images
The best part is you don't even have to be a guest at the hotel to enjoy them, as many hotels offer day rates for pool use and cabana hire. With places like the Flamingo offering celebrity DJs and performers, or sophisticated cityscape views at the Boulevard's rooftop pool, why would you be tempted to sit inside a casino anyway?
The Casinos
The casinos are visual eye candy, and cost nothing to go in and explore. Head down to the Strip and ramble through whichever ones tickle your fancy. Each has been painstakingly decorated to nail a certain aesthetic, and the restaurants, bars, and shops are often themed. Be sure to pop into Paris Las Vegas to gaze at the night sky and walk through the streets of Paris, croissant in hand, or take a gondola ride at The Venetian.
Forget gambling, the gondola ride is the biggest attraction at The Venetian casino. Photo / Getty Images
Take your time to wander, be sure to go after sunset to enjoy all the lights, and don't miss a show at the Bellagio fountains, which takes place every 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the day.
While it's easy to dismiss Vegas as a city for gamblers, it's also a place of culinary treats, visual oddities, and cheap accommodation close to beautiful outdoor locations. What's not to love?
