Las Vegas: 21 things to do for under $21
Las Vegas: 21 things to do for under $21
Whether you're up for shopping (Miracle Mile Shops, H&M), art perusing (Bellagio Gallery) or even bird-watching (Flamingo Hotel), Las Vegas has it on the cheap.
The faux Eiffel Tower looms in Las
Vegas. (Brian van der Brug, Los Angeles Times / February 21, 2012)
|
Reporting from Las Vegas ——
1. Springs Preserve. Forsake the
fake pyramid and fake Statue
of Liberty for a power walk through the real Vegas: 110 acres of pre-Bugsy
Siegel desert. There are miles of cactus-filled trails, botanic gardens and a
museum that pays tribute to the city's Mojave Desert roots. Open daily 10 a.m.-6
p.m. daily. $18.95 for adults, $10.95 for kids 5-17. 333 S. Valley View Blvd.;
(702) 822-7700, http://www.springspreserve.org.
2. Hoover Dam Bypass. The Mike
O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman
Memorial Bridge, as it's officially known, opened two years ago to ease traffic
congestion at Hoover Dam. The bridge, about 35 miles south of Las Vegas, became
an instant landmark for its breathtaking views of the dam and the Colorado
River. Pull off U.S. 93, take a stroll over the span and snap a few pictures. http://www.hooverdambypass.org
3. Can you say Chi-hu-ly? Glass
man Dale Chihuly seems to be everywhere in Vegas. The chandelier in the lobby of
the Bellagio is a must-see, with layers and layers of glass flowers and petals
in the massive sculpture. Then tour the Gallery at Crystals Place in CityCenter
where the artist's glass works sell for $4,000 to $640,000 — but window-shopping
is free.
http://www.crystalsatcitycenter.com/crystals-place/the-gallery.aspx.
4. Mandarin Oriental Tea Lounge.
This calming refuge awaits on the 23rd floor of the luxe, gaming-free hotel. A
pot of tea — organic lychee green or jasmine Earl Grey — is about $12 a person.
There's no better place to look out over the Strip, particularly during the
late-afternoon lull, and watch the lights come up. Afternoon tea 2:30 p.m.-5
p.m. http://www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas/dining/tea_lounge
5. Bird-watching at the Flamingo
Hotel. Chilean flamingos, distinguished by their gray legs and pink
knees, are the namesake bird of the hotel's 15-acre wildlife habitat, also home
to pheasants, swans, native grackles and some koi fish. OK, it's nerdy, but
bring your binoculars just in case. Go to http://www.flamingolasvegas.com
and click on "wildlife habitat."
6. Harbor rainstorm at the Miracle Mile Shops. The sky
darkens before an indoor weather cell lets loose with rain that falls into a
mini-harbor amid the Miracle Mile mall at Planet Hollywood. Little kids will
enjoy jumping on rocks and getting wet in the "storm" — and then ducking into a
nearby Ben & Jerry's. It rains on the hour Mondays-Thursdays and on the
half-hour on weekends. Check the weather forecast at
http://www.miraclemileshopslv.com/entertain.php?id=197. Picture with a Vegas showgirl. Take home a souvenir that captures the glamour of Las Vegas. (You could always say you were in the show.) Get a free picture taken with a showgirl, with the famed "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign as a backdrop. Go to Harrah's near the north entrance of the casino.
8. Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas.
It's not as adrenaline-pumping as the Stratosphere Tower ride, but
going 460 feet up the Eiffel Tower (half the scale of the real one) offers
spectacular panoramas of the Strip — without being strapped in. Why not create
your own "Midnight in Paris" moment? It's open 9:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. (barring bad
weather) and costs $10.50-$15.50 for adults and $7.50-$10.50 for children. http://www.parislasvegas.com/casinos/paris-las-vegas/casino-misc/eiffel-tower-detail.html
9. Flair bartenders at Harrah's Carnaval Court. It's ground
zero for flair bartenders who dance and juggle bottles to make drinks (Tim
"Flippy" Morris is the superstar). You can watch these mesmerizing mixologists
free, but the drinks aren't; they'll set you back $11 to $13 each. 3475 Las
Vegas Blvd. S.
10. The Mob Museum. No one goes to
Las Vegas to visit a museum, but the hottest new attraction in town may be the
National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement. Exhibits give equal
time to crime figures such as Bugsy Siegel and Al
Capone and the men who pursued them, from J. Edgar Hoover to Rudy
Giuliani. Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays and
Saturdays. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for children 5-17. 300 Stewart
Ave.; (702) 229-2734, themobmuseum.org.
11. Pinball Hall of Fame. At this joint, there's still time
to have a misspent youth. Few people younger than 40 will understand the allure
of pinball machines, but who cares when you can play these throwbacks for 25-75
cents a game? Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays
and Saturdays. 1610 E. Tropicana Ave. http://www.pinballhall.org.
12. Learn how to
gamble. Why go to the blackjack table without a strategy? Many casinos
teach newbies how to play. Get schooled in poker, craps, roulette and blackjack
at the Luxor, http://www.luxor.com/casino/casino_tablegames.aspx, or the
Excalibur, www.excalibur.com/casino/game_guide.aspx.
13. H&M store. This is the largest Hennes & Mauritz
store in the U.S., with three stories in about 55,000 square feet of space. Shop
on the cheap at the massive Forum Shops at Caesars site. (There are two other
H&Ms in the city.) A black jersey dress costs $17.95 for starters. Open 10
a.m. daily, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S., (702) 207-0167.
14. Fine-art galleries. Cash in
your chips and spend an afternoon with Monet at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art
through the end of the year. See more than 20 works by the Impressionist master
for the $15 price of admission. Picasso, Chagall and Andy Warhol also
join the Vegas lineup in the new Martin
Lawrence Galleries, free to enter at the Forum Shops at Caesars.
15. Main Street Station Antiques.
Grab a brochure for a self-guided tour of the unusual artifacts in this
turn-of-the-last-century-style casino. Check out Buffalo Bill's private rail car
and a 6-foot slab of the Berlin Wall in one of the men's rooms. (Yes, women can
visit too by asking security for an escort.) 200 N. Main St.; (702) 387-1896,
http://www.mainstreetcasino.com
16. M&M's World. The four-story chocolatorium joins the
old-school candy stop in Vegas — a tour of the Ethel M factory in Henderson,
Nev. It's free to wander the shop's four stories, watch a 10-minute movie ("I
Lost My M in Vegas," starring Red and Yellow), chat with roving Ms and discover
22 M&M colors (teal, lime green, hot pink, etc). But really, don't they all
taste the same? Open daily 9 a.m.-midnight. 3785 Las Vegas Blvd. South; (702)
740-2504, http://www.mymms.com.
17. Silverton Hotel & Casino
Aquarium. The 117,000-gallon tank has one thing traditional aquariums
don't: mermaids. They dive Thursdays-Sundays amid the 4,000 tropical fish and
stingrays at this off-Strip casino. 3333 Blue Diamond Road; (702) 263-7777, http://www.silvertoncasino.com
18. Don Pablo Cigar Factory. This
shop is part-cigar store, part-factory. You can watch old-style Cuban cigar
rolling — from tobacco leaves to the final product — free, but the smokes will
cost you $6-$15 each. Open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sundays. 3049 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; (800) 537-4957, http://www.donpablocigars.com
19. Big Elvis. You can't leave
Vegas without seeing at least one Elvis. Pete "Big Elvis" Vallee plays the King
in free one-hour concerts at 3, 5 and 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon. He sings Elvis hits as well as
country, gospel and R&B. 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (702) 737-2100, http://www.billslasvegas.com
20. Free concerts at
Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. The hot venue that's "the right amount of
wrong" showcases up-and-coming bands at three hotel venues. There's always live
action, such as hip-hop performer Pigeon John and DJ Teen Wolf. Check http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
for a list of upcoming free concerts.
21. "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. Commercial artist
Betty Willis designed the flashy, Midcentury sign that has become a Sin City
icon. It was installed at the south end of the Strip in 1959 and remains the
city's most famous neon welcome mat. Park for free to get a close-up of the
25-foot sign.
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