Las Vegas, Nevada

Oh, Las Vegas. Situated in Nevada’s Mojave Desert, this resort city famed for its vibrant nightlife, centered around 24-hour casinos and other entertainment options, can indeed be a debaucherous destination for some, meant as an adult playground of boozing pool parties, late night gambling and showgirls. Any opportunity to channel the infamous Rat Pack or Sharon Stone a-la-Casino (see below). Yet there are so many things to enjoy about Vegas, that may not seem as obvious. Considering all of the incredible hotels, shows/theater, restaurants, and day trips out into the desert (or the Grand Canyon), this can be an incredibly fun (not necessarily drunken) getaway. I usually plan a 3 days trip – in and out – and book restaurants and shows in advance since the good ones book up quickly.

And if you fancy an interesting road trip (like Swingers ), driving Route 66 from L.A. over to Vegas have some fun and quirky stops along the way, like Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch.

Stay

Depending on where you want to stay on the strip, where you want to be close to, is a big consideration (main street and focal point is the Strip, just over 4 miles long). This boulevard is home to themed hotels with elaborate displays such as fountains synchronized to music as well as replicas of an Egyptian pyramid, the Venetian Grand Canal, and the Eiffel Tower. Frequent visitors tend to be loyal to their hotels, and the favorites tend to be:

The Venetian

  • Bellagio

  • Encore at Wynn

  • Aria or Cosmopolitan (next to each other)

  • Mandarin Oriental

  • Four Seasons (not on the strip)

Eat

Vegas is a great food town, with the best of the best setting up outlets. Visit the Eater top 38 list or see:

  • SW Steakhouse at Wynn

  • Kabuto

  • Milos

  • Restaurant Guy savoy

  • Joël Robuchon

  • é by José Andrés

  • Beauty & Essex (From Tao group, same as NY + LA)

    See

    Shows: From cirque du soleil (The LOVE show is great) to comedy shows to major stars in residence (Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Jlo – past & present). There is a lot to choose from. Here are a running list of options

    Outdoors: Want to leave the strip and venture into the desert? Valley of Fire, Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon, Hoover Dam & Lake Mead and Red Rock Canyon are within reach. If you are ok to drive 4 hours, you can see the Grand Canyon too (a must see)

City Guide, Travel, USACarrie Mitchell