I'm a Vegas Virgin : ) What to see, do, eat? etc...

Go to Paris Mon Ami Gabi and sit outside after dark when the Bellagio fountains are playing, the best place to sit and watch.
If you're into wine, there a very nice wine bar in the Rio, but it's in the basement so there's no view of anything except the room.
There are any number of excellent restaurants. One of our favorites is in Mandalay Bar, Too Hot Tamales. Also in Mandalay Bay. Red Square and an amazing selection of vodkas. At Cesear's I love Joe's Stone Crab!!
You can try Margaraittaville next to the Flamingo for an unsual bar.
For chocolate, check out Ethel M's on the strip.
Also a nice tapas place in the plaza at Fashion Show Mall.
Off the strip Firefly at Paradise is good for wine and small bites, but they are VERY busy on Friday night.
If you have a car, drive out to Lake Meade and the Valley of Fire State Park for some great scenery.
For a great view of Vegas at night, the top of the Stratosphere. Also at the top a roller coaster ride that I would never try in a 1,000 years. Another good vantage point in the Eiffel Tower Restaurant in the Paris casino.
I'm sure you'll get many more ideas from this thread, so stay tuned.

Thanks so much boom. I wrote it all down.

It's also fun to drive out and see Hoover Dam; the area is really pretty, and the tour is interesting. Fun to take a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon too if you want to spend some $.

If you go to the Bellagio, swing by the Jean Philippe Patisserie - delish little desserts and the world's largest chocolate fountain. Check out the fountains and the conservatory while you're there.

We liked Mon Ami Gabi and Olives for their views of the fountains. Burger Bar has great burgers, good shakes, and a nice beer selection. They let you pick just about any topping on your burger - everything from truffles and lobster down to the basics. Good sweet potato fries too.

If you change your mind about the shows, Jersey Boys is wonderful.

Was there last weekend..do not miss Jersey Boys at the Palazzo... one of the best shows I have ever seen. (we bought discount tickets online for $70, 2hrs before show on Saturday night. The concierge at the Signature MGM Grand had just told us there were only 5 seats left at $150 a piece. We got there, plenty of empty seats.) Also, the Palazzo and Venetian have a great vibe at night...tons of terrific restaurants and shops and people watching. Sophisticated. Avoid Caesar's Palace and the Forum Shops: dark, crowded, dreary. Have a Snickers gelato at the gelato shop at Bellagio. Yum! (hey, what happens in vegas stays in vegas...). The fountain show every 30 minutes at Bellagio will practically make you cry. Drinks at Mix at Mandalay Bay. First and foremost, Jersey Boys!

Depends on your interests -- have you checked a guide book or done a site search here? Some folks are satisfied to come to Vegas and do nothing but gamble, eat at buffets, and booze it up.

I very much enjoyed the Liberace Museum, Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, the Conservatory at Bellagio, and the Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace.

A stroll along the Strip, especially when timed to see things like the fountain at Bellagio and the (admittedly kitschy) volcano eruption at the Mirage is a good idea. Plus the indoor shopping areas at Strip casinos like the Venetian, Caesar's Palace, Paris, and New York New York are fun to see.

A jaunt to Downtown (Fremont Street) can provide an enjoyable slice of old-fashioned Las Vegas.

Will second the idea of seeing Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon (a cheaper but all-day option for the latter is to take a bus trip or drive there). Have seen positive reports about Red Rock Canyon, which is a close-by Vegas commune with nature (haven't been there, myself).

If you want to chow down at a buffet, usual advice is that the best are the Paris Le Village buffet, the buffet at Bellagio, and the Spice Market Buffet at Plant Hollywood. Can vouch for the first of these as being excellent, haven't been to the others.

Thanks for the responses. Jersey Boys i have right here in N.Y. I heard it was great, but going to see Rock of Ages instead heard that was great as well.

If your week is off peak, be aware of monitoring discount tickets for shows. The Cirque shows are all fun. If you can attend for a bargain, all the better.

I hope you aren't staying long. The best thing about Vegas is the shows and since you don't want to see them you may get bored quickly.

The Strip gets old after two days. Wading throw the escort flyers at night with explicit pictures, losing hundreds (thousands?) of dollars, paying inflated prices for food and drinks, being in an endless drunken crowd (or stupor) gets old quickly.

www.cheapovegas.com has reviews of various restaurants, casinos, shows, etc.

RBCal is VERY correct that if you don't do anything but gamble, walk around, and eat, you're not going to be very happy in Vegas. Even my husband, who says he wants to gamble 24/7 while we're there, agrees shows are good ways to get a break from the casino floor.

THe best kept secret in Las Vegas: Rather than visiting Ethel M's store on the strip visit the factory. There is a very nice succulent botanical garden alongside the factory, plus something else which might be of interest to some...
I always go to the Pink Taco resturant at the Hard rock for lunch during every trip. It' one of the best mexican restuarants I've ever eaten in.
The Downtown Station has a really great breakfast buffet in a very attractive setting and the buffet at Planet Hollywood is ok however, the one at MGM isn't anywhere as good.
The pirate show out front of Treasure Island is something to do if your there when it goes off and the lions at MGM during the day are interesting...both these are free.
Finally, I know you said you weren't interested in shows but the Blue Man group is one of the funniest shows ever...and 'O' at the Bellago is awsome. Whereas Zumanity at New York New York, the new show at Wynns, Cher at Caesars and the review at Harras should all be avoided unless your really bored.

On our first visit to Vegas, combined with a convention, we did some inexpensive shows which were fine for evening entertainment. DH visited Hoover dam, the classic car museum etc. On a return trip the convention arranged a group discount to the Cirque-type show at the Wynn. The entire theater and show were incredible. I have since seen a couple of Cirque shows held in other locations. While very good, they lacked the amazing theater. Please reconsider not seeing a big show.

Hey, Suite7! Regarding your October input--- you said you purchased Jersey Boys same day tix discounted online. What is the website? Any other specifics about locating the discount for same day tickets at that site? Thanks.

Last time we went to the Spice Market buffet at Planet Hollywood we were sorely disappointed. The Paris buffet was much better.

Awesome thread. We're headed to vegas for the first time in April, and I'm loving these suggestions. Taking notes . . .

Hoover Dam
Atomic Testing Museum
Liberace Museum
Red Rock Canyon hiking
Imperial Palace car museum
Shark Reef at mandalay Bay
Feeding the lions at MGM grand
The Border Grill at Mandalay Bay (get a coiupon at restauant.com
For a quick, inexpensive lunch, Earl of Sandwich
Yama Sushi (off the Strip)

I would recommend the buffet at Mandalay bay instead of Bellagio for two reasons..... 1) I think it is less expensive, and 2) the buffet at Bellagio often has a line, sometimes a huuuuge line, and it is just not worth that wait and effort. Mandalay bay's is almost as good with little effort.

great to know about Jersey boys for $70! I saw it in London for 20 euros but nosebleed seats and I would love to see it again. What a fantastic show!

Also, I just enjoy walking through the mega hotels of vegas.... my favorites are Bellagio, Wynn/Encore, Caesar's Palace (I happen to like the Forum shops), and the Venetian. Don't miss the atrium/conservatory at Bellagio, I like to see it every season.