If I don't enjoy going to shows, and I don't gamble, would Las Vegas still be a vacation option for me? Are there other things worth doing there, and if yes, what?
what to do in vegas besides shows and casinos
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"Don't drink, don't smoke...what do you do?"
There are always the protitutes...
Just kidding
My wife and I just got back from there, we don't gamble (we did play a bit), and we don't drink very much. We went to one show of Cirque du soleil which was very good.
If you enjoy architecture
"Don't drink, don't smoke...what do you do?"
There are always the protitutes...
Just kidding
My wife and I just got back from there, we don't gamble (we did play a bit), and we don't drink very much. We went to one show of Cirque du soleil which was very good.
If you enjoy architecture it is a good place, there are museums (the car museum is suppose to be excellent), we went to Red Rock Canyon which was beautiful.
You can see our trip report here:
http://www.travelpod.com/members/laorfamily
If you don't gamble or go to shows, it will be mostly about seeing the different themed hotels and restaurants (everything from bargain to gourmet). Get a car, take a day trip out to Zion National Park in Utah or to Death Valley, both about 2.5 hours away. A drive around the perimeter of Lake Mead is lovely, too, or visit Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon which are short drives.
You could also consider flying into Vegas and spending a couple of nights, then driving to Los Angeles, San Diego or Salt Lake City, or Phoenix, spending a few nights then flying back home from one of those cities. Just check the one-way car rental availability first, sometimes it might be lots cheaper to start in California and end your trip in LV, sometimes it's the other way around.
There is still a lot to do in Vegas without shows and gambling.
Shopping is real big. Lots of large, high end shopping malls in the casinos and there are some outlet malls around as well.
Eating is great there. A lot of mid to high end restaurants to choose from.
General sightseeing is good too. Seeing all the hotels and just walking around and seeing free stuff. See: http://www.vegasfreebie.com
Then there is the nighlife, lots of Lounges/Nightclubs/Dancing.
Like mentioned above, lots of opportunity for day trips. Red Rock, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon.
And of course it's a great place to just sit and have a drink and people watch.
Vegas is an odd choice given your first statement, but it could still be fun.
On my first trip to Vegas, I went with an interior designer. We were there for a week and spent multiple hours each day, just wandering through all of the hotels and casinos admiring the design and attention to detail. A lot of upscale casinos have opened since then.
Now I go there on a regular basis with an anthropologist who gets a real kick out of people watching.
If you like to drink, you will have an incredible number of options in Vegas.
Dining, drinking and shopping are very popular non-gaming activities.
When you say you don't enjoy shows, are you talking about any experience where you sit in the audience and someone (or multiple someones) perform onstage whether it be a Broadway-style performance/play, concert, comedian, magic act, etc?
Something else you might find fun is seeing how much free stuff you can get (without gambling).
I have Mardi Gras style beads from various casinos; a number of keychains; decks of cards; souvenir photos; shirts; etc. Tropicana has a free pull slot machine outside where you can win various things (including cash).
In a nutshell, pick a different vacation spot. Vegas is all about gambling, shows, food and drinks. Yes, you could shop and spend some quality time at a spa, but you could do that any other place in a more cultured environment. An idea here, you could spend a day and/or one night in Vegas walking around and observing the glitz, and then head a few hours out of Vegas to Springdale, Utah and visit Zion National Park. That should take the edge off the Vegas thing.
Anna Roz
We were in LV for one week in December and spent 6 of the 7 days outside of LV sightseeing, but returning to LV to eat dinner and sleep. We hiked at Red Rock Canyon for 2 days-even if you do not hike, the drive through is pretty, drove to Mt. Charleston and drove to and hiked in Valley of Fire. Also, you could take a tour of the Hoover Dam. You need a car for these drives. If you do not have a car, there is not much to do in LV if you do not gamble.