Margo

We are flying in and out of Las Vegas at end of Jan/Feb. We have never been to Vegas--just not interested in the gambling scene. What things would interest us for 1-3 days? Where to stay--someplace nice but not necessarily on the strip. After seeing Vegas we will proceed to Death Valley and then over to Santa Barbara and eventually back to Las Vegas.

Maybe also to include Palm Springs. Would anyone have suggestions for routes and sights that would include these destinations?

Thanks, Margo

qwovadis

www.grandcanyontours.com

Hoover Dam Zion NP Death Valley

tomfuller

Car rentals are cheap in LV. You are wise to fly in/out of there. If I am going anywhere east of LV (Hoover Dam-South Rim Grand Canyon) stay at the Fiesta in Henderson http://www.fiestahendersonlasvegas.c...TiW8w&mpch=sem
The time I stayed there, I had a reservation and when we got there they gave us a suite on the 10th floor at the same price!
If you are headed for Southern California, stay at Buffalo Bill's in Primm, Nevada.
Plenty of great places to eat in Las Vegas. Were you planning to stay overnight in Death Valley? DO NOT stay in Baker or Barstow. Have a good trip Margo!

boom_boom

In addition to Hoover Dam and the new Colorado River Bridge, the lake drive along Lake Mead, Valley of Fire State Park and Mt. Charleston are interesting. There are a couple of historic sites in or near the city.
Even if you never put a nickle in a slot machine, think about having lunch or dinner in the Eiffel restaurant for great views of the city.
Favorite restaurants, Mon Ami Gabi at Paris, Joe's Steak and seafood at Cesears, Firefly on Paradise (as it says on Paradise Ave in a strip mall) and Jaleo in the Cosmopolitan. Also a tapas place at the Fashion Show mall, but I don't recall the name.
If you go to Death Valley the route via Parhump is much better than I-15 to Bakers and then north.
For Palm Spring after DV, go though the Park SR 190 then catch US 395 south to I-15 and south to I-10 east,

Lateagain

Why did you plan on flying into Las Vegas? Surely LA would have suited you better!

1JAR

LAteAgain... was late again...apprently missed the info about low airfares...

Re: other things to do in Vegas, check out the various shows. Some are very inexpensive. We once saw Jimmy Buffett in concert at the MGM Grand..was not cheap but sure was fun..singing about Hamburgers in Paradise and hitting beach balls.

Some lounges are great: there was a Vodka Loungs that was an Icebar and we were greeted at the door with mink coats.

There is also a beautiful art exhibit in Bellagio and an aqaurium in one of the hotels.

Website below is alitttle cheesey but has a "free things to see" at the bottem.

http://www.cheapovegas.com/

happytrailstoyou

We don't gamble either, but we stay mid-Strip (at Bally's or vicinity) for easy access to Bellagio Dancing Waters and other attractions. There is plenty to boggle the minds of first-time visitors in Las Vegas.

Our favorite places to visit from Las Vegas are Zion NP, Death Valley, and Red Rock Canyon.

In Death Valley we stay at Furnace Creek Ranch.

Enjoy, HTTY

Margo

Wow--Thanks for the early information. We are flying in/out of LV just because we have never been there. We will be using FF tickets on Delta.
If we should choose to stay someplace other than the strip, would it be hard to drive to the strip and park, then stroll around there? We have stayed in casino/hotels in places like the Black Hills, SD and Lake Tahoe and do not like to walk through a smoky casino to get to the elevators. Prefer something like Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn but then we could stay in those places anywhere in the USA. (and have)!

Keep the suggestions coming. We will try to book one of the park hotels in Death Valley. Anyone have a recommendation there?

Margo

tracys2cents

On weekdays the casino hotels will probably have much better prices. On weekends a Holiday Inn Express/Hilton Garden Inn may be competitively priced.

Yes it is easy to drive to the strip, all the hotels have free parking including free valet parking. But the strip gets very busy at night, especially Fri and Sat night, so driving around to see the sights can be time consuming.

http://www.vegas.com/attractions/

travisblue

Another site to get discounted tickets for Vegas shows is
goldstar.com. I've used the site to buy tickets to magic & comedy shows.

You have to sign up for a membership, but it's free.

tomfuller

If you don't like what you find for lodging in Death Valley, check this place out in Death Valley Junction. http://www.amargosa-opera-house.com/
Where else can you stay in a combination opera house/hotel?

abram

We're not gamblers, but we enjoyd six days in LV. We stayed at Bally's because of the mid-strip location and low price. Just wandering by and through the hotels was fun.

We liked: Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Springs Preserve, Liberace Museum, Atomic Testing Museum, Mandalay Bay Shark Reef, Fremont Street Experience (at night), Imperial Car Collection, Jubilee backstage tour, Bellagio fountain show from the top of the Eiffel Tower, Bellagio Conservatory, Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, MGM Lion Habitat, Mirage Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat.

nytraveler

You do know that you're going in midwinter - and that there is a good cahcne of snow t Grand Canyon and other elevated areas. And LV can be quite cold - even though it is a dessert.

Frankly, if I didn't gamble I wouldn't go. Have been 3 times (all on business) and would happily never go again. there are a few things to be seen (if you collect the truly strange) but frankly I find it very boring.

BillJ

If you want to 'SEE' the strip, and dine there, and see a show there, and generally hang out, then you should stay there. Driving into and out of the strip is a nightmare most of the time. You can generally self park at any of the hotels.

But if you must stay outside the strip, and not in the normal chains, try Station Casinos, with several located around town. I particularly like Red Rock Casino, which by the way, at Charleston and the 215, is only about 20 minutes from Red Rock Canyon Park, a beautiful day trip activity.
Also try Coast Casinos, particularly Sun Coast, near the Red Rock. They are somewhat less expensive than strip hotels, but their buffets are arguably the best in town, especially Red Rock's.
Also, Green Valley, out near Henderson, is newer and up scale.

bachslunch

Will definitely second abram's list of in-town attractions. Sorry to report, though, that the Liberace Museum closed recently -- too bad, as it was for me the best tourist attraction in the city.

I can only add a gawk at the erupting volcano display outside the Mirage to this list. Kitchy fun.

Margo

Thanks again. We won't be going to the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam this time--or anywhere to the east of LV. Sorry to hear that the Liberace museum is closed--that might have been "a hoot" as they say.

I would be interested to hear what the weather in LV might be at the end of Jan. After all we are trying to escape some of the bad weather that will be here in the east at that time. Also, what will it be like in Death Valley?

Are the attractions at the casinos visible in the daytime (like the volcano eruption)or mainly at night?

Margo

bachslunch

The volcano eruption is an evening attraction, and besides, it's more impressive after dark. Also, the Fremont Street Experience is definitely an evening-only attraction. The rest can be experienced during the day with no problems, though it's likely the Bellagio fountains only start up sometime in the afternoon.

tomfuller

If you find yourself up at Fremont Street Experience before 3 PM, you can get a great buffet meal at The Golden Nugget.
The Nugget has a tube water slide that goes through the shark tank into the pool. They also have the worlds largest gold nugget on public display (62+ lb.).
There is a zipline which is active during the afternoon under the screen for the night light show.
The fountains at the Bellagio are more impressive after dark because of the lights.

boom_boom

This past winter Death Valley had some pretty nasty weather, but most of the time it will be sunny and pleasant during the day and downright cold (at least to desert rats) at night. A normal winter day should be in the 60s at Furnace Creek.
If you happen to be there on a Sunday the historic Furnace Creek in has a great Sunday brunch buffet during the winter.

chocaholic

I just stayed at the M Resort, the room was a tad small compared to Vegas standards. But the room was nice and pleasant. The beds were had nice sheets and beds like the Westin hotels. The bathroom was well thought out, the layout. Your room on the strip side looks out to the dessert canyons. The M Resort is very south of the strip. The staff was very pleasant. I've never had all staff saying morning, good afternoon, or evening when they saw you. Very unusual. Like a poster told me you could stay at the hotel and not leave the premises. I liked it becuz once you parked your car, you didn't have to walk miles to get to your room!