maryed

In June, my husband is taking me to Vegas for our 10th Anniversary. The first couple of nights at the Golden Nugget and then Green Valley Ranch. I already know he is planning a spa day for me as a gift. Any suggestions on where to go or what to do as a gift in return. Off the beaten path and memorable are desired Thanks!

Loki

Not sure what you're looking for but a popular father's day type gift out there is there's a deal at the Vegas NASCAR track where they'll take your husband in a real stock car around teh track at like 170 MPH or there's one where he can drive the car himself but it's a little slower. Each costs a few hundred bucks (comparable to a spa day in Vegas) and I've never heard a guy complain that he didn't think it was worth every penny. A real thrill if that's what he's into.

puppydog

My husband and I are going to Vegas in July for our 10th anniversary!! Haven't booked yet, I'm waiting to see if the prices go down! Can't help you with the gift suggestions, the trip is our gift to one another.
Congratulations and Have Fun!!!

maryed

The Nascar idea is a great one. He's a car salesman and would love to bring the story back the dealership!
Thanks!

hippirep

How do you find information regarding the NASCAR gift? I will be there for Father's Day and would love to give that to him as a gift...He is a NASCAR junkie.

Thanks,

Loki

http://www.1800bepetty.com/

nancyV

Hi, Lots of 10th Anniversay celebrations going on, me too! I am surprising my hubby with a trip in June. I have been reading all the comments in the " talk" section of Fodors, I felt compelled to register to this particular one, near and dear to my heart. Congrats to all the 10ths. I thought it might be romantic to renew our wedding vows, jsut wondering if anybody new anything about this, cost, places, I wouldn't want a lot of fanfare, maybe something silly, like Elvis, wondering if you need a marriage license. Taking my husband to the Bellagio, Lake view with tickets to " O". have not told him yet, I booked trip in Feb. can't wait to tell him.
Thanks for all the good hints and tips I got from reading what other have said.

Loki

Search for "vegas wedding chapel" on any search engine (Google) and you'll come up with loads of stuff. Costs are anywhere from $50-$1000 depending on what you want (video, photography). I've been to Little Church of the West and it's very reputable. Little Chapel of the FLowers gets good reviews too. Just beware there are some out there that are in bad neighborhoods and look nothing like the way they are represented online. There's no marriage license for a renewal. One of the best Elvis impersonators who does weddings is Jesse Garon (young Elvis), I think he'll even pick you up in an old pink Cadillac or something like that and chauffeur you to the chapel. Little CHurch of the West runs about $300 for a package deal with photos and stuff and then you'd have to hire your Elvis on top of that. I'm sure if you called them they could hook you up with Jesse, not sure how much he charges.

Enjoy Bellagio; stop down at the Fontana Bar at night for romantic view of the fountains on the patio and drink a peach bellini.

puppydog

Nancy V,
Happy 10th anniversary to you and your hubby also!! The renewing your vows idea sounds good. I'll have to run the idea by my nearest and dearest!
Have a great time in Vegas!
I especially like the Elvis doing the ceremony idea!!!!!

nancyV

Thanks Loki for the great tips,I see your name in response to many questions, I think it is great that people can share their experiences and knowledge through a forum such as this.
Well know that I am registered, and this is kind of fun I will have to reply back with my trip report.

hippirep

Loki - Thanks for the NASCAR info!

ChristieP

We did the Richard Petty Driving Experience as a gift for my Dad (NASCAR fan) a few years ago and he STILL talks about it! If your hubby is a NASCAR fan or a motor sports fa at all, he will LOVE IT!

LDLee

We went to Las Vegas last year for our tenth anniversary. We did renew our vows before Elvis. That was fun.

"O" is an amazing show. A suggestion, don't drink too much wine before you go. The music is very soothing, and I fell asleep for about 10 minutes.

We did not get too far off the beaten path. For racing fans, the Petty session sounds pretty cool. I had friends who drove around Texas Motor Speedway and still rave.

If your husband golfs, work with the hotel to get him a tee time. There are some great courses around Las Vegas.

I also thought the lunch at the Grand Canyon sounded like a lot of fun. Also, There is supposed to be a national park about an hour drive away from Las Vegas that has great vistas if you want to picnic

Make sure to use the concierge service at your hotel. They can provide you a lot of insight at get you tickets to things that are supposedly sold out.

Overall, I did not care for Las Vegas. I don't gamble. Everywhere was very smoky. If nonsmoking casino workers don't have a higher incidence of lung cancer, then there is no eveidence that second hand smoking causes cancer. The high-end restaurants were mediocre at best. The best value was the brunch at Bellagio.

rwilliams

To LDLee: while it has been a stereotype for many years that the good restaurants in LV are mediocre by NYC and SF standards, this stereotype has begun to crumble.

USA Today's food critic rated Picasso at Bellagio the #1 restaurant in the entire USA about 3 years ago.

If you check the current AAA Five Diamond ratings, there are 46 Five Diamond restaurants in the USA. Las Vegas has 2 (Picasso, Renoir) which is twice as many as the city of San Francisco has, the same number as the entire state of Texas, and NYC has 6. Given that NYC's metro population is 5.5 times larger than LV's, LV has more 5 Diamond restaurants per capita than NYC or Chicago.

LDLee

That may be the case; however, I went to Picasso and Prime and was disappointed in both. The best restaurant we found was Nobhill at the MGM Grand.