Weekend getaway with 3 choices
 

For our anniversary in late October, my husband and I have three-days... and a free flight to either:
- Denver
- Houston
- Las Vegas

We wanted to see the beauty of the US, but also have some romance and fun in the mix. Which one would you pick, and what would you do there?

Your help is GREATLY appreciated :)

I've done all three of these destinations on a long weekend. My own preference is Las Vegas! I always enjoy all the activity and glitter. There are many romantic places to stay and to dine. Bellagio comes to mind first. Then there is the Venetian. You should have nice weather in Oct, I would think. Enjoy!

I live in Houston. My firm's headquarters are in Denver. My wife and I spent our tenth anniversary in Las Vegas last year.

The choice depends on what you enjoy doing.

I didn't like Las Vegas. Don't gamble, the restaurants weren't as outstanding as implied by the price. Did enjoy Cirque de Soleil's "O". We stayed at Bellagio, and were disappointed. If went to LV again, would stay at the Venetian.

The weather in Houston is fantastic in October. And, there are many outstanding restaurants if you like to dine. But overall, the scenery is nowhere near as majestic as what you will see in and around Denver.

Denver is great if you enjoy the outdoors. Dining is not as good as either Las Vegas or Houston.

Despite these comments, when it is all said and done, you wil have a great time wherever you go because it is your anniversayr. Enjoy.

Thanks for your input... I think it might be Denver, based on our love of beautiful scenery.

Any advice on what to do/see in 3 days out there?

I would definitely choose Las Vegas. The energy of the city is amazing and there's much more to do than just gamble. There are many outdoor sidetrips including Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Also, just looing at the unique hotels is in itself an expereince.

Late October is not the best time to visit Denver if you're interested in the scenery. The colors in the high country (actually, it's more "color," the main trees in the mountains are aspen, which turn yellow, and evergreens) will likely have faded, and it will be COLD, though probably not cold enough for enough snow for the ski resorts to have opened. It's the down season in the mountains, so many business in the resort towns will be closed, taking a breather before the ski season. So even if the weather is nice when you're visiting, if you want to stay in a town in the mountins, it will be very quiet.

Closer to Denver, it will be warmer and better weather generally, so you could visit places like Garden of the Gods (outside of Colorado Springs), which are scenic, but nothing like the Rockies!

Denver itself is ok, but there's not a lot that you couldn't find in any other medium-sized city (museums, shopping, that kind of stuff). I'm not familiar with Houston, so I can't compare them for you, and I don't think you can compare Las Vegas to anywhere else. But here in Denver there are some very nice restaurants (Kevin Taylor & Arpege are two I like) and hotels (the historic Brown or the less-historic Hotel Monaco that I keep hearing great things about).