Las Vegas, Nevada

By Aaron Vincett


Las Vegas, Sin City. Most of us associate the Las Vegas strip with showgirls, gambling, booze, and general sin. But besides the toll that you may believe it takes on your spiritual well-being, all that sin can get expensive. The average tourist in Las Vegas Nevada loses $469 by gambling. But rather than betting away your hard-earned cash in a labyrinthine casino, you can find other Las Vegas attractions that are worth the trip. Saving money doesn't necessarily mean watching TV in one of those massive Las Vegas hotels, either. There are lots of things to do Las Vegas style that don't involve trying to beat the house, because we've all heard the age-old adage: the house always wins. Let's take a look at some of the things to do in Las Vegas without gambling.

One of my favorite things to do Las Vegas offers is hiking. Only 17 miles from the las vegas strip is the Red Rock Canyon National Park. You can camp, rock climb, bike, or hike with the best of them on nineteen trails labeled from easy to strenuous, so anyone from any background or age can find something they can enjoy. Who says all these Las Vegas attractions are bad for you? Besides, you can work off that all-you-can eat buffet a lot easier on the trail than in the hotel room.

Another of those things to do Las Vegas may not be famous for is golf. Believe it or not, Las Vegas actually has world-class golf courses designed by some of the best golfers in the world. Right on the Vegas Strip you'll find The Wynn, and the Arroyo Golf Club at Red Rock isn't too terribly far. Angel Park is a highly-acclaimed 36-hole golf course with terrific scenic views over the Red Rock Canyon and Las Vegas valley.

While going green and promoting environmental awareness may not seem like Sin City's typical things to do Las Vegas actually has a very nice botanical park called Springs Preserve that aims to do that and more while showcasing the history of the area. Opened in 2007, Springs Park was funded by Las Vegas to be 180 acres without a hotel or casino, just museums, gardens, galleries, and tons of outdoor events.

While the high-energy night life on the Las Vegas strip is a wonder to behold, the best time to appreciate some of it is in the early morning before things get too crazy. Most people never take the time to enjoy the majestic scenery of the hotels on the strip, and an early morning walk or jog would be the best time to see it in broad daylight. The community of Summerlin also has 150 miles of trails that give some of the best views around Las Vegas.

While Las Vegas may be in the middle of a huge drab desert, it does have the advantage of being near the Colorado River, which eventually runs into the Grand Canyon. Going about thirty five miles south of Las Vegas, you will run into the Hoover Dam, one of the most impressive achievements of 20th century construction. So if you run out of things to do Las Vegas is close enough to make the trip to the Hoover Dam worth it.

Sin City, Nevada




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