4 Free Things We Did in Las Vegas... and 5 For The Next Trip

(In an effort to freshen up the "wanderings" part of my blog, I want to start incorporating more travel posts, so this is my first attempt!)

I was so excited to go to Las Vegas for the first time last year, but I was also a bit worried about the costs - the restaurants, the gambling, the drinking - it wouldn't be cheap!  So I did some research before we left and came up with a list of things that we could do for free.  Because our trip was rather short and my list was really long, we only got to a few of them, so I guess that just means I'll have to go back!

1. Walking the Strip and checking out the casinos.  After parking our car, we basically walked anywhere we wanted to go along the Strip.  There's so much to see both inside and outside the casinos.  The themed hotels are so ornate and busy, we didn't even need to gamble to have fun.  And with the way we ate, we definitely needed the exercise.

2. The Park.  The Park is an outdoor area located between the Monte Carlo and New York-New York hotels.  It offered some respite from the craziness of the Strip and also housed some very cool sculptures.

3. The Bellagio fountains.   The fountains run on a schedule, so it's pretty easy to figure out when you should get there to see the show.

4.  The Welcome to Las Vegas sign.  The sign is actually located down Las Vegas Boulevard from the heart of the Strip, but since it was on the way to where we were staying, it was a quick stop for us.  There's actually a parking lot in the center of the road, which makes for an easy visit.  Also, it was quite a bit smaller than I thought it would be!

So, we ended up hitting the major tourist attractions while we were there, but if (when) we go back, there are five other attractions I'd like to check out, all for free:

Neon Museum: The Neon Museum houses an outdoor collection of classic neon signs.  Most of their collection is accessible through guided tours for a fee, but they also have a gallery of 9 restored signs that is open and free to the public, 24/7.

Ethel M. Chocolates: The Ethel M. Chocolates factory is actually located in Henderson.  You can do a free self-guided tour of the viewing aisle to catch a glimpse of them making the chocolate, and afterwards you can take a walk through their Botanical Cactus Garden, the largest in Nevada.

Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden: The conservatory at the Bellagio houses a multitude of plants, flowers, and trees, and the design is changed for each season.  Unfortunately, we were in Las Vegas for the couple days each quarter when the Garden is closed to create the next season's scene!

The Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo: Inside the flashy Flamingo resort is a wildlife habitat that features fish, turtles, and of course, flamingos. 

 

ARIA fine art collection: All over the ARIA hotel campus, you can find stunning pieces of public art, from sculptures to paintings.

Las Vegas isn't just about gambling and drinking - there really is something for everyone, and you don't always have to spend a ton of money to have fun!

 

What are some of your favorite Las Vegas attractions?  What's your favorite thing about Las Vegas?

 



Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

One of the things my husband was most excited about during our Las Vegas trip was a visit to Red Rock Canyon.  Located less than a 1/2 hour west of the strip, Red Rock Canyon is a beautiful place to spend a few hours.


For more information, click here.

There is a $10.00 per car entrance fee.  A 13-mile one-way road loops around the canyon, offering several parking lots to pick up trailheads and locations to take some spectacular photos.

With 20+ trails of varying lengths and levels of difficulty, there's something for everyone here, even trails for small children.  The trails themselves range from dirt/gravel to sand to small rocks to large boulders.

Red Rock Canyon is so different from the hikes we usually go on.  We're used to being in the woods, surrounded by shade and trees.  This time, we were in the desert, wide open spaces with little in the way of shade (although, it was a little more green than I expected!).  They're pretty obvious, but I want to offer the following tips for hiking in Red Rock Canyon:

1. Wear a hat and sunglasses.  Don't be dumb like me and give yourself a headache by squinting the whole time.  You're in the desert, it's going to be very sunny.
2. Put on plenty of sunscreen.  It was only in the mid-50s when we were there, but it felt a lot warmer, so I didn't even wear a jacket.  Protect your exposed skin from the beating sun.
3. Bring plenty of water.  You should always have water when you're hiking, but even more so when you're in this type of terrain and weather.  Stay hydrated! 

First, we hiked the Calico Springs Trail.  The trails were marked way better than I expected.  There were some signs, and when it made sense, the trails were lined by rocks, marking the path.  Calico Springs featured all different types of terrain along the way, but it was still a pretty easy hike.

Is it just me, or does this rock formation look like an iguana?

We also hiked the Keystone Thrust Trail.  This trail had a pretty decent incline the whole way, as well as a path of small rocks, which made for rough going.  But, the view down into the canyon made it all worth it!

My photos don't do this beautiful place enough justice - Red Rock Canyon is a must-see if you're in the Las Vegas area!

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

I finally convinced my husband to go to Las Vegas last month, and while we were there, we drove 45 minutes to the Hoover Dam.  Located on Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam is within the boundaries of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  We love to try new hiking spots when we're on vacation, so I was excited to do some research and find that the Historic Railroad Trail was really close to the Hoover Dam - so close, in fact, that the trail can be reached by walking out the back of the Hoover Dam parking garage!


For more information about the Historic Railroad Trail, visit the National Park Service here.

Approximately 3.5 miles long, the Trail historically featured a railroad track passing through 5 large tunnels.  The tracks are no longer there, but the trail still exists, with awesome views of Lake Mead.

After exiting the Hoover Dam parking garage, we walked over a mile before we got a glimpse of Lake Mead - I think Tom was getting a little nervous that we would never actually see it!

Tunnel 5, the first tunnel we encountered

Exiting Tunnel 5, with a view towards Tunnel 4

But, after we exited Tunnel 5, to our right we finally got our first view of Lake Mead, and it was spectacular.

The trail itself is a fairly easy walk, with nothing much in the way of hills.  Even on a Monday morning, we encountered lots of other people.

This hike was a great way to see a bit more of the sights after taking our tour of the Hoover Dam!