Things to do in Vegas when you're boring

[Passacaglia]

Okay, so lurker and I are headed to Vegas this weekend. Normally, we wouldn't have much interest in it, but she's being sent their for work, so we figured we might as well take advantage, and see what it's like. Anyway, we're looking for things to do. The rules are...we don't gamble, we don't drink, and we're pretty cheap (this rule is more negotiable).

So, let's hear some ideas!

[gottimd]

Swingers clubs?

I can't imagine being in Vegas and not drinking and gambling. Once the plane lands I am pretty much in a haze, and I wake up a few days later and I am at home.

[Maple Leafs]

Just walking through the casinos will kill an afternoon for you.

P.S. When you're there, they'll give you free drinks, and you will wind up gambling.

[DaddyTorgo]

wax museum? MMA fights?

[Fidatelo]

Play craps. Craps rules.

[JPhillips]

Kill a prostitute and hide her in the desert.

[DaddyTorgo]

a variation on the "fat people at walmart" game that was discussed in that other thread?

basically just...people watch for different categories of stuff...send photos to each other on cellphones?

spa for her?

and i've never been, but don't they have museums/exhibits of all sorts of weird stuff? in casinos and other places.

and i'm pretty sure the hard rock for example has all sorts of rock n roll mororabilia (sp).

[Ksyrup]

My wife and I are the same way - we don't gamble, don't drink, don't really like to go out to huge social gatherings...I think we spent 3 minutes in a casino on our honeymoon when we stayed in Tahoe. I've been to Vegas once and pretty much don't care if I ever go back. Luckily it was for work so I was somewhat busy, otherwise the only fun activity I had for those couple of days was counting the number of whores who were leaving the hotel at 6am as I waited for my partner in the lobby before heading to the airport.

[Critch]

You could sit in the hotel room and watch tv?

Maybe order room service for a bit of a thrill?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

My wife and I are the same way - we don't gamble, don't drink, don't really like to go out to huge social gatherings...I think we spent 3 minutes in a casino on our honeymoon when we stayed in Tahoe. I've been to Vegas once and pretty much don't care if I ever go back. Luckily it was for work so I was somewhat busy, otherwise the only fun activity I had for those couple of days was counting the number of whores who were leaving the hotel at 6am as I waited for my partner in the lobby before heading to the airport.

see, now there's a fun game!

[DaddyTorgo]

spa for her, golf for you?

swimming in the pools?

there's plenty of options. i don't know if there are anymore options than the ones i already listed that are "uniquely vegas" that don't involve the things you don't do, but there's plenty of "normal-ish" things you can do to have fun.

[MikeVic]

Meet up with CoffeeWarlord?

[Coffee Warlord]

Heh, I already PM'd him.

[Toddzilla]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Play craps. Craps rules.

aw hells yeah

[bhlloy]

How cheap is cheap? Cirque de Soleil is awesome, but north of $100 per ticket. You can probably see a pretty good show for $50 per person elsewhere. There are also a ton of comedy clubs and performers I'm guessing will be a lot cheaper off the beaten track.

Once you get to the hotel, there is usually a Vegas directory on the table which tells you how much something costs and where to call for tickets.

Other than that - I'm guessing you are going to spend a lot of time walking around and just killing time. Hope the hotel room is nice and you get ESPN

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Here's a few.......

-Circus Circus has a indoor amusement part that's a lot of fun. Don't ride the NY, NY coaster as it is VERY bumpy.

-There's a gun range directly down the street a couple of miles from Excalibur. You can fire semi-automatic and fully automatic guns with instructors. My wife did it and loved it. I was a bit frightenend by how much she liked it.

-Take a trip to the top of the Stratosphere and ride all of the thrill rides. You'll never have a bigger adrenline rush than when you ride 'Big Shot' or 'Xscream'. I go and ride them every time I head out there. Amazing view.

-If you're into Star Trek, the Hilton has something called 'The Star Trek Experience'. It's got a ride and lots of cool memoribilia from the show.

-If you're willing to drop $120, they have an indoor skyjumping place. Lots of fun if you want the excitement of flying around without having to jump out of a plane.

-The Hoover Dam is only a hour away if you want to go see it. There are also river rafting trips in the Grand Canyon where they pick you up in the morning and bring you back around 4:00 PM. Lots of fun.

-They have scooter rentals everywhere. It's a great way to explore the town, though I would suggest that you don't try to put two adults on one scooter. Rent one for each of you and have a scooter gang. Be sure to wear a helmet.

-There's a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. Madam Tousseau's (sp?) wax museum is also a great time at the Venetian. Also, the Venetian and Bellagio both have fine art museums. Great works of art from some of the best artists.

-The shopping areas at Caesar's and Venetian are wonderful. Obviously, some of the stuff is pretty expensive, but there is stuff available for everyone. You can also still get Pete Rose's autograph 6 days a week at the sports store in Caesar's. He collects a bit of money to sign it and then uses it to support his gambling habits, usually at the Rio. Gondola rides are available at the Venetian.

-Lots of shows available as well. I'd highly recommend Blue Man Group and Avenue Q. The Cirque shows involving water are also nice. My only suggestion would be to never pay full price for the shows. Most of them have cheaper rates if you buy the day of the show. Also, Blue Man Group and the water shows have cheaper tickets in the first couple of rows. You may get wet, but it's the best seat in the house and the price can't be beat.

As always, best bet is to find a good staff member in your hotel, toss them $10-20 and tell them you're looking for cheap deals in town. You'd be amazed how much info they'll give you with a simple tip.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The notion of not gambling and/or drinking in Vegas does seem a bit like hell on the surface. However, there's actually quite a lot to do there that involves neither, as I learned when my son got to join us on a combined business-pleasure trip a couple of years ago.

I'll try to dig up the list that I made for that trip when I get back to the comp later today. Some of the obvious things I can mention from memory -- Fountains at Bellagio, the Pirate ship show at Treasure Island, the lions at MGM, the dolphin habitat, animals, & gardens at The Mirage, the motion simulator rides at several locations -- but there was actually quite a bit more stuff on the list too, so much so that we only got through about half the possibilities in three days.

A few things like that, plus some of the free lounge acts around town, the light show over Fremont Street, plenty of cheap food, and maybe one good show and I think you've covered most of a weekend with ease.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

-If you're into Star Trek, the Hilton has something called 'The Star Trek Experience'. It's got a ride and lots of cool memoribilia from the show.

Which, that hotel also houses the greatest urinals in the history of mankind.

[thesloppy]

Try to collect as many hooker trading cards and catalogs as possible! GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!

[rkmsuf]

Non stop fornication interrupted only when America's Funniest Home Videos comes on Saturday night.

[Telle]

Oh you can easily fill a weekend without gambling or drinking. Hang out by the pool for awhile. Hit up the buffets. Walk the strip. Even if you don't gamble it's fun to wander through all the different hotels/casinos just to site-see.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

-Circus Circus has a indoor amusement part that's a lot of fun. Don't ride the NY, NY coaster as it is VERY bumpy.

YMMV. I loved the NYNY rollercoaster. Especially at night.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Try to collect as many hooker trading cards and catalogs as possible! GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!

LMAO, as you've truly hit on one of things that makes Vegas Vegas.

[albionmoonlight]

The Valley of Fire (I think that is what it is called) was pretty cool. Just a bit outside of town, IIRC.

[Daimyo]

Vegas has great restaurants, lots of (expensive) shopping, and lots of shows. You can also take a day trip to the Hoover Dam or a longer trip to the Grand Canyon.

[miked]

Don't wander the strip in the summertime. It's like walking through a fire. Plus, everything is tons farther than it looks. My wife enjoys Star Trek a little, so we went to that thing at the Hilton. I got made fun of by a guy in a Klingon costume. We were in line and my wife asked me to hold her bag while she tied her shoe. He walked by and shouted, check out the human with a nice purse...everyone got a laugh. The irony of being made fun of by a guy in a Klingon outfit was good enough for me. The ride was pretty decent.

The rollercoaster in NY, NY was fun, but there was a long line and I went right after hitting the MGM grand breakfast buffet.

Lots of shows, lots of food, lots of money pits. Play some golf, bring sunscreen.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by path12

YMMV. I loved the NYNY rollercoaster. Especially at night.

I would agree the the view is very good on the coaster. I just felt like I was recovering from a concussion once I got off.

[wishbone]

Here's a list I made for a trip last summer, same requirements...

Big Shot at the Stratosphere
2000 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, 89104
(702) 380-7777
(800) 99-TOWER
Hours of operation: Sunday - Thursday, 10am - 1am Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, 10am - 2am
Cost: $15.95 (includes admission to Stratosphere Tower). Tickets to ride the Big Shot, Insanity and X Scream are $23.95. An all-day ride pass is also available for $29.95.
Payment options: Cash, Visa, MasterCard.



Exotic Cars at Caesars Forum Shops
3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 735-7700
(800) CAESARS
Hours of operation: Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-midnight.
Cost: $5 general admission.



Fountains at Bellagio
3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-7111
(888) 488-7111
Hours of operation: Monday - Friday, 3 p.m. - midnight. Saturday and Sunday, noon - midnight. The fountains run every half-hour until 8 p.m. and every 15 minutes after that until midnight. Fountains are occasionally closed during high winds.
Cost: Free.



Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain shows at Caesars Forum Shops
3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 731-7110
(800) CAESARS
Hours of operation: Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain: Every hour on the hour Sunday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - midnight .
Cost: Free.


The Auto Collections
3535 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 731-3311
(800) 634-6441
Hours of operation: Open daily, 9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $6.95 for adults, $3 for seniors 65 and older and children 12 and under.

Fremont Street Experience
425 Fremont St.
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 678-5777
Hours of operation: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 p.m. and midnight nightly. Neon Museum open 24 hours.
Cost: Free.



M&M's World
3785 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 736-7611
Hours of operation: Sunday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. - midnight.
Cost: Free.


GameWorks
3769 Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 432-4263
Hours of operation: Sunday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 1 a.m. Located inside the Showcase Mall.
Cost: Admission is free. Prices for games range between 50 cents and $4 each, with rock climbs $10 for 75 feet. All activities operate off a debit card that can be purchased at the entrance.

Mirage volcano
3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 791-7111
(800) 963-9634
Hours of operation: Beginning at 8 p.m., the volcano erupts every hour on the hour until midnight.
Cost: Free.


Pirates 4D
3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 262-4555
(800) 557-7428
Hours of operation: Show times vary, but usually 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please call.
Cost: $9.99.


Quark's Bar and Restaurant
Las Vegas Hilton - 3000 S. Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV, 89109
(702) 697-8725
Cuisine: Hamburgers, Salads, Sandwiches, American
Average cost: $15 or less


Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton
3000 S. Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 697-8700
Hours of operation: Sunday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
BORG Invasion 4D: 12:30pm -7:30 pm Sunday - Thursday and 12:30pm - 9:30 pm Friday and Saturday.
Klingon Encounter: 11:30am - 6:20pm Sunday - Thursday and 11:30am - 8:20 pm Friday and Saturday.
Cost: Dual mission ticket prices are $36.99 per person
Admission for "Star Trek: The Experience -- Secrets Unveiled" is $29.99 with the purchase of a ride ticket, or $39.99 for a single tour ticket.
Souvenir photos in the Captain's Chair and/or the BORG Regeneration Chamber are $14.99 each or $24.99 for both.
The Latinum Package includes a dual mission ticket, admission to "Star Trek: The Experience: Secrets Unveiled" and two free photos (in the Captain's Chair and the BORG Regeneration Chamber) for $75.99.
The Admiral's Package includes a dual mission ticket, admission to "Star Trek: The Experience: Secrets Unveiled," two free photos (in the Captain's Chair and the BORG Regeneration Chamber), a meal at Quark's Restaurant, an exclusive Star Trek 40th anniversary pilsner glass and a free retail prize package including an original series ST Communicator for $149.99.
* Payment options: Cash, US Traveler's Checks, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover.
* Reservations: Reservations can be made for Quark's Bar and Restaurant by calling (702) 697-8752.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Wishbone's post about car exhibits reminded me of something. Go to the car dealership at the Wynn. It's $10 to get in, but you don't have to deal with crowds and they have a number of spectacular cars. They have showroom upstairs with about 20 cars and another 40 cars in a garage in the basement that the public doesn't get to see. You can also sit in a F1 race car as well.

[Crim]

Wait a banana... Lurker is a girl?!?

[AZSpeechCoach]

Where's the Ripley's Museum? I need to go there!

[Coffee Warlord]

Well, at least I get to finally meet Passa and Lurker this weekend!

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Well, at least I get to finally meet Passa and Lurker this weekend!

Heh, yeah. It'll be weird if this works out -- we've tried at least two or three Chicago get-togethers that fell through, so it'd be weird to see you somewhere across the country.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Heh, yeah. It'll be weird if this works out -- we've tried at least two or three Chicago get-togethers that fell through, so it'd be weird to see you somewhere across the country.

It's only fitting. We can't actually meet in Chicago, we have to go to a different state accomplish that.

And unless everything goes to hell, there's no reason this one should fail. It's not like I have any set in stone plans Saturday. There's drinking, gambling, drinking, gambling, drinking, drinking, and dinner somewhere in there. That's my goal.

[Hammer755]

Penn & Teller also have a show in Vegas that I've heard good things about.

[Passacaglia]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! The trip was pretty fun! I got in Thursday night, 1:30 am Vegas time, after my plane had been delayed a couple times. I stayed my first night where lurker had been having her meetings, at the Red Rock Hotel, then on Friday, we moved to the Stratosphere. We kind of wished we had something more in the thick of things, and it's not like the Stratosphere was all that nice (or cheap) to make up for it. Anyway, on Friday, we ate at the Startosphere's buffet (okay, but not great, hung around the MGM Grand and New York, New York, and saw the Cirque du Soleil "Ka" show, which was...interesting. The people we saw it with had already seen the "O" show, and it sounded like that one was better -- no pretentious semblance of a plot. On Saturday, we rented a car and drove out to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Lake Las Vegas -- a lot of cool scenery out there, and we'd never seen anything like it. Came back and ate at the Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere, which was nice -- they made a big deal about the fact that they had a dress code, but when we asked what it was, they said "no beach wear, no sandals." Anyway, it was still a nice place. I'd never been in a revolving restaurant, so that was cool. For the rest of the night, we pretty much hung out more at the Stratosphere. Didn't go on the rides up there, but we saw other people going on them -- they looked more scary then fun. Sunday, we started at the Stratosphere, and walked down the strip -- big mistake. I know we were told on here that things seem close but are actually far, and we knew that most of the places we wanted to see were further away, but we didn't feel like walking to the monorail, or figuring out a trolley, so we just walked. It was really hot, and there wasn't much around for the first half of our trip, but once we got to the concentrated area, it was nicer. We pretty much just walked around, saw the fountains at Bellagio (cool), the volcano at Mirage (cool), and the Festival Fountain show at Caesar's Palace (so horridly lame that it was hilarious). We also spent a lot of time at the Venetian, reliving our honeymoon in Venice last February, and mocking people on the gondola rides (which, oddly enough, is how we spent a lot of our time in Venice, too). We were going to eat at the Bellagio Buffet, but the line was crazy, and we were worried we would miss out flight, so we ended up eating at the buffet in Paris -- the food wasn't as traditional, but it was all really good.

We didn't get to meet up with Coffee Warlord -- our plans were to hook up sometime Saturday, and we were out in the country then. Guess we'll have to meet in boring old Chicago.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by miked

Don't wander the strip in the summertime. It's like walking through a fire. Plus, everything is tons farther than it looks. My wife enjoys Star Trek a little, so we went to that thing at the Hilton. I got made fun of by a guy in a Klingon costume. We were in line and my wife asked me to hold her bag while she tied her shoe. He walked by and shouted, check out the human with a nice purse...everyone got a laugh. The irony of being made fun of by a guy in a Klingon outfit was good enough for me. The ride was pretty decent.

The rollercoaster in NY, NY was fun, but there was a long line and I went right after hitting the MGM grand breakfast buffet.

Lots of shows, lots of food, lots of money pits. Play some golf, bring sunscreen.

I really wanted to get made fun of by a Klingon! Or maybe a Ferengi. But it was not to be. When we walked down the strip in the summertime (thanks for the advice on that!), it was kinda out of the way, plus, while I thought seeing Quark's bar of the Promenade would have been kind of cool, I didn't need a whole "Experience."

[Karlifornia]

Going to Vegas without drinking or gambling? Why not just go to Salt Lake City? Much cheaper...

[lurker]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

Going to Vegas without drinking or gambling? Why not just go to Salt Lake City? Much cheaper...

Maybe you chose to ignore this sentence because of the typo?

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Normally, we wouldn't have much interest in it, but she's being sent their for work, so we figured we might as well take advantage, and see what it's like.

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by lurker

Maybe you chose to ignore this sentence because of the typo?

Yeah, I'd say that's pretty much what happened, but leave out the part referring to the typo.

I rescind my comment.