Earlier this month, Mike and I took the most spontaneous trip I've ever (not) planned, and to Las Vegas, no less! Mike had some annual leave to burn at work before 2017 ends, so we decided to put it to good use and travel to a city neither of us had ever been to. I am a huge planner, so a spontaneous last-minute trip was a bit daunting for me, but it ended up working really well to just book a room on the strip and wing it. Neither of us really gamble, so we weren't sure if we'd really like it, but it was honestly a blast! Such a fun city to people watch and explore.
For us, Las Vegas was more about taking in the sights of the grand hotels and casinos, and not really about the food. I think we ended up just grabbing mostly quick bites at the casinos, but we did eat dinner one night at the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in the MGM Grand.
Day 1: Check-in & Explore the Strip
Check into your Hotel: We chose to stay on the strip in order to get an authentic Las Vegas experience. It was nice to be able to walk to most hotels and casinos at any time in the day or night. After all, the city never sleeps. The hotels also have relatively low room rates compared to other areas of the U.S. because most of their revenue comes from the casino, not the rooms. We chose the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino (now called the Park MGM) since it had cheaper rates than the others, but also centrally located. This hotel was in a perfect location for us, since it was directly adjacent to New York, New York Hotel & Casino, which turned out to be our favorite casino to spend time at.
Book your Buffet and Show: The hotel concierge is there to help you find the best activities to do while you're in Vegas. After checking-in, Mike asked for the best value buffet and I asked for a show that we can only see in Vegas. We ended up booking an afternoon reservation at the Aria Buffet and tickets to Zumanity for the next day which I'll talk about later. If you're planning any day trips, now would be the time to book your rental car as well.
Explore the Strip: Take in the sights of the strip and pop into a few casinos to get a feel for the lights, action, and gambling. We walked up towards the Flamingo Hotel & Casino and back, stopping to see the High Roller at the LINQ and the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas. In Las Vegas it's legal to drink outside on the strip, so we ended up getting one of those large plastic margarita cups that you can refill and enjoy throughout the weekend. The New York, New York Hotel & Casino was probably the hotel we spent the most time at, as it had a fun atmosphere and a few $5 blackjack tables.
Day 2: Top Golf, Eat at the Buffet, & See a Show
Top Golf and Rides: We woke up and decided to try top golf. We didn't exactly feel like gambling in the AM, so this was a nice and relaxing morning activity before the buffet. We also rode the New York Big Apple Coaster, because why not? There are a few rides along the strip, but most of them were too far north for us to walk to, so we just decided to ride the New York, New York one, which was fun. Also, definitely wanted to make sure we rode before the buffet ;)
Eat at the Buffet: You have to eat at at least one buffet while you're in Vegas! We chose the Aria Buffet, which had various international stations, such as Indian, Mediterranean, and Latin. They also had a big gelato station which was heavenly.
See a Show: Just like the buffet, seeing a show is also a must. I wasn't sure what types of shows Vegas even had to offer besides magic and music, so we asked the Hotel concierge to recommend a show that you can only experience in Vegas. Enter Zumanity. It's a raunchy, crude, adults-only Cirque du Soleil. Definitely recommend since it's something you can only see in Vegas!
Day 3: Downtown Las Vegas, Couples Massage, & Exploring the Resorts
Downtown Las Vegas: You may know downtown Las Vegas as old or North Las Vegas. We took an Uber up to the original gambling district to explore the Fremont Street Experience, which hosts a large covered pedestrian mall with a long zip line down the middle. There, hotels and casinos are more old-school western-saloon looking, which was a nice change from the mega-resorts on the strip.
Couples Massage: We were lucky enough to end up with some extra cash on us by Day 3, so we indulged in a couples massage at Happy Feet in the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. It was such a treat!
Explore the Hotels: Once we got back from Downtown Las Vegas, we had an early dinner and then walked along the strip once again to see some of the hotels we missed the first two nights. There's so many hotels to explore so you'll need multiple nights!
We watched the spectacular Fountains of Bellagio dance to the tunes of Christmas carols and saw the fiery Volcano show at the Mirage. We walked down the Grand Canal of the Venetian and had drinks by the Chandelier Bar in the Cosmopolitan. We even found a secret pizza place hidden in one of the hotels mentioned above!
Day 4: Day-Trip to Red Rocks Canyon
Day Trip to Red Rocks Canyon: We rented a car for a day-trip to see Red Rocks Canyon. (We did have a hard time finding a car rental service that wasn't booked up, so definitely book the car early.) Red Rocks is one of the easternmost areas of the Mojave Desert and comprised of - you guessed it - red rock formations and towering sandstone peaks. The canyon hosts a scenic 13-mile drive with many stops and trailheads along the way. The visitor center also had some worthwhile outdoor exhibits to explore as well.
Squeeze in the Bucket List Items: On the way back from the canyon, we had to stop by an In-N-Out to try their famous burgers, animal-style fries, and shakes. We returned the car to one of the resorts that was near the Welcome to Las Vegas sign so we walked over to get our quintessential photo there. There was a longgggg line leading up to it to snap photos head-on, but pro-tip: we just stepped to the side a bit further back and took our own photo from the side, and outside the frame of people waiting in the line.
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