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Stuff to do if you have a car

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by weluvvegas, Apr 28, 2016.

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  1. weluvvegas

    weluvvegas Casino Countess

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    In 15 years of going to Vegas we have never gotten a car. We will have one this trip. What are some must-do's around the area away from the strip? Our party consists of my husband and I, my parents and our two teens ages 16 and 18. We've already decided that the large Anime store near Town Square is a must for us and I'm considering Container Park - they have a few Vegan eateries there and two of us are Vegan.

    What else? We are already going he Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam during our stay before we drive out to CA for the rest of our vacation.
     
  2. bluehonu

    bluehonu Tourist

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    Pinball museum on Tropicana Ave, Ethel M chocolates (free sample and nice cactus garden ), Red Rock canyon, Shelby mustang museum, Pawn Stars shop, Counts customs shop.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
     
  3. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    Cruise down the Strip south and visit Southpoint and the M. Then head back north during dusk and cruise the Strip and enjoy the sights.

    Driver not so fun, though, he has to watch the road. Lots of crazy drivers and pedestrians. Rest of the crew will love it.
     
  4. bluehonu

    bluehonu Tourist

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    Also Silverton has a large aquarium

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  5. Guy

    Guy Captain of the Heads

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    I quite like doing the round trip up to the Valley of Fire and then round into the Lake Mead park into Boulder City (and onwards to the Hoover Dam from there).
     
  6. Snidely

    Snidely VIP Whale

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    I enjoy the drive out to Red Rocks and Summerlin. Very pretty out there.

    Took me about 10 years before I started to rent a car to go golfing.
     
  7. vegasvic

    vegasvic VIP Whale

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    Red Rock and Valley of Fire are great. Death Valley/Furnace Creek was a nice fun drive, with a stop at Rhyolite (cool ghost town). Rick's Restorations was a good time (the behind the scenes tour for $65 per group was well worth it). Neon Boneyard. Hoover Dam. We've seen the Vegas episodes of Bar Rescue so we've checked out those bars (with teens that's not an option though).
     
  8. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    It all depends on what type of people you are. Are you the outdoorsy types? I would recommend going to Red Rock Canyon or the Valley of Fire. Lots of places to hike and drive and see the sights. Are you more the active type? Then you can ride ATV's or take a helicopter ride (or even skydive). You can also go to the many gun ranges to shoot at targets or even try out a machine gun. They even have indoor skydiving.

    You didn't say whether your kids were male or female, if female you can check out the premium outlet malls. Many people like the north mall because they have some of the more popular stores, I like the south mall because there is a wide variety of stores. There also is an indoor flea market not far from the strip, on Decatur blvd if you like to shop for bargains.

    If you are the sightseeing type then you can go up the Stratosphere and get an awesome 360 degree view of las vegas from 100 stories high. They even have some rides up on the top of The STRAT (if you want an adrenaline rush). Like planes? You can drive up to Nellis AFB and see the planes regularly flying in the area. Like different casinos? You can drive out to the M Resort or Southpointe or Green Valley Ranch, then you can drive out to the see the Boulder Highway casinos. There are many bowling alleys in vegas, Red Rock lanes look the neatest but so many other places to bowl if that is your thing.

    BTW, if you go to Hoover Dam don't forget to stop off and view the bypass bridge on the way. There is a parking lot on the road to the dam, it is a short walk (hike) up the hill to get to the bridge and get a great view of the dam from above. You can also drive around Lake Mead and even drive out to lake Las Vegas.

    If you are downtown you can also visit the Neonopolis. They have a toy store that you or the kids may enjoy.

    Once I started renting a car I found so many things to do and see away from the strip and downtown. Now I always rent a car whenever I go to vegas, at least for a day or more. So much to see and do.
     
  9. aaisack

    aaisack VIP Whale

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    Lots of good recommendations. I'll add Zion National Park. It's well worth the drive.
     
  10. VegasDawg

    VegasDawg Low-Roller

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    Two new things we're doing our next trip are heading south for around a 45 minute drive to Goodsprings Nv. to visit the Pioneer Bar where Clark Gable waited two days to get the confirmation of Carol Lombard's death in a nearby plane crash ( don't know the age of your parents could be of interest to them ).
    The second is head north to spend a day at Mount Charleston. If the family is into hiking, I believe there is a trail that can take you to the mountain peak. If hiking's not your thing then there is a lodge with a restaurant with views of the surrounding area.
     
  11. weluvvegas

    weluvvegas Casino Countess

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    Great ideas you guys! I thought about going over to Red Rocks Casino to do some bowling and just check it out. Is it worth it? Now there's so much to do, so little time!
     
  12. Travel Fanatic

    Travel Fanatic The Arbiter of Taste Caviar Kid

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    Hard to make recs without knowing your interests, but I will add another vote for the Pinball HOF. Its a ton of fun
     
    The plans have changed
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  13. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    OK, trying not to be picky, but it is Red Rock, not Rocks. Same as it it is Fremont Street, not Freemont!

    Damn, feeling like ornery old man tonight.
     
  14. weluvvegas

    weluvvegas Casino Countess

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    You are right. Sorry!

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  15. mescalita

    mescalita old and in the way...

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    Mt Charleston is less than an hour from downtown Vegas - plenty of hiking trails and beautiful views. It's also usually about 20 degrees cooler than the city.
    Vegans? Don't miss Ronald's Donuts on Spring Mountain Road - awesome vegan apple fritters and donuts. Have a great trip!
     
  16. wernerw

    wernerw Low-Roller

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    I second valley of fire.
     
  17. joespoolhall

    joespoolhall VIP Whale

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    Definitely spend a little time visiting locals casinos. Green Valley Ranch, Red Rock, Sam's Town on the Boulder Highway and downtown Henderson also. Make a trip downtown to see where LV started. A habit I got into long ago is to take a couple of hours each trip and just visit different areas of the town. Too many people think LV is just the strip and downtown, but it's not. There are parks, museums, libraries and churches like any city. Just hop in your car and start driving. It's hard to get lost because you always have the Strat as a bearing point. Have fun.

    Good Luck!
    Ric at Joes
     
  18. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    I can't stress enough trying restaurants all over town. There is such a difference from the kinds of cuisine you can find as well as price and service when you veer away from the tourist areas. I really like Red Rock Canyon, too. You can make an hour of it or a day of it if you want.
     
  19. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Yep, love the estimable food scene of the Strip, but too many folks don't get that Vegas is a town of 1+ million folks; it's a big-ass place. And it is about as ethnically diverse as any place. Life is way too short to go on vacation and dine on McD's and any-town chains and buffets. And it also need not be exclusively $200/plate uber-experiences. Let the snob/slob battle wage all around while you find the immense diversity of locals' Vegas dining.
     
  20. weluvvegas

    weluvvegas Casino Countess

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    We are going in the middle of June so I'm not sure about hiking.. not to mention that none of us are really up to that besides my athletic daughter.

    As far as Red Rock Canyon - my mom tends to have heart problems at high altitudes. I read that the Grand Canyon is about 7000 feet at the south rim. Would Red Rock Canyon be a safer place to explore? Of course we want her to be able to join us for the day.
     
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