Things I should do with a car in vegas

DH and I will now have a car for our December Vegas trip which is something we've never done before. Other than In and Out Burger which gets a lot of love here, what else should I plan to do since I have a car? Other vegas trips have been limited to the strip with 1 trip to fremont street.

We will have 1 totally free day to make the most of it...

 

HOover Dam, Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon all come to mind.

 

So many other things out there. Red Rock scenic 11 mile drive. Hoover Dam. Mt Charleston, but snow could make that dicey in Dec.

 

It depends on what your likes/priorities are and whether you've been to the places I'll suggest.

One day doesn't leave a lot of time, but if casinos aren't important, I'd suggest Hoover Dam in the morning and Red Rock Canyon Park in the afternoon.

If you'd rather do outlying casinos, my suggestions would be M Resort, South Point (close to M), Red Rock casino and maybe Boulder Highway casinos.

Also, if you have time, I strongly urge you to try out Black Bear Diner before you get started for breakfast. It's out on W. Tropicana, just past Jones. Good food and good prices.

 

If it's a rental car, catch more air than a half pipe at the x games. But seriously check out all the off strip casinos, silverton, M, red rock, green valley, maybe neon boneyard.

 

Our last many trips to Vegas have been business oriented (trade show attendance) so I use a rental car to hit the grocery store for food for our lunches and beer & wine for relaxing in the room (shh, Turtleman, look away) One morning at the Premium Outlets (I usually only have a few stores I want to visit, I go as soon as they open, preferably on a weekday, and try to be gone by noon) Sometimes my husband wants to go to the coin store and there are lots of thrift stores over by the one he likes so I'll hit a couple of those. We also hit a Home Depot and looked for irrigation system parts (so many more options than we can get locally!) I know it's weird, but it makes us happy ;-)

We've been to some of the outlying casinos - did a nice trip to Red Rock casino for breakfast and then the scenic drive around Red Rock canyon with some light hiking & photo breaks. Went to Hoover Dam years ago on a trip. Haven't done more of the naturalist sites because I used to live in Utah and I freaking hate the desert & red rocks. But I realize I'm unusual in that respect (at a minimum:Þ) and most people want to see Valley of Fire etc.

 

You mean you bring sand to the beach.evillaugh

 

I'd say see something cool in the desert. And maybe go to a particular store or museum that you'd be interested to see, something you don't have close to home.

 

Thanks everyone...this is helpful for planning. Going to run through the list with DH and see what strikes his fancy...since we are paying for a rental car, figure we may as well save some of our bankroll and go see the sights.

 

I always take my own GPS, avoid renting from the car folks.

 

I pretty much just use google maps on my iphone...my garmin hasn't seen the light of day in quite some time.

 

Hertz's Neverlost is a hunk of garbage

Do not waste the money

Most smart phones have apps in them or you can get for a dollar or two that work far better.

Just bring a car charger, plug in and go. Good thing about doing in smartphone, is you can look up destinations and addresses in advance, plug into phone, and then re-call them when in Las Vegas, saving the time of having to look it up on the roadside or in parking lot

 

+1 on visiting the diffferent outlying casinos. You can even visit the original cannery on the north side. Also good to see lake las vegas at least once although the casino is closed now. Not sure what you like but you can even check out the pawn shops to see what they have available. Visit the gun range and shoot a machine gun, so many things to do with a car.


Don't laugh but I usually visit Harbor Freight tools. I like the nifty stuff they have. Cheap me, they usually have an ad in our sunday parade section and you can get something for free with any purchase (like those small flashlights). I usually give them out as grab bags or friends or relatives that need a flashlight. We don't have that store in Hawaii so (being a guy) I like to see what they have whenever I'm in vegas. Too bad I can't bring them all home (too heavy to fit in my suitcase), lots of reasonably prices tools. I have my eye on a truck horn, I want to put it in my car, imagine what the next guy does when I beep him with the truck horn (joking but that was a funny thought).

I also visit fry's for their stuff, lots of times they have cheap sale bins on the walkways that I check on.

 

In past years, we've seldom, if ever rented a car. The last 2 years we have rented a car and it is a very good way to save on the bankroll (unless you're going to outlying casinos to gamble:evillaugh).

 

Hey Now!!!!

I always bring my GPS. I have about 50 casinos and attractions loaded in, along with a couple of local friends addys. Comes in handy. Last year we did Valley of Fire. Winter is the time to do it. Beautiful!

 

I always wanted to see the National Atomic Testing Museum

I will probably do this next trip (probably first week of january)

 

Could drive over to Ethel M chocolate factory and botanical cactus gardens.

 

Don't they still give out a map at the rental car place? Sorry, I'm feeling archaic.

Lol!

 

Take a drive down to Laughlin. Check out the casinos along the river. It's a nice day trip and about a 3 hour round trip drive with some scenic areas.

 

Apps for a dollar or two? Shoot, Google Maps is free.

It'll also give you traffic pretty accurately.

My GPS is totally/completely obsolete. Remember when you paid a premium for a GPS' bigger screen? Now smartphones give you that bigger screen for no premium.