When we think of Vegas, we think of different things such as, maybe the Rat Pack or hoards of gamers playing in casinos. Perhaps even the televised pro Texas Hold’em poker tournaments? Maybe singers like Cher and Celine Dion who hold legendary residences in Sin City, mostly in casino resorts. Check out the Best Casinos In Las Vegas. But there’s a lot to Las Vegas you wouldn’t expect and that bears a closer look also.
There’s something for everyone
If you’re going to Vegas with friends, there are a surprising amount of attractions that cater to just about every interest. If they’re active types, there’s a wealth of mountain biking round the city – some of the best are at Red Rock Canyon, only half an hour from the Strip, and there are plenty of bike rental outlets.
If you can’t normally prise your friends away from video games, you don’t have to as the HyperX eSports Arena in the Luxor is a 1,000 capacity gaming paradise where you can buy hourly passes for games of your choice, including Super Smash Bros, Fortnite and Minecraft.
If you’re looking for more cerebral tech, there’s a makerspace at Discovery Museum with 3D printers, CAD software and STEAM workshops. And you and your friends can even dress up as pirates. Everyone likes dressing as pirates, right?
Hit the fairways
While the Mojave Desert is one of America’s bigger sand traps, some of the best golf in the country can be found in Las Vegas. The Royal Links Club lets you shoot famous holes from the British Open (including two from the Old Course at St Andrews) half an hour from the Strip. For a course that utilizes the stunning natural features of Nevada, Conestoga Golf Club in Mesquite is rugged, beautiful and a favorite of local golfers. If you’re unlucky enough to catch a stormy day, Top Golf at the MGM Grand can have you working on your game without dodging lightning strikes.
Omaha – Not just in Nebraska
While Texas Hold’em has commandeered most of the public attention, Omaha poker has quietly sneaked back in to Vegas’ card salons. Poker.org describes Omaha as ‘similar to Texas Hold’em,’ so if you know that, it’s easy to pick up – the main difference is that instead of being dealt 2 personal cards you get 4 – from there you must use 2 of your cards and 3 of the community cards to make the best hand. Omaha usually works on tighter betting strictures than Hold’em, so longer games are common; handy for learning the game without looking like a fish.
Las Vegas is wine country
If you think Vegas is all about superclubs and cocktails, you’d be partially right. There’s a growing wine scene in the desert, with wine bars such as Aureole showcasing the best of America and beyond, reports TheCultureTrip.com. If you take into account Las Vegas’ close proximity to the wineries of California, New Mexico and Colorado, you start to realize that you’re in the perfect spot for tempranillos and syrahs. If you’d rather have a beer to beat the Nevada heat, there’s 20+ breweries with taprooms to take your pick from.
It’s the end of the world as we know it
There’s quirky tourist attractions, and then there’s taking selfies in amongst nuclear annihilation. One of the top ranked museums in Las Vegas is the National Atomic Testing Museum where as well as seeing artifacts from the pop culture of the 50s and 60s when testing was active, you’ll also be treated to a simulated bomb blast, observing what the scientists did then – watching an atomic bomb being detonated only 7 miles from the site. In a town famous for excess, it’s sobering, to say the least.