Las Vegas continues to be one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the world. According to the Las Vegas Sun, 32 million visitors flocked to Vegas in 2021 despite the lasting repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. People from all over the world come to experience the exciting nightlife, dine in world-class restaurants, and relax in luxurious hotel casinos. It is the ultimate adult playground and has been ever since the Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin days.
While the Strip is what gives the city its reputation, there’s much more to Vegas than simply hotels and casinos. It’s been around for many years, thus a rich history covers its past, and it’s located in the Mojave Desert so it is situated in the middle of natural beauty. In a guide to things to do after a poker game in Vegas, the article explains how there are great places to eat, hikes and loads of other attractions for tourists to enjoy. There’s so much to do, you might miss some on some of the off-the-beaten-path if you’re sticking to the usual guides about Vegas.
Read on to find out what exciting things are hidden beyond the Strip.
-
Mob Museum
Gangsters and organized crime dominated a large part of Las Vegas’s history, and you can learn all about it by visiting the Mob Museum. The official name is the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, and its located in the heart of downtown on Stewart Avenue and Third Street. This will surely be a unique interactive experience as you’ll learn how organized crime impacted Las Vegas and influenced America. You’ll see artifacts such as guns, weapons, and personal belongings that belonged to America’s most notorious gangsters, like Al Capone, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, and Charlie Luciano, among others. They were all leaders of their own organization, but sooner or later, each one “got busted.”
-
Red Rock Canyon
One of the ‘Best Places to Travel in America’ is the national parks, which offers stunning sites and fun activities for tourists who want an adventure. Parks often have recreation areas where you can relax in the desert heat, and you can find one of these 20 minutes west of the Strip in the Summerlin area. This will lead you to the Red Rock Canyon, which is a gorgeous outdoor destination that has many hiking trails of different levels. For those that want to enjoy the scenery while relaxing in a vehicle, there is a 13-mile scenic drive that cars can drive through. The canyon is filled with stunning flowers, beautiful bird species, and sensitive reptiles – all in their natural habitat.
-
The Fremont Street Experience
CREDIT: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, LasVegas-FremontStreet.jpg:,CC-BY-SA-3.0
Located in the downtown area, the Fremont Street Experience is a historic neighborhood where the locals like to shop, relax, and play games since its establishment in the early 1900s. The scenery in this street is very dynamic, especially at night when the live music performances from local singers to international superstars begin. When taking a stroll through Fremont Street, there are still many of the iconic neon signs that Las Vegas’ first casinos were known for, like Binion’s Horseshoe, Four Queens, and the Golden Nugget, among others. For a truly captivating experience, make sure you stay for the main attraction, the Viva Vision show – a multisensory extravaganza that will surely amaze anyone!
-
Dine At The Golden Steer
Vegas has some of the world’s best restaurants, but not many of them have been around since 1958. If you like steak, the Golden Steer is the oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas and has served USDA prime-aged beef cuts to Vegas legends, like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Elvis Presley. Dining at the Golden Steer is a classic Vegas steakhouse experience as the décor features wood-paneled walls, tin-stamped ceilings, and old Western-themed paintings hung on the walls. To go “all-in” on your dining experience, make sure you ask to be seated in the same seat the legends once sat on.
Las Vegas is a bucket list destination for many travellers, and it’s easy to see why. No matter what your interests may be, the casinos, restaurants, and adventure spots in Las Vegas can certainly give you a good time.
