ALTERNATIVE LAS VEGAS GUIDE

Daytime Las Vegas:

If you are planning a trip to Las Vegas then you will already know what your intentions are for partying, gambling and seeing the shows. This post is about what else in on the cards in Sin City.

The first time I visited Las Vegas I was under the impression that everything happened at night, whereas after a few more visits I have come to prefer it in the daytime.

You see a quirky, alternative beauty to this unique place. Read on for recommendations to fill up your days during a weekend visit to Las Vegas.

 

Neon Boneyard:

Las Vegas Neon Boneyard is a unique Las Vegas Attraction that allows you to wander through old neon signs that were once focal points on the strip.

It is a mesmerising experience and an absolute must do on a trip to Vegas.

Tours run for an hour every day and cost $18 entry.

Having a tour guide is great because they will talk you through each of the signs informing you on where they used to be on the strip as well as all the juicy gossip about old school Las Vegas.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Pre booking is essential as they tend to sell out a few days in advance.

 

Read my feature on the graveyard here.

 

 

Exploring Fremont Street:

IMG_2442

Old town Las Vegas is about a ten minute drive from the more well known downtown strip.

Fremont Street is the original Las Vegas and has been preserved under a giant roof that was built in the 90’s.

The original signs and buildings have been preserved making it a fun experience to walk around and look out for all the old hotels from the Golden Gate to the Golden Nugget.

There is lots to see and do here. It is the kind of place you can spend the morning working your way around all the vintage casinos (and having a gamble if you fancy) then stopping for a spot of lunch – The Heart Attack Grill being the most popular.

Another fun activity is to zip wire from one end of Fremont Street to the other. It only lasts about a minute and those signs will pass you by in a flash.

Visiting Fremont Street is great in either daytime or nighttime, however if you want to do the zip wire experience it’s only open at certain times. Check availability and times here.

It would be a good idea to combine visiting Fremont Street with the Neon Sign Boneyard as the museum is about a ten minute walk from Fremont.

 

Grand canyon:

So here we are, arriving at sun rise to the desert ready for our flight to the Grand Canyon.

Jet lag working in our favour with the 8 hour time difference.

If you want to do any type of plane or helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon I would recommend Papillon as the tour company. Their tour prices all include pick up from your hotel for transport to and from Boulder City Airport.

Boulder City Airport fly light aircraft almost every hour into the Grand Canyon. They also do helicopter rides where you land into the Grand Canyon and get wander around instead of just a fly by.

All the options for flight are: helicopter rides, small aircraft fly by, or helicopter landing into the canyon with a boat ride and lunch.

Processed with VSCOcam with m5 preset

Prices vary depending on how long the excursions are.

Even the cheapest and quickest option is incredible and worth every penny.

We did the 1.5 hour plane journey over the Canyon.

IMG_2341

The views were breathtaking and there is an audio tour guide to keep you informed during the flight.

And on the way you even get to catch a glimpse of the Hoover Dam.

Processed with VSCOcam with p5 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

An alternative is to hire a car and drive to the Canyon.

Oh, and what fun that was!

It’s an absolutely stunning drive.

IMG_1238_2

Passing lots of interesting sites on the way.

IMG_1236_2

To get to West Rim it takes about 2.5 hours and is a straight forward drive from Las Vegas.

Hiring a car also gives you unlimited time in the Canyon and also means you can visit at whatever time of day you like.

We opted for a late afternoon arrival meaning we caught the end of the light and the beginnings of the sunset in the Canyon.

Just be careful on timings as they won’t allow you to go into the Canyon when it’s starting to get dark.

 

Eat:

Brunch:

Brunching in Vegas is an absolute must.

By this stage I have tried and tested a fair few of them and hands down the Wynn is the clear winner.

IMG_2056.jpg

I’m not big on the all you can eat buffet style restaurants as I am a firm believer in quality over quantity, and a place that whips up anything from Asian to Italian food isn’t my idea of good meal out.

Processed with VSCOcam with p5 preset

Well I sit here eating a big slice of humble pie as I write this post because the Wynn Hotel proves it is possible to do worldly cuisine that actually tastes good. Oh and Happy Chinese New Year!

IMG_2029

And their brunch hall is beyond fabulous!

To give you a little insight I started with sushi and a seaweed salad, followed by fried chicken, waffles, french toast, eggs, bacon and Canadian maple, shortly after it was a plate of baked chicken, italian beans and vegetables.

Processed with VSCOcam with p5 preset

Clearly I felt three meals all crammed into one eating session wasn’t enough so I finished the occasion with a triple stack ice cream cone.

I couldn’t choose between the flavours so the server suggested I get everything I want – a clear ongoing theme in the Brunch hall. Opting for the chocolate ice cream with salted caramel truffle was the best choice I made that day.

Processed with VSCOcam with p5 preset

The brunch is reasonably priced as well, it is $25 throughout the week (and classed as breakfast) and $42 on weekends. If you want to add on the unlimited wine and champagne option it is an extra $18.

In-n-Out Buger:

I caught wind that In-N-Out Burger had arrived in Vegas, so naturally I walked miles under highways and up disused footpaths to find the place. I had heard so much about it but had thought my dream of ever getting to experience In-N-Out was unachievable as they were only based in Cali. Well Las Vegas changed that for me.

IMG_2330

Whilst in the line ready to place my order looking at the extremely limited menu (not a bad thing) I heard the girl behind me saying she was going to have animal fries. These weren’t on the board of what appeared to only be cheese burgers and regular fries, so when I got to the counter I timidly asked for animal fries. Out came my fries smothered in cheese and grilled onions – proof that eavesdropping gets you everywhere. I also opted for a double stack burger. This place is amazing and I can’t wait to go back. However, I can’t help feeling slightly relieved they don’t have them everywhere because it would do nothing for my waistline or burger addiction!

Hope this post has given you more of an insight into what to do in Las Vegas in the daytime. Make sure to check out my feature on the Neon Sign Boneyard.

4 Comments

  1. Randy Benn
    1st March 2016 / 6:00 pm

    Hello ! At the Wynn , you called it the Brunch hall ? Is that the name of the restaurant? I want to try it out .

    • anthony martello
      2nd March 2016 / 1:46 am

      i believe its the Buffet she is talking about ( judging thru her pictures )

  2. Randy benn
    2nd March 2016 / 2:26 am

    Ok . But I believe the buffet is much more expensive than $25 during the week .

    • 6th March 2016 / 6:28 pm

      Hi, yes it’s the buffet. In the week it’s referred to as just breakfast and is cheaper than the weekend brunch alternative.

Leave a Reply to Randy benn Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe for weekly posts in your inbox


Where In The World

London