-----> Plan your RV trip with our NEW State By State Guide To State And National Park Campgrounds. <-----

Monday, August 23, 2021

Things To Do On Your Vegas Vacation Besides Gambling

Have you avoided joining your gambling friends on a trip to Las Vegas because you thought you would have nothing to do? You might take them up on visiting after you read this post and find out all the things you can do on your Vegas vacation besides gambling.

Click here for things to do on your Las Vegas vacation when you want to venture off the Vegas strip.


I have been on vacation in Las Vegas so many times that I have lost count.  Why do I keep going back you ask? It is so much fun! Even for people who don't like slot machines and card games. I do like to play but don't really get to play as much as I think I will because there are so many other things to do and see.

I just got back from a trip with my daughter, Lisa. She gladly accepted the gift of a Vegas trip to celebrate her birthday. She also loves Las Vegas and she is not much of a gambler at all.

Even though both of us have been here many times, we always find new things to do and see and new places to eat.  This visit was no exception. 

What we saw and did:

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

We always hope to find ocean life that we have never seen before when we are visiting an aquarium for the first time. Shark Reef Aquarium didn't disappoint in that way. We got a kick out of the fish with their mouths wide open. How were they not getting a mouth full of water? 

Besides for fish, there was a shark tank to walk through which gave us a view of the sharks from every angle. There was also the biggest Komodo dragon we have ever seen in our lives. Who knew they could get to that size. 

The aquarium was very convenient to get to because it is located in Mandalay Bay which is right on The Strip. It is definitely something to do with the kids if you brought them along. But the aquarium is very small and we were done in about 20 minutes so we were glad we had free tickets and didn't pay the $29.00 ($24.00 for kids aged 5-12) admission for the timed ticket we had. An anytime ticket costs $36.00 ($31.00).

Follow this link to our blog post, Free Things To Do In Las Vegas, to find out how you can get your free tickets.

The Neon Museum

This unique museum houses over 200 restored Vegas neon signs with the Green Shack being the oldest and dating back to the 1930's.

Green Shack was a restaurant located downtown that was famous for their fried chicken.

You can visit the museum during the day and do a self-guided tour or wait until evening when the signs are lit up and follow a tour guide through the glowing maze of neon. With the guided tour, you not only get to see the signs in all their glory but you also learn about the history of them and of Las Vegas itself.  

This sign acquired from the Moulin Rouge hotel was designed by Betty Willis, the same person who designed the iconic Welcome To Las Vegas sign.  The history of this hotel was so interesting. We learned of it being the first racially integrated casino. Sadly, it went bankrupt within 6 months but not before the biggest names like Sammy Davis, Jr., Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong and many other incredible and well-known greats performed here.

Look here to find admission prices.

Note: We mistakenly took public transportation to get to the museum. The bus left us off in a frightfully, desolate part of town except for a few people who looked under the weather, to put it mildly. I was ready to get back on the bus until Lisa pointed to the museum sign just a block away and begged me to just walk there quickly. Really consider taking a Lyft or Uber here if you are going at night. Needless to say, we took one back to our hotel!!

David Copperfield at MGM Grand  

David Copperfield's was one show Lisa was dying to see and luckily was at one of the few venues that would be open while we were in Vegas.

The show was fantastic and what we probably expected. I don't think any magician uses larger props than David Copperfield does. Did you happen to see his TV special when he made the Statue of Liberty disappear? 

I don't want to give anything away in case anyone reading wants to go in the future. I would suggest, though, when you are looking to buy tickets, that you look for the type of tables that are in Row G and a couple of others. They are rectangular tables that seat four and everyone faces the stage. Me and Lisa sat in Row H at a very tiny round table. We had the seats at the front of the table and we turned our seats to face the stage but we were cramped up against the short wall in front of us. The two people who sat with us at our table were disappointed with their seats also. 

We can't complain too much, though, because some of the magic was performed in the center of the floor, so right in front of us.

Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage

We got here around 4:15 just in time to view a training session. Dolphins are very smart and talented creatures and it's always a lot of fun to watch them performing. If we happened to arrive after the training session, we would have been disappointed because there wasn't much else to see.


The handful of lions, tigers and leopards in the Secret Garden were so hot that most of them were napping.

We were happy that this attraction was also free for us from the same place we got the Shark Reef Aquarium tickets.

Tournament of Kings at Excalibur

Going to a medieval times show has been on my bucket list for awhile so I was happy that we could work this show perfectly into our itinerary.  Since we had to have dinner somewhere before we had to go to the airport for our trip back to NC, we thought it would be a great idea to go to the Tournament of Kings and see one more show while we ate before we had to leave Vegas.

Tickets start at $61.00 which is not bad if you consider you are getting dinner but bring some plasticware if eating with your fingers is not something you like to do. We ate our Cornish hen, roasted potatoes, corn, roll and apple pastry with our fingers and it was delicious!


The show was interactive and so much fun. If you have a couple of kids with you and are looking for entertainment the whole family will enjoy, this is that place. There were sudden loud noises at times during the performance so I wouldn't recommend bringing toddlers. I'll never forget, when my son was about 4 years old, we did the pirate show at Disney . He was not happy and very upset with all the cannons going off. We could not get out of there quick enough!

Where and what we ate:

Gordon Ramsey burger at Planet Hollywood

We started off sharing an appetizer at Gordon Ramsay burger, Beer Batter Onion Rings that were  sprinkled with parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Both the chipole ketchup and cheddar ranch dip were so good but we dipped mostly into the cheddar ranch. 

Lisa had the Crispy Cherry Pepper Chicken which was a fried chicken patty topped with crispy chicken skin, avocado, lettuce, marinated tomatoes and cherry pepper spread. I had the Ultimate Cheeseburger that was topped with three cheeses, aged provolone, dubliner and boursin.

We shared a side of Truffle Parmesan fries that came with truffle aioli and their house ketchup to dip them in. We can't stop dreaming about having these again!

The food here was so rich and decadent but not dripping with butter or oil, but it was very filling. We decided that the next time we get back to Vegas we will definitely eat here again but share a sandwich. We ordered way too much this time and had to ask for a doggie bag.

                                Hash House A Go Go at Plaza Hotel & Casino Downtown

I have eaten here before but Lisa hadn't so since we wanted to play bingo at the Plaza, we thought it would be a great idea to eat brunch here. I really wanted one of us to get Andy's Famous Fried Chicken And Waffles so Lisa could see it (it's a massive stack of waffles that is a least a foot tall) but we were still stuffed from eating at Gordan Ramsey's the night before.

Instead we had their delicious hashes.  I had the veggie with mushroom, artichoke hearts, sundried tomato and spinach and Lisa had the chorizo, jalapenos, cheddar cheese and fresh tomato hash. They both came with crispy potatoes, 2 eggs made to order and fruit. A tortilla rounded out Lisa's dish and I had one of the best biscuits I've ever had with a fruity dip that was the best part of the meal. I ate all of that but had to leave half of the hash. We were still trying to digest all the food from the night before.

Downtown Container Park

I have been here before but I wanted to bring Lisa to show her this outdoor mall with it's interesting art pieces made out of recycled materials and the shops and restaurants made out of shipping containers.

But what I really wanted to do here was to take Lisa to eat some really delicious Mexican food at Pinches Tacos, one of the many eateries at the park. My favorite dish here, and what I ordered along with two other tacos, is the Gringo which is a shredded beef taco in a hard shell with all the toppings. Lisa had chicken taquitos which she shared with me. I think I have a second favorite now.

Yum!

Vagabond at Excalibur

We had a reward coupon for BOGO Nashville Hot Chicken sandwiches, again from the same place we got the free entertainment. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The texture and crispiness of the coating and the moistness of the chicken was so amazing that I ate half of it even though it was way too hot for me. The chicken was topped with pickle slices and coleslaw which helped tone down the heat a bit but I finally had to trade a half of sandwich with Lisa for half of her fries. 

The $16.50 we spent after our BOGO coupon was a great deal for a great meal!

Excalibur's Brunch Buffet

Most of the Vegas buffets haven't opened since they closed because of COVID and none were open for dinner. Excalibur and MGM's were open for brunch and we had BOGO coupons for them. We actually had brunch all 5 days we were in Vegas so that we were able to skip lunch. It worked out fantastic for us.

Excalibur's buffet was very good. Lisa liked the choices she had at the omelet station and loved the chicken and apple sausage. I liked the Mexican section where I made a delicious masa egg breakfast burrito. But we both really loved the crepe station. I had a strawberry and whipped cream filled one the first day and apple filled the next. I was so surprised that I liked the apple one even more than the strawberry which is usually my choice when I have crepes.

If you have a choice of eating at Excalibur or MGM, we would highly recommend choosing Excalibur's.

Me and Lisa had a wonderful time in Las Vegas. We had so much fun on our first mother/daughter vacation. We can't wait to go back. After the spouses heard about the great time we had, I think our next trip will have to be a mother/daughter/father/son-in-law vacation!

Find free things to do in Vegas in this post.



Let us know what you like to do in Vegas besides gambling. We would love to check out your favorite shows and restaurants, and everything in between, the next time we visit!

32 comments:

  1. I'd love to go to Vegas - looks like so much fun!#SharonsSouvenirs

    ReplyDelete
  2. My husband and I have been to Vegas a few times and we are not gamblers or drinkers so everyone always jokes that we must get so bored but that has never happened! Between the shows, the food and all the shopping it's always a fun time. We stayed at Mandalay last time so we checked out the aquarium, we rode the roller coaster at New York New York, watched the Bellagio show from a top the Eiffel tower, checked out the old Vegas strip on Freemont Street, and so much more. I just love peeking inside all the hotels and seeing how they're done up-- the flowers at Bellagio, the canals in Venice, etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like you did all the fun things! How was the roller coaster? My daughter would have loved to ride it but it looked too scary. It was fun enough for me to just watch from my lounge chair, on the ground, at the pool in Excalibur! Thanks for stopping by!!

      Delete
    2. I love roller coasters so I might not be the best one to ask but I didn't think it was bad or scary at all. At least it didn't go upside down. I wouldn't even attempt any of the rides on top of the stratosphere!

      Delete
    3. Oh yeah, the Stratosphere, I'm with you on that!

      Delete
  3. What a fun trip! We'll definitely be checking out the aquarium next time we go back to Vegas. There's also a lot of wonderful hiking close to the city if you're interested in outdoor adventures too. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We didn't get a chance this time, but we did go hiking at Red Rock Canyon on a previous trip. It was gorgeous! Hope you have a great time at the aquarium!!

      Delete
  4. Um...Vegas looks ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I have never committed to adding Vegas to my bucket list because I assumed it was all gambling. This makes me think I've been missing an opportunity. Grateful for this post! Jenny from Not Entirely Average

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is really worth doing at least once in your lifetime. Hope you will reconsider and check it out!

      Delete
  5. Looks like such a fun trip!! I have heard a bunch of cool things about the Neon Museum, so I would definitely hit that up if I went to Vegas. Great post!
    Jenna ♥
    Stay in touch? Life of an Earth Muffin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get a chance to visit the Vegas and the Neon Museum one day. I think you will have lots of fun.

      Delete
  6. Looks like you had a fabulous time! I have never been but when I finally go I will definitely be picking a few of these places to go see. Thanks for sharing your adventure. #HomeMattersParty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you get a chance to go. Just visiting each hotel is fun. Give yourself plenty of time to see as much as possible!

      Delete
  7. Thanks for this fun tour! Lots of fun ideas here. I've never been to Vegas, but would love to see it someday! So many photo ops.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get a chance to go. I think you'll have a great time!

      Delete
  8. Hello, this is one of my personal favorites for last week’s Encouraging Hearts and Home. I hope you stop by and say hello, this post has also been pinned to the Encouraging Hearts and Home board! Thank you for being a part of Encouraging Hearts and Home, we appreciate all that you share. Have a great week ahead! PS I have been to Vegas and love this post, we are not gamblers...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed our post. Thank you so much for pinning on your board. I really appreciate it!

      Delete
  9. I'm so pleased you had a lovely vacation with your daughter, Cathy! I'm not big on gambling either, so this post is a great resource for me. My husband and I always enjoy Vegas, and we look forward to travelling back there again sometime next year. (I'm still not ready to fly again yet.)
    Thank you for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party Community. I’m featuring this post at the party which goes live on Sunday this week. Hope to ‘see’ you there! Take care and I hope you are having a lovely Labour Day weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you,April,for featuring our post. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hope that we can all feel more comfortable about traveling one day soon!

      Delete
  10. It's nice to know there is so much else to do in Las Vegas. It's been years since I have been there.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I haven't been to Vegas in a long time but I never realized there was so much else to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for stopping by to take a virtual tour with us!

      Delete
  12. We went to Vegas last year and only put on dollar in the slot machines for my mother in law. There was so much to do and we didn't even scratch the surface. I loved reading about your adventures. My favorite thing to do was to people watch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You really can keep yourself very busy in Vegas. I just got back from a trip with my husband this time and was so happy that he wanted to relax by the pool a couple of days. A trip with my daughter is a whole other story, hectic but fun!

      Delete
  13. Been to Vegas once for a long weekend trip courtesy of my previous and now ex-boss - what a blast. We enjoyed it although not gamblers but something one need to experience at least one.
    Thank you for sharing your links with us at SSPS. Please check back on Monday to see if your content has been featured.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vegas is a fun place for sure. Thanks for stopping by and for hosting your party!

      Delete
  14. Sounds like you had a wonderful time Cathy! I would have loved the sign museum with all of that vintage neon to be discovered again. I have never been to Vegas since I always thought of it more for gambling folks, and I hate to lose, ha! Thank you for sharing your trip and all there is to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a place to experience at least once in your life I think. It really is lots of fun!

      Delete