The family is going to Las Vegas for vacation, and you’re underage so you can’t gamble or party. What do you do now? The instant you walk into your hotel, you hear the slot machines and see the millions of adults gambling. It seems like it’s going to be a long week for you. Well, believe it or not, there’s actually a significant amount of stuff for youth to do in Las Vegas. The city may be well known for gambling and partying, but there are many activities to do that you may not be able to do in Calgary.
Shopping
In Vegas, the term “shop till you drop” really applies. There are two outlet malls close to the Strip (accessible via bus or taxi), both of which are similar. They are owned by the same company and called Las Vegas Premium Outlets, North and South. If you have to choose one, go to the North outlets. There are better stores in a nicer atmosphere. However, the North outlets are outside, so keep that in mind if it’s really hot (or a little on the cold side – for Vegas – in the winter months). The discounts you find there are a shopaholic’s dream. The prices compared to what you’re able to find in Canada is unbelievable! You’ll probably never find so much designer brand names in one place for so cheap. Ever. Would you believe me if I said you could find a nice pair of Nikes here for $40? Or how about Coach bags that are usually $200, for $50? Or how about True Religions for $100, when they’re usually $300 or more at Chinook or Market Mall? Of course there’s many more great deals out there, but these are just a few that caught my eye when comparing things to the prices in Calgary. Oh and also take a taxi or a bus to the outlets, especially during the holiday season, because if you drive there it’s almost impossible to find parking. The bus to take is called the Downtown Express – it’s gold and long, and you can catch it at about five hotels along the Strip. If you accidentally get on the Deuce (the one that is a double-decker), that will take you to Freemont Street (which is very close to the outlets) but won’t quite get you there.
Have a limited time in Vegas, and don’t want to waste time going to the outlets? There are plenty of great stores and shopping centres along the Strip to keep you occupied. I recommend the Miracle Mile Shops in Planet Hollywood, the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace and Fashion Show Mall, which is just north of Treasure Island.
Food, food, and more food
If you’re not worried about getting fat, eating buffets in Vegas is something you should do everyday. The food is spectacular for the price you pay, and it’s quite a bargain if you can eat your money’s worth. Almost every hotel has buffets ranging from $30-$50, price varying on how high quality the buffets are.
There are two main “chains” of hotels in Vegas which have their own Rewards Cards. MGM Resorts International consists of the MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York, New York, Monte Carlo, Aria, Bellagio and the Mirage. There are really no consistencies between these hotels, other than their M Life Players Club (which doesn’t matter if you’re under 21). Why am I telling you this? Because the OTHER chain, Caesar’s Entertainment, offers an all-you-can-eat 24 hour buffet that is good at any of their hotels. They consist of the Rio, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Bally’s, Imperial Palace, O’Shea’s and Caesar’s Palace. This means you can go get dinner one day at the Rio, go to Harrah’s for breakfast the next day, Paris for lunch and Planet Hollywood for dinner. It’s quite a bargain if you plan on just pigging out for the next day and eating as much as you can. However, there’s one downside to the buffets here – the line-ups can be ridiculous, depending on what time you go. Unless you’re high up in the Total Rewards program that they have at Caesar’s Entertainment, you will literally be waiting two hours in line just to get in (especially at the Rio, which has won “best buffet in Vegas” several times).
Other awesome restaurants I would recommend are Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville (the Flamingo), the Hard Rock Cafe (south end of the Strip, near MGM Grand), Serendipity III (Caesar’s) and the House of Blues (Mandalay Bay).
Shows
Las Vegas has many world-class shows in almost every hotel. While this may not sound like something ideal to do on a daily basis, it is quite nice to do it every few days. I would recommend visiting a Tix4Tonight booth either a day before you want to see a show or the day of. These booths are EVERYWHERE on the strip – Fashion Show Mall, Hawaiian Marketplace, Bill’s, Casino Royale – the list goes on. You’ll get tickets for up to 50% off their regular price. It’s definitely worth it.
A few shows that I’ve noticed on my trip here that you wouldn’t get to see in Calgary are UFC fighting, The Price is Right Live (which is really fun!), more Cirque du Soleil shows than you can count on one hand (Love at the Mirage is the best one), David Copperfield and many, many others.
And more!
Since you’ll be walking along The Strip to do any of these activities, you’ll probably notice a few interesting stores that you should stop by in for a look. The M&M store and the Coke store (near MGM Grand) are two you should definitely go in, as you can find a lot of interesting items in there.
If you have more time in Vegas and are looking for something to do, here are a few other activities that could be worth your while:
- Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum (the Venetian)
- Watch the fountains at Bellagio (free)
- Watch the Mirage Volcano erupt (free)
- The Sirens of TI (at Treasure Island – free)
- Go to Freemont Street at night and watch the Freemont Street Experience on a giant, block-long overhead projector (free)
- The Neon Museum (north of Freemont Street)
- The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
- Siegfried and Roy’s Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage
- Mardi Gras at the Rio (free)
- The Lion Habitat at MGM Grand (free)
- The Titanic Artifact exhibit at the Luxor
- Bodies exhibit at the Luxor
- CSI Experience at MGM Grand
- The Roller Coaster at New York, New York
- Gondola ride at the Venetian
- Indoor rainstorm at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
- The “Rainforest” at the back of the Flamingo (go see Bugsy Siegel’s memorial – he’s the guy who started Las Vegas!)
- Las Vegas Ghost Tour
If you STILL say there’s nothing to do when you’re under 21 and in Vegas… I can’t help you.