TOP 20 COOL THINGS TO DO IN LAS VEGAS
RACE GO KARTS AGAINST NASCAR, X GAMES
STARS
Pole Position Raceway Indoor Karting
4175 S. Arville Road (behind Palms Hotel)
When you feel the need for speed, join
stars like NASCAR champ Kurt Busch, X Games medalists Travis Pastrana
and Mike Metzger, and SuperCross winners like Jeremy McGrath and Chad
Reed at Pole Position Raceway, an indoor kart racing facility originally
created in 2005 in Corona, California. Racing is all about speed, acceleration
and handling and the Formula EK20 adult karts at Pole Position zip along
at 40+mph which feels pretty quick when your butt is 3 inches off the
ground. Beginner or veteran, Pole Position utilizes its RPM method
of ranking you against every driver on the indoor European-style road
course. Starting at only $20 per race, you may find yourself addicted
after your first tour around the circuit.
JUMP OFF A 1000-FOOT TOWER
Stratosphere Hotel and Casino
2000 Las Vegas Blvd., South
The argument made against skydiving is
why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
How to explain why anyone would want to be dangled over the edge of
a building 1000 feet above the ground and spun around till they puked
is a mystery. But thousands of people a year make it to the top
of the Stratosphere Hotel to do just that. The longest-serving
ride is the Big Shot, a four-person sled that shoots passengers
straight up 160 feet at 45 mph (over 4 Gs) until they are 1,081 feet
above the Strip. Want more? Try X-Scream, a giant teeter-totter
that propels riders 27 feet over the edge of the Tower, and until they
are hanging 866 feet above the ground. The newest ride is Insanity,
a massive mechanical arm that extends 64 feet over the edge of the Tower
and spins paying customers tilted toward the ground at a force of 3
Gs for a truly mind-bending experience. Stratosphere recently announced
plans to add a fourth ride called SkyJump, a bungee experience
that will drop lunatics 900 feet from the top of the tower in a 12-second
controlled free fall. Price per person for the elevator ride up
the tower ranges from $10-15.95. Price per ride per person is
$12 or $13 based on the ride.
TAKE A FLYING LEAP
Vegas Indoor Skydiving
200 Convention Center Drive
Vegas Indoor Skydiving, formerly known
as Flyaway, operates America's first indoor skydiving facility built
in 1982. Guests will earn their wings and experience bodyflight during
a simulated skydive experience in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.
The experience is similar to skydiving with the addition of a mesh trampoline
floor and foam padded walls. Guests are able to simulate the freefall
aspect of skydiving without the use of an airplane or parachute. Vegas
Indoor Skydiving uses a Vertical Wind Tunnel to introduce guests to
the sport of Indoor Skydiving. The tunnel produces enough wind to support
the weight of an average adult. At Vegas Indoor Skydiving each flyer
will attend a brief training class, suit up in all the necessary flight
gear, then jump in the tunnel and fly. The entire experience will take
about an hour. Price for a single flight is $75.
SHOOT A MACHINE GUN
The Gun Store
2900 East Tropicana Avenue
Sometimes you just feel like shooting
something. The jolting sound of the rounds firing off. The
surprising kick of the gun in your hand. Or the fun of seeing
a hole in the target...after you open your eyes. At the Gun Store
customers have a choice of the most famous weapons ever made including
the M249 SAW which you fire from a tripod position, an AK47, or a 12
gauge shotgun. They also have a wide variety of handguns for that
Clint Eastwood "do you feel lucky, punk?" experience. The
Gun Store offers weapon/ammo package deals for bachelor and bachelorette
parties, the perfect way to prepare for your special day!
DRIVE
165 MPH IN A NASCAR RIDE
Richard Petty Driving Experience
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Your hands are on the wheel, your foot
is on the gas and you are in the driver's seat for a 165 MPH spin
around the 1.5 mile D-shaped oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Site of the February 400-mile Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
race and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sam's Town 300, the current single-lap
speed record is held by Kasey Kahne who made the circuit at 184.856
mph in 2007. The Richard Petty Driving Experience gives you and
your party a chance to turn laps around the track or go all out for
their Ultimate Race Experience. In the URE, each team works together
to determine the best pit strategy and technique for members to rotate
through pit crew duties, acting as bucklers, sign holders, window washers
and more. If you're not feeling confident about being behind
the wheel, they offer ride-along packages with a professional driver.
And don't forget to record your ride with their in-car DVD package.
PERFORM IN A VEGAS ACT
Show in the Sky
Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Road
There are lots of fun free shows in Las
Vegas, but only one in which you can become part of the show.
Inside the Rio's Carnival Court a parade of Mardi Gras-like fantasy
floats hang from the ceiling and make several passes over the casino
floor during the show that takes place several times per day.
Sexy entertainers in costumes from DKNY and Victoria's Secret dance
and throw strings of miniature dice during each performance. Guests
who meet the age and physical requirements can ride on the floats and
toss beads. The Carnival Court is ringed with a second-level balcony
where parade-watchers can get up-close-and-personal with the floats.
The all-new Show in the Sky is performed hourly from 7 pm until midnight
every Thursday through Sunday.
FLY DOWN A CANYON
Bootleg Canyon
Flightlines
Boulder City, NV
The newest eco-adventure in southern
Nevada is something you've probably seen on The Amazing Race and thought
would be fun. Just south of Las Vegas are the Bootleg Canyon Flightlines,
known to most people as ziplines. Suspended from cables and comfortably
sitting in a para-gliding harness, you travel at speeds up to 50 mph
from the top of Red Mountain down a multi-run and multi-line series
of lines that range in length from 1150 to 2550 feet. Bootleg
Canyon Flightlines utilizes the newest and safest patented technology
to produce an experience that covers impressive distances and provides
spectacular views. The entire tour package lasts approximately
2.5 hours and covers a total of 1.56 miles.
SWIM WITH SHARKS
Shark Reef Aquarium
Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., South
Dive-certified Mandalay Bay guests will
now have the opportunity to scuba dive in the 1.3 million gallon, 22
foot deep Shipwreck Exhibit, surrounded by sharks, rays, sawfish, green
sea turtles and schools of fish. This unique exhibit houses over 30
sharks; including Sandtiger, Sandbar and White Tip Reef Sharks. This
program is available to Mandalay Bay guests who are certified divers.
Note: there are a limited number of reservations available for Tuesday,
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The experience includes
a guided tour of the Aquarium, exhibit & equipment orientation with
your dive guide, and showers and dressing room. The experience
lasts 3 to 4 hours and includes the dive, a video of your dive, and
up to 4 admissions for diver's guests to Shark Reef Aquarium (Tour
& Exhibit Only) to view your dive.
BE A DOLPHIN TRAINER FOR A DAY
Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden
and Dolphin Habitat
The Mirage Hotel and Casino, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Live your dream! Be a Dolphin Trainer
for a Day at The Mirage. If you always dreamed of being a dolphin trainer,
then we can make your dream come true. Our 'Trainer for a Day' program
is a dynamic and active opportunity for guests to get close and personal
with one of natures most amazing animals. You will be working with our
expert dolphin care specialists and training the dolphins first hand.
As one of our day Trainers, you'll participate in many physical activities
including playing with, training, getting in the water with, and caring
for our family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Yes, however each
day is unique at the Mirage Dolphin Habitat. Guests will experience
in-water play and training sessions with dolphins where they will have
the opportunity to have dolphins swim with, and amongst our guests.
All interactions will be dictated on the animal's behavior and guest
comfort and safety. Souvenir polo shirt and ball cap, complimentary
8x10 photo, photo CD, certificate of completion, continental breakfast,
and three-course lunch
RIDE A ROLLER COASTER THROUGH NEW YORK
New York-New York Hotel and Casino
3790 Las Vegas Blvd., South
Let the good times roll. The Roller Coaster
will lift you up 203 feet, drop you down 144 feet and leave your pulse
trying to catch up to 67 mph. Simulating a jet fighter's barrel roll,
you'll turn 180 degrees, hang 86 feet in the air, take the famous "heartline"
twist and dive, and get your negative G's on! Want to take it a step
further? Have your wedding on The Coaster. Take the plunge
at 67 mph. Ceremonies start at $600, including the minister.
HELICOPTER PICNIC ON THE GRAND CANYON
FLOOR
Grand Canyon Celebrations Helicopter
Tour
You want to see the Grand Canyon, but
maybe you don't want to spend a whole day on a bus getting there and
back. Hands down the coolest way to see the Grand Canyon and make
it back to your hotel in time for a little sun at the pool is by helicopter.
But do it right. With this tour you enjoy incredible views of
Hoover Dam and Boulder City on your way to the Grand Canyon. Once you
arrive at the Grand Canyon, you'll descend 4000 feet below the rim and
land next to the Colorado River for a light lunch, champagne toast,
and time for pictures. Along the way you'll enjoy spectacular
views of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Guano and Eagle Points, the famous SkyWalk,
extinct volcanoes, and the Grand Canyon. Special EcoStar EC-130
touring helicopters have a large cabin area with specially designed
sightseeing windows and stadium seating for 180 degrees of unobstructed
views, and microphone headsets that allow direct voice contact with
others onboard, including the pilot.
LEARN TO WORK A POLE
Stripper 101 Pole Dancing Class
Inside the V Theater, Miracle Mile
Shops next to Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
A very popular alternative to the traditional
Girls Night Out or Bachelorette Party is Stripper 101.
This interactive pole dancing class is designed to help woman of all
ages, shapes, and sizes feel great about themselves by releasing their
sensual side. Students are encouraged to lose their inhibitions while
having fun learning sexy strip club moves with boas, chairs and of course,
poles! (No nudity.) Graduates earn an official souvenir Las Vegas Stripper
License. Stripper 101 is a fun experience where women get to play around
in a simulated strip club and learn sexy moves from a real Las Vegas
stripper. Featured on E! Entertainment and in the Los Angeles
Times and USA Today,
Stripper 101 is considered the most famous pole dancing class of its
kind in the world. Cosmopolitan
Magazine says it's one of the top ways to have a blast in Vegas.
Women 18 to 80 years old, of all shapes and sizes, have enjoyed Stripper
101. Actual strip club moves are taught, as well as choreography
on real stripper poles.
WHITEWATER ADVENTURE ON THE COLORADO
RIVER
Black Canyon Hoover Dam Full Day Kayak
Adventure
See Hoover Dam up close and personal from your own kayak or canoe, paddling
through Black Canyon on the Colorado River. The construction of Hoover
Dam transformed an arid desert into one of the most spectacular recreation
areas in the southwest. Tours launch daily at the base of the
Hoover Dam, and paddle to Willow Beach Marina approximately 11 miles
down river. There are stops along the way to soak in the natural hot
springs. You may encounter desert bighorn sheep, and lizards, explore
ancient sea caves and hidden coves. Trips are perfect for beginners to advanced
paddlers, and use the best equipment available. Professional and
experienced guides will share their vast knowledgeable in the history of
the canyon. Winter paddling is relaxing, with smooth and glassy
waters. Summer temperatures make the cool waters of the Colorado River
very inviting and the many hot springs are accessible all year round.
KICK UP SOME SAND
Desert Adventure ATV Tour
Love to ride an ATV, but have trouble
finding wide open enough spaces to really cut loose. Have you
ever wanted to kick up a little sand? Get a few miles outside the glitz
and glam of The Strip and you're in the middle of hundreds of square
miles of desert. Perfect for ripping it up off-road. If
you're in Vegas for a little vacation, the best way to enjoy an ATV
side trip is a Desert Adventure ATV Tour. Check out the ultimate self
driving Off Road Tour that will allow you to experience the Southwestern
Desert from a unique perspective on a private trail system. Ride
through a series of trails from Sand Dunes, Sand Stones, Washes and
Gullies. Drive to the top of the mesas and see views of Lake Mead, entrance
to the Grand Canyon, and the North Side of the Valley of Fire. The fun
doesn't stop there, after the ATV Tour, drive laps in a Razr on a new
Off Road Track! Tours also include a stop at Valley of Fire State
Park, for some sightseeing, picture taking, and your chance to visit
Nevada's oldest state park.
SKYWALK OVER THE GRAND CANYON
Grand Canyon Skywalk
60 miles northwest of Peach Springs, Arizona
Step outside Ghostbar at the Palms and
there is a tiny glass deck 50 stories above the ground. A little
spooky maybe. For some real sphincter-tightening fun, try standing
4000 feet over the Colorado River on the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a one-of-a-kind
glass bottom, cantilever bridge. An architectural marvel completed
in March, 2007, the Skywalk was built to withstand an excess of 71 million
pounds in weight on top of it. (That's the equivalent of 71 fully-loaded
747 airliners piled one on top of the other!). To date, nearly
one million visitors have experienced the Skywalk and its magnificent
views of the Grand Canyon. The specially-made German glass which
forms the platform for visitors to walk the experience also plays a
big part in the durability and beauty of Skywalk. Each of the 46 panes
forming the walkway are constructed of 5-layers of glass bonded together
and laminated, weighing in at 1,200 lbs a piece, and making the glass
incredibly strong while still providing a crystal-clear view of the
canyon below.
THE FOUNTAINS
Bellagio Hotel and Casino
3600 Las Vegas Blvd., South
People love water. They take vacations
at beaches, spend hours fishing on lakes, and get married under waterfalls.
In a place that gets about 4 inches of rain every year water is a precious
commodity. But to the people who build and operate some of the
world's largest hotels, water also takes on an art form. In
front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, an 8.5-acre lake in the middle
of the desert explodes with 1,214 spritzers shooting water up to 460
feet in the air - the water rockets and dances, perfectly choreographed
to a clever concert of opera, classical and Broadway tunes. Every
half-hour between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and every 15 minutes from then
'til midnight a show of water, music and light is thoughtfully interwoven
to mesmerize its admirers. Arguably one of the best free shows
anywhere in Las Vegas, the Fountains have become a must-see feature
for any visit. Watch the show from outside, or grab a window seat
at one of the restaurants in the hotel with a view from inside.
GONDOLA RIDE
Venetian Hotel and Casino
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South
No trip to Venice - or The Venetian
- would be complete without a graceful and romantic glide down
the Grand Canal in an authentic Venetian gondola. Float beneath bridges,
beside cafes, under balconies and through the vibrant Venetian streetscape
as your singing gondolier sweeps you down the Grand Canal for a ride
like no other. A relaxing and romantic gondola ride reveals all the
charm, excitement and passion that is Venice - and The Venetian.
There is an indoor ride winding through the Grand Canal Shoppes and
an outdoor ride in the lagoon in front of the hotel. There also
is a special white wedding gondola for newlyweds. Ride hours are
Sunday - Thursday: 10 a.m. -11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m.
- midnight.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF LAS VEGAS SIZZLE
Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini
at M Resort and Casino
12300 Las Vegas Blvd., South, Henderson,
NV
For a fun, healthy and tasty alternative
to non-stop shows, shopping and drinking, check out the only live cooking
show in Las Vegas. Seriously. Similar to a network television
cooking show, Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini mixes cooking
with nutrition, fitness and wellness for a deliciously entertaining
and educational experience. The show treats a live studio audience
to cooking demonstrations, food/beverage sampling and special "handy
hints" and "tasty tips" on a variety of topics centering
on three key areas of living healthy: nutrition, fitness and mind/body.
Ticket prices include a Studio B Buffet
lunch or dinner (depending on show time) and reserved seating at the
buffet immediately following the show. She has been an educational
chef with Whole Foods Market® and has acted as a spokeswoman
for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign®.
Tina has been called the "Human Encyclopedia" of wellness
related information. In 2003, she published Three Martini's A Day:
A Self-Help Cookbook for Making Friends with Food.
GET MARRIED LIKE A PIRATE
Enchantment Wedding Package at TI
Hotel and Casino
3801 Las Vegas Blvd., South
Okay, you're going to get married in
Vegas. That part is decided. You just don't know if you want to play
Samson and Delilah, Elvis and Priscilla, bungee off the whole thing
or do it in the car. No coin can solve this one. So why not try the
Strip's idea of a wedding aboard the Song Ship in front of TI Hotel
and Casino. Home to the Sirens of TI, the Song Ship is a scaled down
replica of a British fighting ship. For a lucky bride and groom,
it also can be the stage for their own journey down the plank…er…aisle.
The Enchantment Package offered by the hotel provides a complete ceremony
including limos, floral, music and spa treatments.
GET HIGH IN VEGAS
Cloud 9 Balloon Ride
3951 Las Vegas Blvd., South
The Cloud Nine Balloon is the world's
largest land tethered helium balloon ride. Its custom-built circular
gondola holds 25-30 passengers allowing guests to safely soar 500 feet
above the City of Las Vegas. The balloon is environmentally friendly
and virtually silent. Day and night flights are available. Cloud Nine
is perfect for corporate events, weddings, anniversaries and children's
and adult birthday parties. 10 am - 10pm Sunday through Thursday. 10
am - Midnight on Friday and Saturday.
