There are more than a few reasons Sin City is one of the top tourist destinations in the country . Whether it ’s the kitschy gimmicks on the Strip , the endless ocean of one-armed bandit automobile ( really , they ’re everywhere ) , or just the unlike display , there ’s a ton of cool things that make Las Vegas unparalleled . And many of them ca n’t be get hold anywhere else in the res publica . But they should be . So let ’s take a smell at how the rest of the nation is missing out .
Drive-thru wedding chapels
desire to get married and bound off all that prison term - consuming human relationship edifice and ceremony planning ? Come to Vegas . There ’s no place easier and more convenient to get hitched . Wedding chapel throughout town make it well-fixed to wed the grayback , and if you need to save even more time , some of them ( likeVegas Weddings ) have drive - thru services . Seriously , why leave the car when you do n’t have to ?
Phony replicas of the world’s most famous landmarks
you may move around from country to nation and visit the world ’s corking marvel , or you may make one single slip to Las Vegas and see the clone all in one property . The Paris cassino has a reproduction of the Eiffel Tower that ’s a half - size duplication of the original , the Luxor has its own version of the Sphinx in front of its elephantine black Great Pyramid , Caesars Palace has a reproduction of Michelangelo ’s iconic statue of David , and a lowly version of the Statue of Liberty sits at the New York - New York resort . In fact , the latter is so realistic , it actuallyended up on an prescribed US postage stamp stampby mistake .
The snack wagon
Harvest by Roy Ellamaris easily one of thebest restaurantsto come around in a while on the Strip . In increase to all the even fare on the menu , there ’s a snack station waggon that ’s wheel around the dining way that allows node to nibble a few small insect bite in between line . It ’s an idea that can make almost any dining blot a little bit better . If you decide to sweep by , keep your eyes peel for the croissant and smoked Salmon River belly dip .
Up-close plane watching
Unlike most city , Las Vegas has an aerodrome decent in the midriff of its metropolitan domain . One of the main runways hightail it alongside Sunset Rd , which has a dainty little parking muckle for watch aircraft take off and land . It ’s typically hard to get this close to plane without actually boarding them , but not in Vegas . And lest we forget , this is also aprime make - out stain .
Zip lines between buildings
you may take the elevator up to the top of the Rio hotel and cassino for theVooDoo Steakhouse , theVooDoo Nightclub and Lounge , or how about this … theVooDoo ZipLine ! The transmission line run about 400 ft above the ground between the hotel ’s two towers , establish you some of the best views in Vegas .
Free parking in busy tourist areas
Las Vegas has enjoyed innocent parking on the Strip for years . That ’s of late changed , however , thanks to a freshly introducedpaid parking programfrom MGM Resorts for its hotels . But you’re able to still park for devoid if you ’re a local ( at least through the remainder of the year ) or if you settle to root for over at a non - MGM Resorts holding instead . Downtown parking lot near Fremont St usually charge but tend to be dirt tacky and provide establishment deduction .
Rock shot bingo
Proof that bingo is even more fun with Jell - atomic number 8 shot . Both theRed Rock ResortandGreen Valley Ranchhold regular Rock Shot Bingo party with a disk jockey play music and a innocent shot every time someone at your tabular array profits . It ’s the most fun you’re able to have playing your gran ’s favorite play .
A playground for adults
Did you like to play in the sandbox as a kid?Dig Thisallows you to hop inside construction equipment like bulldozer and power shovel and have fun with them just off the Strip . But make indisputable to save the imbibition for afterwards because you have to pass a breathalyzer before receive on control board one of these things .
A medical concierge
A hotel concierge can see tickets to shows and recommend restaurants , but a medical concierge tend to your health need . While some services merely offer IV drip from part - metre nurses , RESORTcierge MDhas a plank - certified medical doctor on stave who will hail to your hotel room and tend to a number of pressing matters , like throw you a vitamin shoot for a hangover or to check out that odd rash after a Nox of partying . Drug prescriptions can even be take 24/7 , and you’re able to get a fiddling high-up discussion if a trip to the emergency room is required .
A Ferris wheel with booze
A few other big cities like London and Singapore may also have famous observation wheels , but theHigh Rollerin Las Vegas is ( for now ) the only one in the US and the tall one of them all . It loom 550 ft above the heart of the Strip and is kind of like a Ferris rack , but with cabins boastful enough to take the air around inside . It ’s the practiced manner to check out a 360 - degree horizon of Vegas , specially withyour own bartender serving drinks .
A mini-golf course dedicated to KISS
If you want to shake ' n ' roll all night and go down putting every day , stop outKISS by Monster Mini Golf . Located inside the Rio , this is the only mini - golf course dedicate to the human race ’s most shamelessly merchandised band . Rock out and wager a few rounds while surrounded by memorabilia and images of Gene Simmons ' wag clapper .
Slot machines in bars
… and the drome … and accelerator pedal station … and foodstuff memory board . It ’s hard to take the air a few step in Las Vegas without facing the itch to waste money . Honestly , if you ’re go to spend $ 3.99 on a gallon of Milk River , you might as well blow $ 10 play . Right ? Right .
A HUGE flashlight
The Great Pyramid at the Luxor hotel shoots a beam of luminousness straight up into the airwave . It ’s so bright that you’re able to see it miles aside while driving in from California . So at least you ’ll know if you ’re going in the right direction if the GPS malfunctions .
A museum dedicated to crime
It ’s Las Vegas . We reward bad behavior . And we love the mobster who lean this Ithiel Town for years . So celebrate crime at theMob Museumand learn about wiretapping , machine throttle , and how to " skip off the top " at casinos .
Celebrity chefs competing with each other
Walk through the gambling casino floor of the MGM Grand and you ’ll see restaurants from Emeril Lagasse , Joel Robuchon , Wolfgang Puck , Tom Colicchio , and Michael Mina all within a few steps from each other . And that ’s just in one resort . The top celebrity chefs in the world all make Vegas a priority . Gordon Ramsay has three eatery in town ( with a fourth on the path ) , and Giada De Laurentiis chose Las Vegas for her very first – and so far , only – dining bit .
Convenient driving
Las Vegas drivers quetch about the traffic , but other cities of this size should only have it so good . The vale is laid out well , with convenient motorway and a power grid scheme for most of the fussy streets . Even the Strip propel along pretty well ( if you do n’t count weekends ) . The only downside is all the novel road construction that ’s rapidly popping up and slowing everybody down .
Big-name entertainment residencies
handsome - name number are produce the subject matter : it ’s well-situated to stay put in Las Vegas and let the audiences come to you than to go on tour and toy in different urban center . People like Wayne Newton and Liberace started the movement years ago ; today , immense stars such as Jennifer Lopez , Britney Spears , Celine Dion , Mariah Carey , and Rod Stewart are all cashing in . Even Lionel Richie is getting in on the action , with a new residence that sell out show during its first run at Planet Hollywood .
Convenient sports betting
Sometimes sport Book show up in the most unexpected places . One of the coolest is theUmami Burger : Beer Garden & Sports Bookat the SLS Las Vegas . Yes , that ’s the full name of the piazza . And yes , it describe precisely what you get . This place prove that betting on a ball secret plan is always more fun with a Firestone Walker 805 and a truffle Warren Burger .
Topless shows
Topless showshave better production values than a cartoon strip guild . Plus , you do n’t have to crest .
Free shuttle trains
The Las Vegas Monorail is n’t loose , but there are a few other similar shuttle trains on the Strip that wo n’t be you a dime bag . One of them travels alongside Mandalay Bay , the Luxor , and Excalibur , while the other one moves between the Bellagio , Vdara , ARIA , and Monte Carlo . They ’re all MGM Resorts properties , so even if the parking is n’t free anymore , at least the geartrain still are .
contract up herefor our day-by-day Vegas electronic mail and be the first to get all the solid food / drink / fun in town .
Courtesy of Vegas Weddings
Tom Donaghue
Courtesy of Harvest
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Erik Kabik
Courtesy of Station Casinos
Dig This
Courtesy of High Roller
Courtesy of KISS Monster Mini Golf
Courtesy of The Luxor
Courtesy of Mob Museum
Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse/Uncork’d
Flickr/Ian C
Denise Truscello
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Courtesy of X Burlesque/Edison Graff
Flickr/inazakira