What to do in Vegas if you are not a gambler...

[HipChick]

Have to be there next 2 weeks for work..

[applegrove]

1. Try and get a ticket to see Celine Dion..... I'd go!!

[HipChick]

33. sorry...Can't stand Celine Dion..

I just find her irritating..

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Oooh, two weeks. Tough one.

The free outdoor shows are good for a few nights (Treasure Island, the Bellagio, Fremont Street) and some of the casinos have moderately interesting inside stuff to see too, like the canals in the Venetian and the performers at Circus Circus.

Then there's the Hoover Dam if you want to get out of town.

[LeftyMom]

3. Ronald's makes really great vegan donuts!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ronalds-donuts-las-vegas Other than that there's not much if you're not into gambling, getting hammered or watching has-been musicians.

[Yavin4]

4. You Could Go On The Damn Tour

There are tons of shows. Lots of Nice Restaurants. Lots of nightclubs. Shopping.

There is a lot of stuff to do in Vegas, and the people there are really, really nice.

[Chan790]

5. Hookers and cocktails? (I'm kidding. I have a real answer)

My cousin Ben lives there and he's a Mormon (he's also leftier than I am and I keep trying to recruit him to DU, no avail. He fronts a "godly" avowed-pacifist sXe hardcore/punk band.) and never fails to entertain and occupy himself. Lots of stage shows, plenty of entertainment, Circus Circus is fun he says. There are tours out into the desert and heli rides to see the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon.

Plenty to do if you don't drink or gamble or fornicate. If you're stumped, the hotel will have a concierge who gets paid to help answer this question.

Also I found this WaPo article entitled No Dice: 7 Options for Non-Gamblers in Vegas:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2002/10/13/AR2005041500962.html

It's from 2002 but most of this is fairly permanent/timeless.

[flamingdem]

6. I like the Liberace Museum

terribly entertaining.

[kiva]

8. Unfortunately it's closed now.

:-(

[pokerfan]

7. Thrill Rides

Roller coasters at NYNY, CC and the Sahara. And the Big Shot and whatever else they have going at the Strat.

Indoor Skydiving.

See a show.

Take the dam tour but stay close to your dam guide and watch your dam mouth...

[HipChick]

34. Fear of heights will keep me from that..

[tblue]

9. Eat at a buffet and go to automobile museum

It's at the Imperial, if it's still there. It's way more exciting than it sounds and prolly doesn't cost much. Lots of bountiful buffets that are really affordable. And go see a show, of course. Have fun! Stay indoors if it's really hot.

[tblue]

10. Imperial Palace Auto Collection, coupon for free entry:

http://autocollections.com/index.cfm?action=free&tab=free

[HipChick]

35. That's ..that's something I will check out

[hibbing]

11. Ugh..two weeks??

Hi,
Are you staying on the strip? I'm not a gambler and have been there twice most recently a few months ago. But I have only been there for like a 4 day stay and was ready to go home after two. Do you drink, if so, do that. I stayed downtown last time and that whole thing was okay...for a night. Depends on your budget, tons of shows, I've heard the Beatles Cirque is good, David Copperfield is good cheese if around, Penn & Teller, all the others, not cheap tickets. I would also recommend the Hoover Damn to kill a day. Lot of "celebrity chefs" have restaurants in various strip casinos also. Two weeks in Vegas, ugh. Good luck and have fun!

Peace

[Tabasco_Dave]

12. You can check out Carrot Top's Show!

:hide:
:yoiks:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Does Rick Astley have a show?

Good rock and roll. More roll than rock, though.

:hi:

[HipChick]

36. Actually seen his show before...

[meegbear]

14. Anything you want - it really is a 24 hour town ...

If anything, goto the hotels for the breakfast/dinner buffets. The Hilton has a solid one and if you like seafood, the Rio has a killer one. You can do shows (you gotta do one) and then there regular movie theaters, malls, the strip itself is great to just around in.

Just head in and let yourself go from there.

[HipChick]

37. I love that some of the Starbucks are open 24hrs

[Joe Fields]

15. Rent a car, drive to Lake Mead, drive to the Valley of Fire, drive to

Mt. Charleston, go to Hoover Dam, stay on the Vegas Strip and just do some people watching...

The good shows in Vegas are very high priced. If you have the money they are worth seeing. If not, then follow my advice, or just take 20 bucks, go to any casino and play a penny slot machine. (note: Penny slots aren't just penny slots. At least, not like they used to be.)

And finally, these mega resorts on the strip are wonders just to look at. You may want to check out the new City Center, go to the Aria, or go to the Bellagio to look at the fountains, etc... there is a lot to see.

[Quiet_Dem_Mom]

26. 2nd on Hoover! And you'll get a chance to see the Tillman-O'Callaghan bypass bridge.

We just went in July. Both the dam and the bridge have a very definite "wow" factor.

You can do a basic Hoover Dam guided tour for $11/person. There's also another, more extensive tour that's in the $30 range. Here's the tour info:

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/DamTour.html

If you've got the patience and the right shoes to walk the Strip (it's longer than you think it is), then you can probably find a thing or two to look at in every casino. The Bellagio fountain show is actually pretty neat. There's a wicked looking roller coaster at New York New York . . . the "hootchy-momma" Treasure Island show (as it was described to me) . . . the Fremont Street Experience, which you can now zip-line over . . .

The most important thing you have to do, however, is to spend $$ in Nevada!

Yours truly,
Nevada Citizen ( ;-) )

[rurallib]

16. people watching for sure.

there will be people there like you will never see any where else.

[HipChick]

38. A must...I've never seen dresses that end

at a young womans buttocks..

[cyberswede]

17. Visit the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop

http://www.gspawn.com/gold-silver-pawn/

It's the one in the History Channel show - I always thought it looks like they have lots of cool stuff there.

[Rhythm]

21. That's the one that "Pawn Stars" is centered on, right?

I can bet that would be a great place to waste an afternoon...

[ccjlld]

22. From the size of the lines we saw in April

you would waste most of the afternoon waiting to get in! It's become a very very popular tourist attraction in Vegas.

[HughBeaumont]

18. Pinball Hall of Fame, Tropicana Blvd.

Every retro pinball machine you can think of, plus a few retro games. Will be going there next year, COUNT on it.

Fremont Street (only at night) is great for people watching.

[ccjlld]

19. Love (the Beatles Cirque show)

is fantastic! We went last year and I would love to see it again. If you want to go to a show, I would highly suggest checking out the 1/2 price ticket outlets, I think they are called Tix 4 tonight. There are several on the strip. You can get much cheaper tickets there, although they don't always have all the shows.

[Supply Side Jesus]

20. learn to gamble

don't play slots. learn blackjack and craps. when played properly, you can shave the odds down to practically even with the house.

lol, don't forget your day trips to the Hoover Dam and area 51. weekend trip to the Grand Canyon!

[HipChick]

39. i did sign up for poker,crap and blackjack classes...Thanks I will sign up for the area 51 tour

[bigwillq]

23. Shows, bars, clubs, sightsee

Walks, tours, eat, take a helicopter ride to Grand Canyon. There's tons to do!

Have fun.

[joeybee12]

24. I live in vegas...if you have a free day or two...

head up to zion and Bryce parks in Utah. Right in Vegas are lots of good (expensive restaurants). And if all else fails, feed a feral cat or two...we've got a couple hundred thousand homeless pets in this city.

[Polly Hennessey]

27. Cats, cats and more cats

I know we have about twenty of them in our S.E. neighborhood. We trap,spay and neuter and release which means every morning and evening we feed them. As luck would have it I have a cat friendly neighborhood, so most pitch in.

[HipChick]

40. Allergic to cats...

[Curmudgeoness]

45. Well, then Zion and Bryce are awesome. Really, try to head up there.

That is if you are able to get there. So worth it.

[hifiguy]

25. There is supposedly a great art museum/display

at the Bellagio, IIRC. I get to Vegas for a week each year, but I'm there covering CES as a writer, so I mainly see the Venetian (where the High End Audio stuff is) and my hotel room but nothing much else except for In 'n' Out Burger, which is a must no matter how exhausted I am.

[iris27]

28. If you're stuck on the Strip, not a lot.

The other half had a conference at the Paris and his company offered to fly me out as well...who says no to a (mostly) free trip, right? Even if neither of us really gamble, or drink?

Well, we saw a couple shows - Blue Man Group was fantastic, Mystere only ok (La Nouba at Disney World was a better Cirque show in my mind).

We hotel-hopped to see most of the free stuff like the Lion Habitat at the MGM, the fountains at the Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage, and the pirate show at Treasure Island...that was good for like a day. Then we still had 3 more days and we were pretty much out of things we'd want to do without having to rent a car. But I did get in a LOT of incredibly relaxing time spent reading in the pool, in the shadow of the mini-Eiffel Tower.

If we'd had a rental car (and time during the day when he wasn't in conference), Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon would've definitely been on the list. And maybe an overnight to Disneyland...it's only 4 hours away. (Dislike gambling but love Disney? Why yes, I am indeed 29 going on 7... :) )

[Angry Dragon]

29. Red Rock Canyon .......... on the west side of the city

plenty of golf, food, get off the strip and see the city

Fire Canyon(?) east Vegas

[BiggJawn]

30. Eat, Sleep, watch the Fountain...

Read the fliers passed out by the silent Hispanic men...

Go back to your room and go to sleep.

[pokerfan]

31. A hit & run request for help?

I feel so used. :rofl:

[HipChick]

41. Nope...had to do hotel hopping..

Checked into the Venetian...much better

[mreilly]

32. Here are some ideas

I was in Vegas last year and am going back in November for a conference; I love it there even though I am not a gambler either (I enjoy playing free blackjack on the computer, but I find it too stressful and onerous to gamble money in real life - I don't like the sheep in a slaughterhouse mentality I get or the doomed sense that "the house always wins" - those palatial casinos were built on dollars taken from people who lost it at the tables). My thing is bars, restaurants, drinking and swimming and there's no shortage of opportunities for those. Personally I don't think you need to leave the Strip and drive (or fly) around to have fun as there's enough to do right there.

-Others have mentioned the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show - see it if you can. This was the best show I've seen in 40 years of living. I paid $90 to see it and it was worth every cent. In fact, I plan to go back and see it again when I'm there. It's at the Mirage.

-The fountains at the Bellagio, the pirate show at Treasure Island, and the volcano outside the Mirage are all free and very entertaining.

-The Mandalay Bay (where I stay) has a -5 ice lounge, where you can hang out for a cover charge. It's an actual ice room kept at -5F; you go in with a heavy parka and gloves, get a free drink (included in cover charge) and hang out. Maybe not so much fun if you live up north as I do, but I thought it was a great novelty especially given the 80+ temperatures outside.

-The Mandalay Bay also has an amazing wave pool and beach (available only to guests, but something to consider if you haven't booked accommodations) - I could relax out there all day (and plan to). And there is an awesome sushi place there too as well as a "House of Blues" bar.

-The Venetian and Caesar's Palace are beautiful inside - the pool at Caesar's is especially amazing. I had a great Italian meal with my wife at one of the restaurants at the Venetian. You can walk around in those places for hours. Caesar's had a Roman God type of skit (dramatic conflict between Zeus and some others) also free.

-New York, New York also has a lot of fun stuff inside to see, like a little village made to look like NYC. There is an Irish bar where you can have a few pints and hear live music. There is also a roller coaster (I didn't ride it; seemed a bit pricy at $14 per ticket). There's one at the Stratosphere too, which goes outside around the roof, I hear.

-The MGM grand has real lions you can check out for free!

-Paris has a replica of the Eiffel Tower which is very cool.

-Luxor is the Egyptian pyramid hotel; you can see some sculptures there and I believe there was a Titanic museum last year (not sure if it is still there).

-There's plenty of shopping, museums, and other attractions all walkable. It's just a matter of finding out what you want to do and getting there. Have a great time!

[lanlady]

47. All fantastic suggestions!

I'm also a non-gambler who goes to Vegas for conferences. Your recommendations are spot on! I'd also add the bar at The Wynn hotel. It's covered by a kind of flowered canopy and is just a beautiful place to meet people for drinks.

[HipChick]

42. So far...I went to a Sade concert and met Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf

Have had to hotel hop..also it's been hotter than hell here...

[HipChick]

43. Also..if you are a foodie..it's resturant week till sept 11th

You can get 3-4 course meals for a fixed price..all in the name of charity..

[Curmudgeoness]

44. If they still have the laser show downtown, check it out, it's free.

And a very entertaining evening.

I have never been there for two weeks, just more like two days at a time, but always enjoyed just walking around all the hotels. There is so much to see that you will find no place else.

[Amaril]

46. Rent a Jeep and follow one of the off-road trails...........

....through Red Rock Canyon. THAT was my favorite part of my visit to Vegas.......and the very BESTEST part came when we were following a dry creek bed & rounded a corner......and came upon a herd of wild horses. Truly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

[nolabear]

48. Quickie marriage, quickie divorce, cocktails!

I don't gamble either so Vegas is like a big bright bunny for me to chase. Walk around and enjoy the spectacle and see some shows. Eat at the restaurant at the top of the Luxor. Go to the desert. Do a helicopter trip over the Grand Canyon. Heck, a friend and I spent a whole evening having drinks and dissing women's outfits in the lounge at some casion whose name escapes me (good drinks!).

[zen_bohemian]

49. I just got back from there

If you like animals, the Mirage has an exhibit with white tigers, dolphins and white lions. The MGM grand has an exhibit with lions and their watchers...Hoover dam (we didn't do the Hoover dam because we didn't have enough time), I hear it's a good tour. Take a bus to Fremont Street at night and watch the light show and concerts. People watching on the strip is fun, dodge the guys handing out the girly business cards. Oh yeah, the water fountain show at the Bellagio is cool especially at night.

[mdmc]

50. disc golf at sunset park

visit mount charleston
primm factory outlet
video games
rides
gamble anyway

[mokawanis]

51. Learn basic strategy

and play blackjack anyway. With basic strategy the house has a 4% edge, which ain't much. Basic strategy can be learned very quickly too.

[Tom Ripley]

52. kill a hooker