Come To Las Vegas! We’ve Got Cookies!!!

We really do, and I’ll get to that later in the blog, but first… Las Vegas…

We are the Entertainment Capital of the World. We really earn that title every day with the incredibly talented performers and entertainers we have in this town. While I don’t particularly align with the title of “Sin City”, I guess we’ve got some of that, too. We certainly do have many opportunities for people to cater to different vices, from drinking to smoking in public places to gambling. 

I’m actually going to focus on the incredible things available to you in Las Vegas outside of those vices. It is entirely possible to have an awesome vacation here without indulging in any of those things, and still do something different every single day.

Visiting During A “High Holiday”

So we host millions of people during our highest weekends, but these are not necessarily the “high HOLY days” that might be celebrated in other parts of our country. We are talking about long weekends for Thanksgiving and Easter, for sure, but also Super Bowl weekend and Fourth of July make that list.

And then there is New Year’s Eve. 

It stands alone and huge in our beautiful city, with room rates through the roof, and events, activities and headliners on every corner. Let’s talk about your options if you are visiting us this weekend, or any extremely busy “holiday” in 2023. 

Where To Stay

You’ve got to stay somewhere—you don’t live here! The concept of an overnight stay will push your budget to its limits, so you really need to consider all of your options and make the best decision based on what you are hoping to do during your vacation. 

Someone’s house!

No, Boo Boo, I’m not suggesting you camp out in my living room! What might be an option for you, however, is an Air BnB (https://www.airbnb.com/) or a VRBO (https://www.vrbo.com/). Both of these options are great for long or short stays, and will put you into homestyle-type of quarters. The benefits include being able to spread out and even cook meals if you would like. These options do put you in more of a suburban part of Las Vegas, so transportation will need to be considered.

Locals casino/resort

I’ve got two beautiful locals resorts near my house, which is where people can stay when they visit me. Two companies dominate this market, Stations (https://www.stationcasinos.com/) and Boyd Gaming (https://www.boydgaming.com/) and they both offer different accommodations across the Valley. Even though their resorts are off-strip and outside of our tourist corridor, they are self-contained vacation destinations, meaning you might not find any reason to venture from their property. These options would be significantly less expensive than comparable Strip properties, but are not what I consider “budget” resorts. 

Downtown

(https://vegasexperience.com/casino-hotels/) This area—much older and more Hollywood iconic than the Strip—is approximately one mile from the beginning of “The Strip”. You definitely could make the Fremont Street Experience your entire destination for your vacation, and everything is quite walkable to close together. These locations don’t have the sprawling grounds the Strip is known for, but do boast significantly lower minimum wagers on table games, and more penny slots than anyone could possibly want!

The Strip

The incredibly popular Las Vegas Strip is approximately three miles long, with multiple high-end resorts on one street. While there are budget accommodations on the Strip, they are the outliers of the area, making it difficult to navigate without transportation. I’ve stayed in many Strip locations, and they all have something to recommend them. Choose your budget, choose your theme, and enjoy your stay at some of the largest and most beautiful resorts you’ll ever see. 

What Shows To See?

It seems no trip is complete for tourists if they don’t see a show. Let’s break it down quite simply:

Headliners

I’ve been extremely fortunate to see headliners in many venues in this town, and there is simply nothing like it. The stage shows these talented performers put on are worth every penny of the ticket price. Many people center their vacations on seeing a particular performer, and I get that too (I’ve followed Wicked through a few cities…). My best suggestion is to CALL and speak to someone at the resort and let them help you choose your seats—they will know better than me what the best seats are at my price point.

Cirque

Having just revisited The Beatles Love at the Mirage (https://mirage.mgmresorts.com/en/entertainment/the-beatles-love.html), I can attest to the value you receive for the dollar at any of the Cirque (https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/las-vegas-shows) shows! What I have found at these spectacular shows is that there is no bad seat, so decide what your budget is, and grab those tickets! 

Free at Downtown

Even if you are staying on the Strip, you definitely need to devote a night to visiting the Fremont Street Experience (https://vegasexperience.com/) . It is a great show in a gentrified area of Las Vegas that is totally free! Take the bus or Uber to downtown, though, because parking is not plentiful. 

Where To Eat

I am not qualified to talk about this subject!!! The sheer volume of incredible restaurants—with some incredible restaurant experiences—is such that I can’t even address it. What I can tell you is that we cater to every type of diner, and every different price point, here in Las Vegas. You will be able to indulge in decadent dining, or grab a quick taco on the street—whatever you want! 

Where To Snack Specific To Vegas Area

Now THIS I can talk about! I’m a huge fan of a snack, and I feel like Las Vegas is an absolute haven for those of us that love food! Below is a very, very small sample of the options available here in Vegas. I tried to keep it to places (mostly) specific to Vegas, or regional, so that you can get a taste (see what I did there?) for what we’ve got to offer your palate.

• Crumbl cookies – (https://crumblcookies.com/lasvegasevents) If you haven’t experienced a crumbl cookie, you don’t know what you’re missing! Apple pie cookie is my current favorite, but there are a lot to choose from. 
• Blueberry Hill – (https://www.blueberryhillrestaurants.com/)  Around 1 am (or 9 am!!) there is absolutely nothing better than pancakes at this iconic restaurant. Middle of the night is the perfect time for their desserts, too.
• Dutch Bros – (https://www.dutchbros.com/) This is a new entrant in our coffee scene, and if you haven’t experienced it, you need to try them out! Make sure you open their full menu on the app before placing your order—the wall of options has less than 10% of their offerings!
• Freed’s Bakery – (https://freedsbakery.com/) Strictly a Vegas location, this is where we go for Italian cookies (like weekly!!!). Their desserts come by the piece or by the full cake, and are perfect for that special celebration. 
• Roberto’s Taco Shop – (https://robertostacoshop.com/) A great regional business started in Vegas and still family owned, Roberto’s is another 24-hour restaurant that works just as well at 3 am as it does at 3 pm! 
• Pinkbox Donuts – (https://www.pinkboxdoughnuts.com/) A purely Vegas establishment, find yourself a Pinkbox! Family owned, with minimal current locations, the ‘Smores donut or the apple fritter are worth your entire flight! 

Do Not Miss These Free Spots

There are plenty of things in every city to separate you from your money, so I offer for you some free (or seriously undervalued) activities to try!

• Bellagio Conservatory – (https://bellagio.mgmresorts.com/en/entertainment/conservatory-botanical-garden.html) This rotating horticultural exhibit is spectacular! We make it a priority to visit the Conservatory once every season just to smell the beautiful flowers and enjoy the display. Not to be missed—a completely free walk through exhibit in a beautiful resort.
• Fremont Street Experience – (https://vegasexperience.com/) As nighttime hits Las Vegas, the Downtown area turns on millions of lights, and offers plenty of free entertainment ranging from street performers to a laserlight show, to headliners performing on weekends. Definitely worth a visit, even if you skip the zipline! 
• Pinball Hall of Fame –  (http://www.pinballmuseum.org/) My absolute favorite date night location! The “museum” consists of hundreds of WORKING pinball games from the early 1900’s to today, all at a price between $.25 and $1 a game. It is the greatest place to spend some time and revisit your youth!
• Red Rock Canyon – (https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/) Okay, it’s not free, since you pay to drive into the Canyon. I submit this to you: Calico Basin. Put it in your maps app, and visit this portion of Red Rock completely free. You can hike easily or on a more difficult path, even over the mountain to Red Rock Canyon. But, please, don’t tell anybody—Calico is my dog’s favorite place!

No Matter What

I’ve given you plenty to consider, and a lot of links for you to get lost in! No matter what you bring with you to Las Vegas, be sure you pack your patience and some money, so that you can enjoy your vacation with us. 

We’re open 24/7/365, so put Las Vegas on your calendar.

I’ll meet you at Pinkbox~

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR

Thank you for reading all about Las Vegas New Years!!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out some other tips, like how to make an airplane comfortable, here, or traveling for Halloween, here! Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

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