When people think about Las Vegas, they are generally thinking about the gambling and entertainment. After all, this is what Las Vegas has become famous for, and probably what drives the overwhelming majority of tourist traffic that brings money to the city. However there are alternative aspects of tourism in Las Vegas that should probably be considered before you plan on spending every minute of your next trip in the casinos. By just digging a little deeper into the types of entertainment that is available off the strip or in other forms aside from the most obvious, you will find that Las Vegas is actually thriving with things to do and enjoy, and the areas outside of town are also completely unique and worth a try.
For example, were you aware that there are several national parks that are within only a few hours drive from downtown Las Vegas? Naturally you have heard of the Grand Canyon and were probably aware that it is located somewhere in the vicinity of Las Vegas just because of the advertising that drives tourism to it, but were you aware that there were also other beautiful national parks and protected spaces within a shorter drive than the Grand Canyon? Places like Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon and even Death Valley are all completely unique and also worth spending time traveling to. The most overlooked attraction relative to Las Vegas may be Zion Canyon National Park, which is literally 2.5 hours drive from downtown. You can leave your hotel room in the morning and be in the park hiking before lunch time.
Another aspect of Las Vegas tourism that often goes overlooked is the food. There are world class restaurants in Las Vegas that are serving some of the best food on earth prepared by the most famous chefs, and all you have to do is look for them to find them. Usually located in casinos or hotels, the best restaurants that Vegas has to offer will many times not be featured in travel magazines due to the fact that the casinos themselves do not pay for the marketing of them. Within the hotels, the premise of “four walling” means that the restaurant is literally renting the space and needs to handle it's own promotion. For this reason, some of the best restaurants on earth are not even known to possibly be right in the hotel you are staying in, or only a few blocks away. Granted you will need a reservation, but it will be worth it.
If you really want to sample some of the best food in Vegas but don't want to go through the trouble of reservations and waiting lists, just take one of the “foodie” tours that are offered by the tour companies. These tours are going to take you to several restaurants where you will sample popular dishes as a group, essentially allowing you to experience the best the city has to offer without doing the research or the work to find the places.
Martin Wynn
Nguyen An Tra My
