1) Visit the Valley of Fire – Hands down one of the most beautiful landscapes in the US. Valley of Fire is a national park located just an hour outside of Vegas. In Vegas, you can easily rent a car for $20 a day and make your way to the park. It costs $10 to enter the park for a day and it is open all year. For those who want to stay a little longer, you can also camp on-site. It’s the perfect place to trek for the day, go for a picnic or simply to drive through and admire the incredible view. What you’ll see? Ancient trees, petrified logs and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs. There’s also a lot of wildlife in the park from birds to lizards to jackrabbits and if you’re lucky you might even get to see bighorn sheep!
2) Go tour the Neon Museum – If you want to learn about the history of Vegas, go to the Neon Museum. The hour-long tour costs $18 per adult and is well worth your money. Located in a huge “neon boneyard” as they call it, right by Freemont Street and Old Vegas, the Neon Museum contains so many incredibly beautiful pieces of history from the strip. You’ll learn so much in just an hour that it’ll make you appreciate Vegas in a whole new way. Some of my favorite neons were the Moulin Rouge, The Stardust and the old Golden Nugget sign.
3) Eat the best BAO with locals at Fat Choy – Located just off the south end of the strip inside the Eureka Casino, Fat Choy is the coolest little dive diner style restaurant. Fat Choy initially started off as a food truck, then was located in a hair salon and now at this latest location. Run by Sheridan Su and his wife, this super laid back restaurant offers the best Bao I’ve ever tasted. Everything is made fresh with the best ingredients. The flavours are spot-on and oh-so comforting. A must: The Tofu and Mushroom BAO!
4) Check out the Mob Museum – The Mob Museum is a brand new museum in Vegas that opened three years ago. It’s located right off Freemont Street in the Old Vegas. If you’re fascinated by the history of Vegas or just American mob history in general, this is a must-see. You’ll need 1-2 hours to visit the space. The museum is incredibly interactive, filled with tons of videos, photos and items from convicted mobsters and cases against the mob. It’s really neat to get an insider’s look at all the stuff that went down in Vegas during the 1900s.
5) Go eat at the Eiffel Tower – As cliché as it sounds, the Eiffel Tower is actually one of the best spots to eat on the Vegas strip. Not only do you have the most beautiful view of the Vegas strip and the Bellagio fountains right in front of you, you also have the best service and yummiest dinner to choose from. The ambiance is incredibly romantic and the food selection is topnotch. Though I’ve never been to the actual Eiffel Tower for dinner, I was surprised by just how magical the whole experience felt! It’s the perfect location for a romantic evening, which you can then continue in the beautiful Paris Casino.