Is there anything to do in and around Vegas that does not include drinking or gambling?

I suppose hookers are not an option either, are they?

Hiking, biking, walking, Hoover Dam, roller coasters, fine dining, cheapo dining, elopement & more…where do your interests lie?

Copter ride over Vegas

I went to the Grand Canyon and the Valley of Fire. Those were the two memorable events from my trip to Vegas. The natural history museum is completely and utterly disappointing, and I never got a chance to go to their art museum. Their is a pretty nice aquarium at the Mandalay Bay. Other than that, all I did was see shows. Like you, I’m not a huge gambler, so the entire city seems pretty silly to me. I’m sure there has to be something to Vegas other than the strip, but I sure couldn’t find it.

In Vegas? Gambling and booze are pretty much it.

Some resorts have some nice ammenities like pools, gyms, and that sort of fare.

I was going to say ask TaoSan, he lives there and maybe you guys could have lunch or something? But then you said no drinking or gambling… ;)

My husband & I don’t really drink or gamble either, but we enjoy

*people watching
* Site seeing
*Scoping out all of the different (crazy, over the top) casino themes
*shopping
*eating

Check out Cheapo Vegas, they have some good tips for fun & different!

There are lots of great performances in Vegas (aside from DMB :) ). Look into a Cirque or something. There’s lots and lots of great food (I always tell people to go to Mon Ami Gabi). The people watching is pretty much top notch, as is the shopping. Circus Circus is incredibly cheesy but has some mildly entertaining free shows and activities.

From what I’ve experienced, it’s hard to be entertained without booze and gambling in Vegas, but it is possible.

They do have paddlewheeler and catamaran cruises on Lake Mead, and of course, there is hiking, fishing, and various water-related activities.

As someone else said, you can get to the Grand Canyon. It is about a six-hour drive though, so wouldn’t be suitable for a weekend jaunt to Vegas. There are commercial plane and helicopter tours but those are expensive.

If you like rocks, you can check out Red Rock Canyon. There is good climbing and mountain biking there plus it is beautiful. It is about 15 miles west of town.

Mount Charleston is only 35 miles away from Vegas and is a good place to go picnicking, hiking or horseback riding.

Valley of Fire State Park has hiking, geology and petroglyphs and is only 55 miles out of town.

Mojave National Preserve has Joshua trees, sand dunes, and volcanic cinder cones, and is about 60 miles from town.

And in town the various casinos have other attractions besides booze and gambling. There is the Adventure Dome theme park at Circus-Circus or the Manhatten Express at New York-New York if you like roller coasters. You can watch knights joust while you eat with your hands at Excalibur’s Tournament of Kings. The MGM Grand has lions on exhibit and next door to that is GameWorks, with a climbing wall, an M&M factory, and a whole bunch of games. In fact, many of the big casinos have daytime entertainment attractions.

And there are other museums besides the Natural History Museum. One example is the Liberace Museum. There are also art museums and galleries, a railroad museum, and a historical museum.

If worse comes to worse, there is always shopping.

I think if you try you can find plenty of things to do besides gamble and booze it up.

@asmonet

lol

There’s always fun/interesting things to do in the hotels. When we were on our honeymoon, we walked all along throughout the hotels doing all sorts of different shows, or checking out what each hotel had to offer (some have circus’s, zoo type animals, aquariums, museums) You just have to walk in and look around.

We also went to Valley of Fire, which was gorgeous, and not too far. Reminding me of The Hills Have Eyes haha.
We saw a show, and went to as many restaurants as we could.

@TaoSan: I speak ze truth! ;)

Wet ‘n Wild is a lot of fun. I was also going to suggest Red Rock Canyon or Mt. Charleston.

damn, wet ‘n wild closed? I grew up in Vegas but I haven’t been there since 1990. Should have checked that link. lol

I’ve heard from several people (and several here have mentioned) that there are a lot of live shows, roller coasters, and other fun things to do now. Vegas has tried hard to become more of a family destination in the last 20 years.

Of course, when my friend and I went there 20 years ago, all there was was gambling, booze, and hookers. Not being men of vices, we ate at Hard Rock Cafe, played some arcade video games, went to bed early, and left first thing the next morning.

@asmonet

brutally honest :D

Hotel pools are great

Go Kayaking,i did.
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I was just in LV a few weeks ago (and I wish I had asked this question myself!).

My family doesn’t drink or gamble either, and we mostly hung out poolside (at the Golden Nugget, which had a nice shark tank). We explored a cave on BLM land one day with family friends who live nearby but I don’t remember the name of the cave (sorry!).

Highlight of sightseeing: The Bellagio!. Highly recommended. The botanical gardens with butterfly rooms were incredible. The fountains outside were magnificent. The lobby, amazing. The Richard McDonald sculptures, splendid. So worth it. Didn’t spend a dollar, and was thoroughly wowed.

Talking about sharks, try the Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay, pretty amazing

I saw sharks, and immediately thought about the Bellagio Poker Room.

Food. Many high end restaurants. Go to Rosemary’s for their prix fixe lunch, and to Mon Ami Gabi for patio dining on the strip (and right across from the Bellagio fountains).

Here’s a site I like that seems to have all the latest stuff: http://smartervegas.com/attractions.aspx

… oh, but don’t eat too much.

(hee hee! lurve u!)

buying a timeshare around the block from the drinking and gambling.

Cirque du Soleil!
Cirque du Soleil!
Cirque du Soleil!
Cirque du Soleil!

the Liberace Museum was great. Mount Charleston was great – remote at the top, and you’ll see ice in the ponds despite being not too far from the strip. Red Rock Canyon is interesting. also, like someone said before, you can go to the casinos just to see the architecture, the people, shopping (eve if it’s window shopping). Caesar’s Palace has a mall – i forgot what it’s called but there are statues that are animated and move and do speeches, and the ceiling is painted like the sky, which changes in the 24 hour cycle -sunup to sundown, etc.

i don’t gamble either but las vegas is great. rent a car and drive around. by the way, when you’re on the strip all the casinos have valet parking, which is very convenient, and free.

Valley of Fire
Pinball Museum
Neon Sign Museum
Lapdance

I really loved having a dinner at the Paris restaurant and then going to the top of the Eiffel Tower and listen to the music coordinate with the fountains!

yeah, even if you don’t gamble, just be on the strip and walk in and around the casinos to appreciate them for their architecture and features.

also, new york new york has a roller coaster that goes around the building. it’s not too too scary but it’s fun being on the outside of a building.

if you like really scary rides – go to the top of the stratosphere tower and they have a bungee ride that shoots you straight up, and since you’re already on top of a tall building (stratosphere tower) you are so high up and feel like you’re going to die. really, really scary and fun. they also have a roller coaster but when i was there that was shut for the day – it shuts when it gets windy, but i don’t know if i would have been brave enough for that. near the stratosphere tower there is one huge souvenir store, like world’s largest souvenir store or something, where you can get every type of souvenir or memento, cheap.

Update: rode the rollercoaster at New York New York, DMB was awesome. We are currently in AZ on our way
to Chloride City—ghost town. Later on to Circus Circus for some more rides, and then another night with Dave. Having a great weekend. I hope y’all are doin’ the same.

@tinyfaery Sounds like fun! I found Circus Circus to be more a a sight seeing place, than actually riding anything…lots of uhh characters to see there. lol

Las Vegas is great – everything on the strip and close to the strip is really nice and well kept up, and being pretty much a non-gambler, i don’t come back home depressed and broke, like i might if i gambled.

@jca gambling is not all about winning or depression if one loses.

@tinyfaery You’re making me feel homesick. I used to spend just about every weekend at Circus Circus when I was growing there. Hope you have a lot of fun! The ghost town will be interesting.