Uncommon Activities Found in Vegas

Las Vegas is one of the most entertaining cities in the world both inside and outside casinos. Vegas Made Easy.com divides activities and attractions by free or paid and by how unique an experience they are to Las Vegas.

There are about 40 cities that host fighter pilot for a day sessions at some point during the year but Vegas has one of the busiest schedules behind Fullerton, CA and Mesa, AZ. If you wanted a "Top Gun" experience, Vegas is one of your best choices.

There are about a dozen Indoor Sky Diving centers in the U.S. (10 built and 2 in construction) with an open facility here in Vegas. Although there are 31 Nascar tracks in the U.S., each one is unique and Las Vegas Motor Speedway has several programs you might like. Stuntman for a day can be found in about a half dozen cities in the U.S. and Vegas is one of them.

Vegas is about 100 miles from the West rim of the Grand Canyon (300 driving miles) and is the perfect starting point for one of the many tours there that go through Hualapai Indian lands. The air tours are recommended highly but the coach tours are good too.

Other uncommon attractions are 2 exhibitions at the Tropicana for human bodies and the Titanic. The Venetian has 1 of only a handful of Madame Tussaud's wax museums in the world. Although it is smaller, you can also get closer for poses with the figures, so it is good for photos.

The Elvis-a-rama has a collection of the King's memorabilia. Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden has some endangered species you will not find in most zoo collections. Vegas is within driving distance of a working date farm open to visitors.

King Tut's tomb is replicated at the Luxor, but the attraction is less substantial than you would expect. A big Tut fan should not miss it, however. The Rio's Masquerade Ball in the sky is a bit like Mardi Gras.

Hoover Dam is on the border of Nevada and Arizona and well worth the circuitous drive. It's free to just look around and $11 for the tour. The 9 am tour on Thursdays or Mondays may have smaller crowds than other days and times. Although it is one of kind, it is also possible to see it from Arizona which is why we don't list it as being completely unique to Vegas.

Only in Vegas

If you always look for experiences unique to a city, Vegas has them by the truckload.

The Bellagio fountains are synchronized for spectacular effect. The restaurants at Bellagio have great views, Picasso is the best if budget is not limited and Mon Ami Gabi has as good a view if not better across at the Paris.

Downtown, the Fremont Experience is the largest LED light show and like the Bellagio Fountains, free to view. During the show, be careful about personal belongings.

The Volcano at the Mirage is an interesting replica of an eruption, including heat. Sirens at TI is a fair show which can also be viewed within Tangerine, a pretty good nightclub for Wednesday nights, in particular.

Rainstorms inside the Miracle Mile shopping center (formerly Desert Passages) are more interesting than you would think and are free.

For museum fans, Yucca Mountain and Atomic Testing have some displays unique to the Vegas area although neither is very large. There is only 1 Liberace museum and Vegas has it off-Strip. Fans would want to make the trip.

Star Trek: The Experience has a museum of the future plus simulation rides. There is also a behind-the-scenes tour that is best when done afterwards. It can get very crowded when the Star Trek convention is in town in August.

Many cities have great views but unique to Vegas is the city's view at night with the Stratosphere the best. Mix at Mandalay Bay, Voodoo Lounge at the Rio, ghostbar and Moon at the Palms, Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay (open to the public on Mondays) are also spectacular.

Although Stratosphere has a restaurant with the best rotating view, the overall best combination for view and dining is Alize at the Palms. A unique attraction is the plexiglass walk over the Grand Canyon which is not recommended for those with a fear of heights or who don't want to spend 4 1/2 hours on partially unpaved roads to get there.

Also in Vegas

In addition to things to see and do that are uncommon or unique to Vegas, there are the usual things that Vegas also offers. The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is excellent unless you have been to aquariums such as Baltimore, Boston, and Monterey, for example. The feeding of fish at the Azure in the Silverton is free.

Vegas has the usual horseback riding, roller and ice skating, etc. of other cities. However, when it comes to bowling, Vegas has VIP lanes and larger facilities than most. The Station casinos have some very good lanes and Red Rock is the best of them.

Some people travel city to city to sample the roller coasters. Las Vegas has 3 adult sized coasters with unique views of the Strip in 2 cases and an indoors coaster (Canyon Blaster at Circus Circus) as well. If willing to travel a bit outside of Las Vegas to Buffalo Bill's in Primm, you can find a coaster that ranks the 9^th fastest, 6^th longest and 7^th for highest drop in the U.S.

On the Strip, New York New York's Manhattan Express is the best value for the money costing about $0.08 a second for its 160 second long ride. Sahara's has a very steep 90 degree vertical drop but even going backwards only lasts 45 seconds. The Stratosphere's Big Shot, X-scream and Insanity are very good thrill rides that should also appeal to the roller coaster crowd.

Here is a listing of attractions in Vegas broken down by cost and uniqueness. Those items with a star are recommended and those with multiple stars are highly recommended.