by Emily Sims

If you’ve only got 24 hours to spend in Vegas, your plane had better be arriving early. Once you land, grab a cab and, if it’s Sunday, tell your driver to take you straight to Palms—you’re going to brunch at Simon. It’s all you can eat of everything from sushi to crepes to lobster Benedict. Don’t forget to have cotton candy for dessert!

If it’s not Sunday, you’re going to the legendary Peppermill.  Peppermill has enormous portions of all your favorite diner food, and drinks are cheap so you can start your party early. This place is old-school Vegas, and it turns into a swanky lounge at night. Next door to Peppermill is a half-price ticket booth. Stop there before or after you eat and see which Cirque shows you can see that night for a discount. You’ll be happy with any Cirque show except for Zumanity or Believe. Those shows are terrible—try and see O, Ka, or Mystere.

Time for a Tour and Lunch

Normally on a trip to Vegas I’d insist that you get out off the Strip and explore all the fantastic outdoor activities at Mt. Charleston and Lake Mead, but with only one day to play, you just don’t have time. So once you’ve eaten your full, take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour. Tours last several hours, and you’ll see amazing views of the Grand Canyon’s south rim. You can find tour providers online, and many have booths on the Strip.

When you get back, head over to Pink Taco at Hard Rock or In-and-Out Burger for lunch. I offer this choice because if you live in a city that doesn’t have In-and-Out, you have to go. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten one of their delicious burgers. Don’t go to the location near the Strip; it’s always crammed with tourists. Head for the one just off the Strip on West Sahara.

Pool and Pre-Game

It’s time to hit up a world-class Las Vegas pool. The best pools are at Palms and Hard Rock. Lounge in the sun and have a daiquiri or three while you relax. Afternoons at the pool are the best times to meet cool people to hang out with later.

After you’ve had enough sun, head indoors for drinks and gambling before dinner. You can casino hop if you want to see as much of the Strip as possible, but be warned that the lines for cabs get longer and longer as the day goes on. My favorite casinos for gambling are Caesars Palace, Luxor, and Venetian. If you’d rather gamble off the Strip, head out to Red Rock on Vegas’s west side. While you gamble, drinks will be free, so don’t make the mistake of overpaying for a beer at the casino bars. Wait for a cocktail waitress to come by, and be sure to tip her at least a dollar for each drink.

Dinner & a Show

For dinner, head over to T&T at Luxor. T&T has delicious Mexican food and you usually don’t need a reservation. You can sit at a normal table, or sit at a bar overlooking the Luxor’s casino floor. Order the nachos for an appetizer and the enchiladas for your main course. If you want to try a local Vegas favorite, try the Naked Fish instead. It’s a hole-in-the-wall sushi joint about 15 minutes away from the Strip.

It’s time for Cirque du Soleil. Get to the show with plenty of time to spare—you don’t want to be that guy who walks in ten minutes late. Everyone hates that guy. After the show you can hit up the champagne bar at Venetian or head straight for the club. My faves are Lavo at Palazzo, Bank at Bellagio, and Pure at Caesars. Celebrities often make appearances at these clubs, so check online before you go to see who you might run into.

Here’s a rundown of your Vegas in 24 Plan:

• Hit up Simon or Peppermill for brunch
• Take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour
• Eat lunch at Hard Rock’s Pink Taco or In-and-Out
• Make friends at the Hard Rock or Palms pool
• Grab some drinks and gamble before dinner
• Have dinner at Luxor’s T&T or the Naked Fish
• See a Cirque du Soleil show
• Hit the club

As editor, Emily looks for the best in travel writing to feature on Travelated. She is an ex-teacher, ex-obituary writer, and ex-yuppie. In her free time, she volunteers for Wings of Hope and is a writer and amateur photographer. She currently resides in Las Vegas and blogs about her life in Sin City at emilycsims.com.

by June Stroleck

The word “vacation” evokes different images and ideas for everyone. For me, vacation is a time to get away from it all, with the perfect combination of activity, excitement, serenity and relaxation. But I’m also really not the type of girl who likes to sit by a pool all day long. While I do thoroughly enjoy spa treatments and being pampered, I prefer to be active and look to nature for inspiration. Luckily, my husband is just as adventurous as I am, and he came up with the perfect anniversary gift for us: a Horseback Tour Package of Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas.

Our hotel and adventure package was booked through Red Rock Resort, located about 20 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Beautifully nestled in a desert sanctuary right next to Red Rock Canyon, the Resort is home to spectacular accommodations and loaded with incredible amenities. Our “Tour the Canyon by Horseback” package included a two-night stay at the Resort, a horseback tour of Red Rock Canyon for two and two 50-minute massages. Our trip was a great value and the hotel itself was fantastic, but the ride through the canyon was certainly the highlight.

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Red Rock Canyon is breathtaking to say the very least. I had no idea that the desert could be so beautiful. Our guide was extremely friendly, very informative and more than willing to answer all of our questions. The horses were very well-groomed and well-behaved, making the excursion even more enjoyable. I’ve ridden horses just in just about every environment other than the desert, so this was a great first-time experience for me too.

Above: Road sign for Las Vegas and Blue Diamond near Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Photo by Exothermic. Top: A panorama of Red Rock Canyon. Photo by Stan Shebs.

My horse, “Mudslide”, was such a sweetheart! She was easy to ride and never made me feel uncomfortable. My husband rode “Sterling,” a more spirited, but equally pleasing silver mare. Unlike previous trail-rides, we didn’t have to fight to keep them from bending over to eat the surrounding flora, meaning that we had much more time to enjoy the view. The frustration of dealing with an uncooperative animal has always been one of my major pet peeves about commercial riding, and I was quite relieved to be able to avoid that this time.

As a nature lover, I was especially thrilled by both the plants and animals that we encountered on this trip. My favorite plants were the Teddy Bear Cholla Cactus, Western Red Bud Flowers and Desert Almond trees. From the animal realm, the Painted Lady Butterfly that we saw flitting about the trail had to be the highlight of the trip, though the Anna’s Hummingbird (with its bright pink head) took a close second place. Fortunately, our guide was quite patient and let us to stop for photo opportunities whenever we so desired, allowing us to create some memories of the trip that will last forever.

We concluded our trail ride just as the sun was setting, then returned to the Resort a quick, but refreshing dip in the pool before making our way to the Spa. Each of us selected the 50-minute Swedish massage for our treatment, and each of us felt spectacular afterward. Completely relaxed and with hungry bellies, we headed off to dinner at the Terra Rosa Italian restaurant, which was simply divine! We drank wine, feasted on homemade pastas, and were impressed by the attentive and gracious staff. It was the perfect ending to a long, but exciting day, and I can’t say enough about the entire deal. Everything from the accommodations to the activities was spectacular, but the photos of my husband and I on Mudslide and Sterling are just priceless.

June Stroleck is an outdoor enthusiast, avid horseback rider and writer for HealthcareColleges.net. When she’s not writing, you can find her spending time with her husband, traveling, or tending to her organic garden.

Las Vegas is known throughout the world as an exciting vacation destination. Whether you are looking for a high energy vacation filled with gambling, night life, and amazing shows, or a relaxing vacation consisting of spa treatments, fine dining, and golf, Las Vegas has what you are looking for.

Las Vegas Climate

Las Vegas has an arid desert climate.

Busiest Travel Seasons for Las Vegas

Las Vegas is especially busy around Christmas and New Years, but it is a popular travel destination year round. The only relatively less busy times to visit Las Vegas are just after the holidays (January and February) and in the hottest days of Summer (July and August)

Average Airfare To Las Vegas

Prices given are for Round Trip, coach.

Typical Hotel Prices

Typical Car Rental Rates in Las Vegas

Popular Attractions and Activities in Las Vegas

The most popular attractions in Las Vegas are located on the strip, inside the massive hotel and casino resorts that stretch from north to south as far as the eye can see. Popular attractions include night clubs, shopping, gambling, and amazing shows.

Below is a chart that shows some of the most popular attractions in Las Vegas.

Travelated Recommendations for Las Vegas

If you visit Las Vegas there are a few things you must do to be sure you don’t have any regrets when you leave.

First, make sure you make time to enjoy an expensive dinner. Las Vegas boasts some of the finest restaurants in the country along with signature offerings from celebrity chefs. Be it Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace or Fleur De Lys at Mandalay Bay, a high class dining experience is a must for any visitor to Las Vegas.

Play a variety of games. Endless hours of slot machines or blackjack can get tedious. Remember, you are going to Vegas to have fun, not to bore yourself looking at the same slot machine reels for six hours! Mix it up, learn new games, and have fun.

Take a day to just relax, and get off the strip. It is easy to spend an entire week on the strip and never go to the same casino twice, but there is a lot to see off the strip too. Find some time to get out of the frantic atmosphere of the strip casinos and relax. Try the hotel pool, or a round of golf. You won’t regret it.

Resources to Book a vacation in Las Vegas

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