Las Vegas, Nevada
All we are saying…is give Vegas a chance! When I tell people I love Las Vegas, most have the same response - WHY? Vegas has it all, and it is up to you to put your own perfect pieces together and firmly shut out the rest. My Vegas includes good food, spa, pool, hiking and a road trip to the Grand Canyon. Try it!
STAY: Of the large hotels, the Wynn is the nicest you will find in Vegas. Daily cocktail hour on the patio, overlooking the “Lake of Dreams” is a must.
If you are like me, and try to avoid stepping foot in a casino and prefer a smaller “boutique” hotel experience, I recommend the Delano. Reasons to stay: 1. guests rooms that are all suites with 1.5 bath 2. A small, civilized private pool for Delano guests 3. The Bathhouse Spa - with hot, warm, cold pools, steam, sauna and refreshments.
EAT: Make sure you eat both on and off the strip. There are so many hole-in-the-wall spots off-strip, with food that will change your life, don’t skip out on those. The best chefs in the world have Vegas outposts, some are overrated but some really are the best out there so make some resies before you travel. Three musts for you… my old standby, of the bougie chef-driven Vegas restaurants is Thomas Keller’s Bouchon. It continues to be a true gem, deep inside the Venetian Tower, after all of these years.
Ok, two low brow, change your life recommendations… first, Pho Bosa Vietnamese Kitchen, which, of the food I have eaten in Vegas, is my tops. Yes, in a strip mall, yes, mind blown. The pho is great, we had ours with shrimp, but the true sleeper order here is the Bahn Mi Brisket. Truly the best bahn mi I have ever eaten Lastly, grab an arepa from Viva Las Arepas for lunch one day - it’s somehow fresh and dirty at the same time and truly delicious.
DO: Pool and spa are musts in Vegas and be sure to leave plenty of time for both. 30 minutes from the Vegas Strip is Red Rock Canyon. The 13 mile, one-way, scenic drive that loops through the canyon is alone worth getting out of town for. I have done a number of different hikes here from the leisurely walk through the red rocks to my most recent strenuous scramble up Ice Box Canyon trail to not one, but two, (sort of small) waterfalls. Even when I have been in Vegas for work, Red Rock is close enough that you can scoot out there early in the morning for some fresh air.
Ferguson’s Downtown shows that there really is a creative class of Vegas that I personally am rooting for. The whole city has suffered a severe setback from the pandemic, but I hope this pocket of downtown can hang on and continue to develop. Ferguson’s is an old motel converted into cute, local shops, anchored by the beautiful Mothership Coffee Roasters with tons of space in the courtyard for community gatherings including live music, pop-ups and more.
If you have the time, I highly recommend visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is a four hour drive from Vegas. For whatever reason, in today’s modern culture, we have put the Grand Canyon in a category of “Tourist Destination” and forgotten to highlight just how awe-inspiring and truly rad this wonder of the world is! I would drive from Vegas in the afternoon and stay the night in Williams AZ. We stayed in a shipping container glamping situation that I probably would not recommend but there’s a number of quirky options in Williams, so just find the best of what is still available to rest your head for the night under the very clear sky.
The reason to stay in Williams, is to get to the park entrance as early as possible. On our way out, after our visit, the line at the entrance went for miles. We arrived around 9am and it was a pretty easy in. We explored a few different trails and amongst them we found, the most magical walk to the most magical vista. The Shoshone Point Trail is a mile walk to the Grand Canyon rim from the trailhead, through huge pines, and we barely saw anyone else on the trail. We were lucky enough to have a fresh dusting of snow on the ground with blue skies and warm temps. It felt like a dream.
KNOW: I have some simple rules to keep Vegas trips on the ups. These are just my rules and they may not jive with you - take em or leave em! First, do not walk on the Strip, it just never leaves you feeling good. Sure, if you are going within a hotel’s distance or two it’s fine, beyond that, don’t do it. It’s a slippery slope, no further! Second, only enter casinos to get from point A to Point B. If you are going to Vegas to gamble, of course ignore this advice. You’ll have to cross through but again, same as walking on the strip, you never leave feeling good. I like to rent a car in Vegas and self park. When going to spots on the strip I will still take an Uber or a Lyft but the car allows you freedom to hike, eat and play off the strip. Lastly, always good to remember, that there is a Shake Shack smack dab in the middle of the Strip so if you are hungry and need something quick and reliable, the trusty Shack Burger is always there for you.