Carved out of the Nevada desert lies the non-stop entertainment capital of the world: Las Vegas. A city of fine dining, gambling, theatre shows, giltz and glamour nightlife, and 24 hour wedding chapels.
Las Vegas (Spanish for “the meadows”) is an internationally renowned resort city created with escape in mind. It is a city that does not sleep. Where some of the alcoholic beverages are so big, they come with a shoulder strap. Where the air is so dry and hot, it feels like you’re in a sauna.
Pictured below is part of the 4 mile long Las Vegas Strip, officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard. The Strip is the most iconic street, but just north of that is downtown Las Vegas, where the original casinos began. Many famous, and once-famous casinos, are located here on Fremont Street. Full of Vegas charm, musty smelling casinos, and bright lights, the atmosphere is buzzing and has some of the best people watching in the world.
With endless attractions to do, we decided to purchase the Go City pass (https://gocity.com/en-us) to really make the most out of our four days here. On a backpacking budget, we booked The Jockey Club (the only accommodation we found that doesn’t include the usual, sneaky and expensive resort fees here), and we did our food shopping at the supermarket on the strip. The Jockey Club is a hidden gem for those on a lower budget, and in the perfect location, right next to the famous Bellagio.
The Bellagio features a stunning display of thousands of swaying fountains, enhanced by synchronised music and lights. If you come to Vegas, make sure you check it out in the evening. It’s totally free to watch.
You can also go inside the Bellagio and see their famous floor to ceiling chocolate fountain (milk, dark, and white chocolate) and beautiful botanical exhibits in their conservatory. Their displays change every season and are free to walk around.
With the Go City All-Inclusive pass, you pay a one-off fee but have unlimited access to tons of cool attractions. We got to pick one premium attraction with the 3 day pass, we chose the Cirque du Soleil Beatles show at the Mirage hotel. We were initially in two minds about buying the pass, because at £150 it wasn’t cheap. But I’m so glad we did, as we saved a lot of money and got to do a whole heap of fun stuff. As vegas is relatively small, you are easily able to hop straight from one activity to the next and fill the whole day with activities. The Cirque du Soleil show alone was worth the money we paid.
It was an exhilarating journey through the trends and politics, from the ‘40s to the ‘70s, showcased through legendary music by The Beatles: it was an absolutely fantastic and impressive show to watch. Leon was not initially too fussed about seeing it but his jaw hit the floor on more than one occasion!
Another great attraction here is the volcano sculpture in front of the The Mirage which features nightly eruption shows with music and fire. Apologies for the terrible photograph, it was much better in person. Apparently The Mirage is due to be knocked down shortly, as there are plans for a brand new Hard Rock hotel to be built in it’s place. So sadly the pyrotechnics show wont be around for much longer.
The Go City pass features a very long list of available attractions, we tried to tick off as much as we could. First on our to do list was the High Roller Observation Wheel, to get in those day time views of Vegas.
Then it was over to Bally’s for their Real Bodies exhibit. We spent a couple of hours here walking through the displays of human specimens illustrating various aspects of complex anatomy. It was an interesting and thought-provoking experience. If you are not familiar – these are real carefully preserved bodies on display.
Las Vegas is super popular for lively pool parties; we soaked up the hot sun, played volleyball with others, and enjoyed very overpriced Seltzers at the Marquee Dayclub. But seeing as it was free entry with the pass, we didn’t mind too much. It was a great way to beat the heat and dry air.
In the evening we went to the LA Comedy Club in the Strat for a brilliant comedy gig with various comedians. After the gig, you can also get the elevator up to the observation deck to get lovely views of Las Vegas all lit up at night.
Another great observation deck, but more central, is the Paris Eiffel tower replica building. It towers 460ft. High for some of the best views of the glittering city strip.
We timed it just right that we even got to see the dancing Bellagio fountains when we were up there.
It was pretty windy up there, and the air was so dry that it was hard to smile and open your eyes even for a few seconds for a photo.
The following day, we made our way over to the Illuminarium to check out one of their immersive experiences (also included with the Go City pass). With 4K projection on every surface, interactive elements, and surround sound, you are transported. The show we watched was SPACE, but they also run two others, including an immersive safari journey.
You can walk around the huge room, listen to the impressive surround sound, break up the rocks with your feet, leave footprints. It was a really cool experience at SPACE, though ironically very chilly. So make sure you take a jacket if you’re planning on going.
Next to the Illuminarium is this Area15; its free to get in but you have to pay for the attractions inside. Area15 is a dark “multiverse playground”, full of UV lights, psychedelic images, cool VR gaming experiences, an awesome festival-wear shop, and a crazy supermarket with otherworldly food.
It was like nothing we had ever experienced. You can even zip line around the ceiling too.
We also got to check out Madam Tussaud’s with the Go City pass.
No that’s not Leon after a wild night out, that’s their new immersive “The Hangover” movie themed lounge.
Okay so this next one isn’t included in the pass, but a classic Vegas experience is going to shoot guns at a gun range. You can pretty much choose any kind of gun you can imagine, from any time period. Leon chose 5 different guns; AK47, uzi, glock, MP5 and M4. I stood well behind and took photos.
No there wasn’t a wide angle on my phone, the safety supervisor who Leon was paired with was absolutely huge. At probably around 7ft, he was taller than my dad!
Leon said he absolutely loved the experience. He certainly showed that paper man who was boss.
I cannot write this blog without mentioning a certain cocktail we drank. Yes, a special Vegas cocktail. At the Cosmopolitan (next to Bellagio), we heard on the grapevine that they do a secret cocktail not on the menu, called The Verbena. You first sip this margarita drink, then chew on the sichuan flower which it’s garnished with it. The flower sends your mouth into overdrive, and every molecule in your mouth feels like it’s vibrating and dancing. It is the WEIRDEST sensation. Uncomfortable, but weirdly addictive. We actually went back for a second Verbena the following day.
The Cosmopolitan itself is a stunning casino and bar, with huge chandeliers hanging down – it’s definitely one of the most Instagrammable bars on the strip. We won the most money on the “Willy Wonka” and the “Quick Hit” slot machines. I actually left Vegas with winnings, which was great. Leon just about broke even.
The Hoover Dam is a short drive from Las Vegas, on the border between Nevada and Arizona. The concrete dam was built in the 1930’s in the Black Canyon of the Colorado river. This engineering marvel is truly amazing, walk along the Hoover Dam bypass bridge for a spectacular view. It is the second-highest bridge in the USA, and has very strong winds. Hold onto your hat!
We checked out Boulder City (which was built to house the workers who built The Hoover Dam), and also Lake Mead. The water level here is constantly dropping and it’s drying out so much that things are now surfacing, like bodies from mob hits from the 1970s. Creepy.
One other Go City attraction we did was one of the Vegas Escape Rooms: the “Blair Witch” one (they also do a Saw one). Escape Blair Witch is a fully immersive 10 room horror escape room designed to ruin all other escape rooms for you. This is more of a focus on storytelling, cinematic sets, movie-style special effects, and great sound effects. They even import some of the items from the actual film.
I was nervous but the reviews were incredible and the experience is for up to 8 people, so safety in numbers I thought as I knew we would be buddied up with others. But as we checked in on the day, we were informed all the other people we were supposed to be with had cancelled last minute. Great. He warned me that myself and Leon might be separated, and we’d need to crawl through dark, tight spaces. Great. He did say that there may be actors jumping in throughout the experience. Oh no.
After our boozy night before, the hangxiety was high. The strong strobe lights and loud bangs were intense and pretty terrifying. The fear of being chased by the actors took over, so sadly I only lasted two rooms and 10 minutes before tapping out and leaving poor Leon to it to do by himself. Sorry, Leon.
Of course, being Leon, he absolutely nailed the Escape Room independently and was congratulated at the end for his speedy time. He said it was fantastic quality, and was the best escape room ever.
We had a wild, busy, and exhausting four days in Las Vegas. Vegas is one of those quintessential American experiences. A crazy, must-visit attraction for everyone at least once in a lifetime. We absolutely loved our stay, it was a memorable experience for sure.
Leon and Amy’s Big Adventures 