Ever feel the need to take a spur-of-the-moment trip? Need a break from your daily routine? I know that feeling all too well! Just a week and a half ago, my husband and I planned a very last-minute, impromptu trip to Las Vegas. It’s been a trying summer for both of us, and we craved some uninterrupted time together in a different time zone (not that we need a reason to take an impromptu trip!).
We left on a Thursday evening EST and arrived around 10 p.m. PST. This worked perfectly for us, as my husband was able to work a full day before hopping on the plane. Once we arrived in Las Vegas, we took an Uber to our hotel. Ubers are widely available in Las Vegas, but they don’t come with a cheap price tag. If you plan on leaving your hotel or the general tourist areas frequently, consider using public transportation or renting a car for a few days. We used Uber sparingly but still ended up paying approximately $50–$60 USD per ride, including tip.
We stayed at The Venetian, located on Las Vegas Boulevard (aka The Strip). The hotel was incredible, with beautiful views, a great location, and fantastic service. There are also more than 40 restaurants located on the properties of The Venetian and The Palazzo (hotel next to the Venetian, same owners). Once we arrived and checked in, it was off to bed to prepare for an early wake-up the next day!
Day 1: Red Rock Canyon, Boulder City, and the Hoover Dam
On our first full day, we rented a car for the day. Conveniently, Hertz and other car rental companies are located at many Las Vegas Strip hotels. Our first stop on our day-long road trip was Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Red Rock Canyon is located approximately 35–40 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. We started our drive first thing in the morning to beat the heat and intense sun. There are numerous hiking trails within the conservation area. However, if you’re like us and don’t enjoy hiking in the blazing sun, there’s a 13-mile scenic drive you can take instead.
Before starting the scenic drive, make sure to visit the visitor center, connect to the Wi-Fi, and download the conservation area map. Keep it on your phone as a reference throughout your journey. The drive takes you around the conservation area, with stopping points along the way. Most stops have bathrooms and water fountains. The views are incredible! This day trip is well worth your time and energy.
After spending the morning at Red Rock Canyon, we drove to Boulder City, Nevada, for lunch. Boulder City is just outside of Las Vegas and near the Hoover Dam, making it a great stop on your way to explore the sights outside the city.
Fun fact: Boulder City is one of the only towns in the state that has banned gambling. The town is small, with numerous restaurants and antique shops along its main streets. I highly recommend exploring Sherman’s House of Antiques along Arizona Street, followed by a delicious lunch at The Dillinger. We left with satisfied appetites and tired feet after exploring the antique shop!
Our next and final stop was the Hoover Dam. The dam is approximately 15 minutes from Boulder City and 45–50 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. A parking garage is conveniently located across the street from the dam, and it costs $10 USD to park for the duration of your visit.
The property itself isn’t large, but it’s completely exposed to the sun, with very little shade, so enduring the heat can be challenging depending on the time of year you visit. We booked tickets online to access the exhibits. You can also book tour tickets online if that is your preference. I’ve done the tour in the past, but we decided not to do it this time around. After visiting the exhibits, I recommend walking around the visitor center and across the dam to the Arizona side. You’ll be able to take in the beautiful scenery and views of Lake Mead.
After visiting the Hoover Dam, we decided to head back to our hotel. We were tired from the late-night arrival and early wake-up, so some relaxation (and a nap!) were much needed.
After a few hours of downtime, we found a great restaurant for dinner. We ate at Amalfi by Bobby Flay, located inside Caesars Palace. I ordered the spaghetti zucchine, and Matt chose the chicken parmigiano. Both dishes were incredible! The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing, which was hard to believe given that the restaurant was in the middle of a casino. I highly recommend adding this restaurant to your itinerary!
After dinner, we enjoyed a few cocktails at the 1923 Prohibition Bar at The Venetian. It’s the perfect spot if you’re feeling overstimulated by the casinos and crowds. Have fun trying to locate this semi-secret bar!
Day 2: Poolside Relaxation, Great Food, and Fremont Street
Day 2 was a more relaxing one for us after our morning 2-mile run. After lunch, we spent the afternoon at The Venetian’s pool. There are several pools on the property, but despite the large amount of space, the area became crowded very quickly. Luckily, we found some lounge chairs. However, if you don’t want to worry about finding a chair, I recommend getting to the pool early!
That evening, we had reservations at Esther’s Kitchen, located in the Las Vegas Arts District, outside the Strip. It’s a farm-to-table Italian restaurant where all the pasta is made in-house. We started with homemade sourdough bread and beef and pork meatballs, followed by traditional spaghetti and tortellini for dinner. For dessert, we shared the mocha affogato. We had a delicious and relaxing dinner. The atmosphere and staff were incredible!
After dinner, we walked from Esther’s Kitchen to the infamous Fremont Street, which took approximately 25 minutes. We walked along Fremont Street, quickly became overstimulated, and decided to head back toward the Strip. We found a quiet little cocktail bar called Rosina at The Palazzo, where we enjoyed a few cocktails.
Day 3: Exploring the Strip and Miniature Golf
Day 3, our final day, started with a quick 2-mile run before we thoroughly roasted our legs by walking most of the Strip! The weather was gloomy, with intermittent rain and no sunshine, so our walk up and down the Strip was tolerable and enjoyable. We wandered in and out of various casinos and resorts while taking in the sights!
We discovered the convenient monorail that runs along much of the Strip. The monorail travels from MGM Grand to the SAHARA Las Vegas, with a total of seven stops. It runs every 3–8 minutes and takes roughly 15 minutes to travel the length of the route. We purchased a 24-hour ticket that allowed us to hop on and off for unlimited rides throughout the day.
We used the monorail during the day, but it really came in handy that evening when we ventured to Mandalay Bay Resort. Before heading there, we had dinner reservations at Alexxa’s, located at Paris Las Vegas. The service and food made for a wonderful experience! The restaurant is across the street from the Bellagio Fountains, so we had a perfect view of the fountain show.
After dinner, we ventured to the south end of the Strip to Mandalay Bay Resort.
Fun fact: A free tram runs between Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay! This is different than the monorail mentioned above.
We spent the evening at Swingers, a miniature golf bar located at Mandalay Bay. The drinks were amazing, and the atmosphere was fun! They have two different miniature golf course options. Both are unique and have charm. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the location. We had no trouble purchasing tickets at the location. If you are traveling during peak season, I recommend purchasing tickets in advance using their online website. If you enjoy arcades, you can also play the arcade games for an additional cost. We had such a great night, but we had to end it early in anticipation of our early wake-up call for our flight back to Philadelphia.
The next morning, we were up early and headed to the airport. We wanted to arrive with plenty of time to spare since it was Labor Day, one of the busiest travel days of the year. Our flight departed on time, and we landed in Philadelphia that afternoon.
Although it was a short getaway, we had the best time! We desperately needed some time away, and Las Vegas helped us relax, laugh, and put some tough days behind us. You don’t need to plan trips months in advance for them to be relaxing, fun, and rewarding. If you feel the pull to escape, don’t ignore it. It might be your soul’s way of telling you what you need.
We came home refreshed and ready to get back into our routine. Although I planned this trip a little differently from my other trips, I gained a new perspective. You can approach travel in different ways, and you don’t need to have everything figured out to have a fantastic time away. So, the next time you feel that itch to get away, just do it! You won’t regret it!
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