Off the beaten path in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas may be full of cliches, but there is still plenty to discover besides casinos, theatre shows and larger-than-life hotels.
Adam Clay / Alamy Stock Photo
Adam Clay / Alamy Stock Photo
Las Vegas (Spanish for ‘the meadows’) is in the American state of Nevada and was founded in 1905. Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. Ironically, a strict anti-gambling law went into effect immediately. But with the construction of Hoover Dam in 1931 and legalisation of gambling in Nevada, the city quickly grew from 5,000 to 25,000 inhabitants. Today, it is the world’s entertainment capital.
mauritius images GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
Population: 623,000
Number of hotel rooms: around 150,000
Number of slot machines: 197,144
KLM connection: direct flights from Amsterdam three times a week
In the evening, the Fremont Street Experience erupts: a spectacular light and sound show on the Viva Vision. This gigantic LED dome hangs above the street and is no less than 450 metres long and nearly 30 metres wide. All of the casinos switch off their lights when the spectacle starts. That in itself is a unique sight Vegas.
Fremont Street
Where Las Vegas was born
Long before the fake volcanos, dancing fountains and pirate fights attracted attention on The Strip, there was Fremont Street. In 1925, this was the very first paved street in the city and the main street of Las Vegas. If you are looking for old-fashioned Vegas charm, you’ll find it here. The slot machines still take coins (unlike most machines on The Strip) and the iconic neon cowboy Vegas Vic keeps an eye on things.
imageBROKER / Alamy Stock Photo
Red Rock Canyon
Red rock landscape
Las Vegas is located in the middle of the desert, so a quick drive out of the city brings you directly into nature. Within twenty minutes, you can trade your casino and swimming pool for the amazing red stone landscape of Red Rock Canyon. This beautiful canyon is made up of coloured sandstone, red rocks and cliffs that ascend 900 metres into the sky. The madness of Vegas will seem very far away.
Clarence Holmes Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
5 Crazy Vegas Facts
Did you know…
.... drinks are free in Las Vegas as long as you keep gambling? Give the waitress a dollar tip per drink and you’ll be fine.
.... around 315 marriages take place daily on The Strip?
... the 6.8 km long Las Vegas Boulevard, alias ‘The Strip’, is not even located in Las Vegas? Most of the street is in the neighbouring town of Paradise.
....there are 24,000 neon tubes in use in Las Vegas?
...the largest chocolate fountain in the world is in the Hotel Bellagio? It is more than eight metres high and pumps two tonnes of chocolate.
The Neon Boneyard
The history of Vegas in neon
Las Vegas is synonymous with neon! Seen from space, Las Vegas is the most brightly lit spot on earth. The Neon Boneyard contributes to this. This is where the biggest glitter icons in Las Vegas are laid to rest.
Danita Delimont / Alamy Stock Photo
Jason Ogulnik / Alamy Stock Photo
A tour of this unusual cemetery is, of course, particularly interesting after the sun has set and the neon signs are switched on in all their former glory.
The Brilliant Experience is also recommended, a magical light and sound show that takes you through the history of Las Vegas.
During the Agression Sessions, you can destroy all the cars you want, while the Mini Excavator Challenge lets you play basketball with an excavator.
Dig This
Go wild with a bulldozer
At Dig This, you can spend a few hours playing in professional bulldozers and excavators. After thirty minutes of training, you can hop into these monsters that you normally see at building sites and experience for yourself what they’re like to operate. There are several options.
