Right before our wedding in June 2018, Armando and I took a break from all our planning and took a mini road trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. In our hunt to find local vendors and find wedding inspiration, we had attended a couple or bridal fairs throughout the Bay Area. While attending one, we both won a “free” 2-night stay at The Plaza Hotel. The catch was booking it by a certain day, excluding blackout days, and getting a refund/other gift cards after attending a timeshare presentation. Looking back, it didn’t seem like a bad trade-off for 2 free nights near Old Las Vegas, but we used only one of our winning tickets to make a reservation.
I ended up getting sick once we arrived, so our trip was slightly impacted by me not feeling well through most of the weekend. I had planned to eat all this yummy food and to try and cram a lot of fun things to do in a short amount of time, but what I thought was going to be a helpful getaway might have triggered anxiety in me of not having as much done before the wedding as I would have liked.
I rested a lot and we took it easy, but being sick definitely helped us from saying yes to any timeshare proposals being thrown our way. (Although I am sure our presenter was not too happy about that.)
Despite the unexpected issues, we made it a point to have some fun. Here’s a breakdown of how we spent our trip without gambling or spending time at the main strip’s casinos, buffets or shows.
1. Seven Magic Mountains
Since we drove in, we stopped by this amazing art installation on the desert outside of Las Vegas. It was free to enter and take photos, and it was a challenge getting any without other people in the background. I would recommend going earlier, as I imagine there is a smaller crowd then.
2. Fremont Street Experience – Downtown Las Vegas
This is cheating a bit because there are casinos on this street, but there is plenty to do in this area that won’t require gambling. Besides seeing the Viva Vision light show, there are free outdoor concerts. And if you are really daring, there is also the opportunity to zip line down the largest slot machine in Vegas, Slotzilla. If you want to take the million-dollar photo, you can stop by Binion’s Gambling Hall to take a photo with a pile of a million dollars.
We took a break from our shopping and ate at Makers & Finders. We loved this spot so much we ate their twice on our trip! I had the best latte enjoyed the waffle I ordered for my breakfast on Sunday.
Besides the shops and food, I loved all the street art in the Arts District. There was no shortage of pretty walls and me asking Armando to take my photo against different backdrops. If you are looking for budget-friendly entertainment, look around the sides of buildings and I guarantee you’ll find some cool art.
Armando and I saw the Pinball Hall of Fame mentioned on a Buzzfeed video and this place did not disappoint! There were rows and rows of pinball machines. It is a drive away from the strip, but this was a highlight of the trip and a pretty fun way to spend the evening.
Before making our drive back to our studio apartment in Berkeley, we spent our Sunday morning after breakfast at Makers & Finders on a tour of The Neon Museum. We learned about some unique signs and saw a glimpse of what old Vegas used to look like. This was definitely a highlight of our trip, and we both agreed we would love to come back on a night tour to see some of the restored signs lit up. Depending on the season, make sure to bring plenty of water and wear some SPF! Tickets are sold by time slots, so make sure to also get these ahead of time if your schedule is pretty tight.
I hope you enjoyed my travel guide for a budget-friendly trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. Let me know what you are excited about visiting or if you’ve been to any of these locations before.
Until next time,
