It can be done!
First, I have to warn you that if you drink and gamble, I am not going to be able to save you much money. Those are the two most expensive habits in Vegas. But, I can give you some ideas of cheap and free things to check out and do.
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One, book a cheap hotel. I know what you are thinking. You want the glitz, the galmour, the Vegas experience. Well, let me assure you will find it no matter where you choose to sleep at night. You don't even have to stay on the Strip to enjoy your visit to Sin City. With the exception of our wedding weekend, I don't think we have ever paid over $60 a night in Vegas and we haven't missed out on any of the fun.
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Two, no matter where you stay, the other hotels are there for your enjoyment! You can spend hours wondering from hotel to hotel checking out their themes and free offerings. Ceasar's Palace has a water show, Treasure Island has a pirate show, Mirage has lions, and Bellagio has butterflies----All for free!
Here are the Bellagio butterflies:
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Three, adventure off the Strip! This is an especially good idea for families since the kids aren't too fond of alcohol and the smoke is pretty bad for their little lungs.
Visit Red Rock Canyon. It is about twenty to thirty minutes away from the Strip and the cost to enter is $7 per vehicle. Once inside there are many walking/hiking trail, though if you want to be brief the drive alone is worth the fee. There is a great Vistor's Center that has lots to explore. It's almost like a little museum with plenty of hands-on material.
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Four, drive a little past Red Rock Canyon and stop at Bonnie Springs Ranch. Entrance is $5 per person and that gets you quite a bit. You can tour the (replica) mining town and old buildings there. See what it would have been like during the mining days before you watch actors play out scenes from the past including a Hanging (Fun!) and a Posse Show. In addition, your admission gets you into the petting zoo which includes some rarities like wolves and a lynx. No, you can't pet those ones but there are lots to touch, including the wild burros that will come right up to your car as you drive to the entrance of Bonnie Springs.
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Five, check out M&M World and Coke Store, located right next to each other on the Strip. At the M&M World you can check out the progression of M&M's throughout their history as you walk through the four level building. Admission is free though I can't promise that you won't be tempted to purchase some candy before leaving.
The Coke Store is one of my ultimate favorites. I always go there when in Vegas. Again, there is lots to see and there is no charge to get in and walk around. You may even see the Coke polar bear for a great photo opporunity. If you do spend any money there I strongly suggest purchasing one of their sampler trays. The Coke Around the World tray is $7 and you get cups filled with 16 different Coke flavors that are popular in different countries. They are not all tasty but the experience is not to be missed.
The other tray (seen here) is the Coke Float tray. It features 8 different floats for $8. Try a Grape Float, Mellow Yellow Float, and Sprite Float too! Ben and I cannot finish this tray between the two of us and will easily satisfy a family of four. Yum!
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Six, the Fremont St. Experience. We checked this out on our first night in Vegas and it was worth it! We had heard stories about it being shady in that area and am sure there were unfavorable spots but when you are actually under that largest screen in the World surrounded by people, store owners, security, and police, it doesn't seem too bad. We spent a couple of hours there walking around. There are hotels and casinos right in the heart of Fremont in addition to gift shops and restaurants. The light shows take place every hour starting at 8pm and we stayed for the first one and the one at 9pm (they are all different).
Enjoy your next trip to Vegas and if you have any other ideas, feel free to share them here. I'd love to get more suggestions for the next time we head that way.
