Las Vegas Visitors Guide

Las Vegas is a destination with much more to offer than its famous Strip. A number of great golf courses are scattered east and west of the Strip, including Las Vegas National Golf Club (3 miles east, between Flamingo and Desert Inn), Wynn Golf Course (just off the strip behind the Wynn Resort, between Sands and Desert Inn), Las Vegas Country Club (1.5 miles east, between Desert Inn and Sahara) and Spanish Trail Country Club (west of the strip about 3.5 miles, just south of Tropicana).
If you're willing to go farther afield (approximately 14 miles off the Strip), you'll find four major courses on US 95 between S. Rampart Blvd. and S. Town Center Dr. The Tournament Players Club at Summerlin, the Tournament Players Club Las Vegas, the 27-hole Badlands Golf Club, and the 36-hole Angel Park Golf Club create a huge green space on the west edge of town. All but the TPC at Summerlin course are open to the public.
Angel Park has an assortment of awards under its belt; take a night away from the noise and crowds and play a round under the lights on the Cloud Nine short course.

You'll know this famous street, otherwise known as Las Vegas Boulevard, when you see it, especially at night. There is probably no equal to the lights of the strip any else on Earth. It's the first major street east if I-15; it starts just north of Sahara, at the Stratosphere, and runs past the Tropicana to the Luxor and the Mandalay Bay, which is nearly at the airport.
There are a few freebies on the Strip that are worth seeing, at least once: circus acts at Circus Circus; the Sirens at Treasure Island; the botanical garden inside Bellagio and the fountain in front; the volcano in front of the Mirage. If you are willing to spend some cash, compare the roller coasters at New York, New York and the Stratosphere; take the Rim Runner Splashdown ride at the Adventuredome at Circus Circus; peruse the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace.

The action in downtown Vegas is mostly centered on Fremont Street between Main and 7th. Gambling is the primary attraction downtown thanks to a number of well-known casino resorts, including the Golden Nugget and Binion's, the original home of the World Series of Poker. This is also where you can find the Fremont Street Experience, an outdoor light show that flashes on every half-hour.
The city is home to a couple of lesser-known attractions you'll only find in Las Vegas.
The Pinball Hall of Fame, which is 3 miles east of the strip at 3303 E. Tropicana, boasts a huge collection of pinball machines. They claim to be the largest collection open to the public.
The "boneyard" at the Neon Museum offers private tours for visitors who want to know how Las Vegas dressed in its early days. You can enjoy 10 vintage neon displays at the Fremont Street "gallery" downtown, then make an appointment to tour the boneyard.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway, on North Las Vegas Blvd., is a good bet if you like fast cars. Take I-15 north toward Salt Lake City about 15 miles and get off at Speedway Blvd. (Exit 54). NASCAR comes to town for two major events, and the raceway hosts an assortment of other racing events throughout the year.

You'll find many hours of entertainment far from the bright lights, and a couple of them are a must-see. South and east of town, on US 95 and 93, the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead National Recreation Area offer an impressive monument to man's determination to manage the sometimes wild waters of the Colorado River. Red Rock Canyon, west of town on Charleston Blvd., gets high marks for sheer beauty, as well as for the chance to hike or ride in a wild place.