Just about everybody can conjure up their own image of Las Vegas based on movies, TV shows and reputation. The old image of Vegas as simply a town of glitz, gambling and sleaze gave way to a makeover during the last few decades. While Vegas is still known for its casinos and live shows, it offers contemporary travelers a much broader variety of attractions, from thrill rides to golf. Just remember that the hot desert sun makes golfing during the summer a proposition that should be based entirely upon your health, but even that can be done within an oasis.
Bali Hai Golf Club
The Bali Hai Golf Club offers the one thing that those staying on the strip will probably want the most. It is actually located on the strip so the trip there and back to your hotel's swimming pool is short. This is a beautiful course decorated as a tropical paradise in the middle of the desert. Bali Hai covers 7,002 yards, has a top-notch pro shop, a putting green, caddies and a driving range. The greens fees are expensive, but this is a one-of-a-kind golf experience.
Bali Hai Golf Club
5160 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
(702) 597-6316
balihaigolfclub.com
Bonanza Gift Shop
A trip to Las Vegas isn't complete without some souvenirs, and the Bonanza Gift Shop has just about anything you can imagine. This amazing store bills itself as the World's Largest Gift Shop and specializes in the kitschy side of Vegas. Here you will find everything from that perfect velvet Elvis portrait to a squirting home slot machine.
Bonanza Gift Shop
2440 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 385-7359
worldslargestgiftshop.com/cgi-bin/shop
Richard Petty Driving Experience
Nothing beats an early morning leisurely game of golf better than an afternoon of high-performance speeding around a racetrack. The Richard Petty Driving Experience gives you the option of sitting in the passenger seat or driver seat of an actual 600-horsepower NASCAR race car. When you let the professional sit behind the wheel you will hit speeds up to 165 mph. The other option provides you with the necessary training to take your seat behind the wheel and hit speeds up to 150 mph.
Richard Petty Driving Experience
6975 Speedway Blvd. #D106
Las Vegas, Nevada 89115
(702) 643-4343
1800bepetty.com/home.aspx
Liberace Museum
Even if you aren't a fan of Liberace, the Liberace Museum is worth a visit. Inside is an astonishing collection of pianos, jewelry, vehicles and piano-shaped furnishings. One of the most popular items in the museum is a ring shaped like a piano created from 260 diamonds. Liberace's extraordinary wardrobe collection is also on display. If there was one single entertainer who most represents the outlandish gaudiness of Las Vegas it was Liberace, but at this museum you will also learn that behind the glitz he was perhaps one of the most approachable public figures in Vegas history.
Liberace Museum
1775 E. Tropicana Ave.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
(702) 798-5595
liberace.org
About The Author
Timothy Sexton is an award-winning author who started writing in 1994. He has written on topics ranging from politics and golf to nutrition and travel, and his work appears online for Zappos.com, Disaboom, USAToday.com and MOJO, among others. He has also done work for "Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of West Florida.
