![Best Budget To-Dos in Nevada [Las Vegas Travel Tips]](https://allieinher20s.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Screen-Shot-2022-12-24-at-1.04.31-PM-1000x500.png)
When planning a trip to Las Vegas around Christmas time, I challenged myself to create wholesome, affordable, and memorable moments, in and around Sin City. Fast-paced, elevated cuisine, hyper-reality, gambling, and comedy, all sound like synonyms for Las Vegas.
However, while traveling there last week, I learned that “Las Vegas” roughly translates to “The Meadows” which odes to wild grass that helps retain large amount of water. We saw many such landforms while driving to the Grand Canyon. Vast, breathtaking, and gradient–all come to mind when the Grand Canyon is mentioned. By combining an appreciation for nature and time spent in the city, we found a way to balance the glitz of the city with the tranquil star-filled sky in Arizona.
When I was gifted a trip to Las Vegas back in September, I was elated. While I have traveled out west a few times, never to Nevada or Arizona. This trip would include a road trip to the Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire, and the Hoover Dam. As well as a handful of days in the iconic Las Vegas. Most of the time “budget” and “Vegas” aren’t written into the same sentence, but let’s talk about all the ways to travel on a budget, even to one of the most dazzling of cities.
I talked about my weekend-away planning necessities in my blog post “Planning the Perfect Weekend Getaway” and even though this trip was more than just a few days, the three-pillar-planning mentioned: Food and Beverage, Activities and Movement, and Meeting with Locals, all worked.
💰 Vegas on a Budget:
-Food and Beverage
-Activities and Movement
-Meeting with Locals
3 TIPS FOR FINDING FANTASTIC FOOD
-Find restaurants that offer Happy Hour (HH) food and drinks menu are a great option for having a dining experience before the inflated dinner prices. HH’s are not often advertised but always worth an ask or Google search. Some places with budget HH options on The Strip: Buddy V’s in the Grand Canal Shoppes, Favorite Bistro at the Linq Promenade, and the Bird Bar.
-Some bars also offer 2 for 1 drinks before 5pm. We enjoyed BOGO cocktails the final day at The Still, located in the Mirage.
-Plan one large meal a day that yeilds some leftovers that can be saved for the following day’s lunch. The top two dinners that provided leftovers: Juan’s Flaming Fajitas and Battista’s Hole in the Wall Italian. More on all my top restaurant experiences below…
What I Ordered at These Las Vegas Restaurants
Juan’s Flaming Fajitas: Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas with Mushrooms and Cheese—served with chips, salsa, soup, sour cream, guacamole, beans, rice, corn tortillas, and of course a couple margaritas to wash it down. The fajitas arrived at the table and immediately set on fire. Such a unique cantina experience. This meal made such an impression that I dined here twice—the same order.
Battista’s Hole in the Wall Italian: Steak Pizzaiola + Veal Marsala Entrees—served with minestrone soup, Italian salad, garlic bread, cappuccino, and complimentary red wine. This entire experience felt like a core memory. The perfect spot to celebrate an anniversary, birthday, friend coming to town, or night on the town.
The Still: Fish and Chips + Burger Sliders Entrees—served with lots of French fires and dipping sauces. The Still is a sports bar with a food truck located inside. The battered fish was some of the best I’ve had, and the Burger Sliders were a great sharing option. It finished the meal with a mango martini…yummy!
The Black Tap: Wagyu Steakhouse Burger Entrée and Brooklyn Blackout Chocolate Shake. The burger was piled with a quarter pound patty, shaved parmesan cheese, arugula, thickly sliced mozzarella, pesto mayo, and finished with fresh lettuce and tomato. Served with fries. The shake was as delicious as it sounds: chocolate frosted rim with mini chocolate chips topped with two chocolate brownies, whipped cream & chocolate drizzle. If you’ve ever tried Crazy Mason desserts, this was even better, less expensive, and matched the over-the-top you expect in Vegas.
3 TIPS FOR LAS VEGAS ACTIVITIES & MOVEMENT
-Buy tickets to a sporting event or show prior to arriving in Vegas
-Map out a walking tour around the infamous hotels/casinos
-Have a list of food options saved in Notes to try around the city
Some Activity Highlights
🏒 Attending a Golden Nights vs Boston Bruins Hockey Game @ the T-Mobile Arena
🚶🏼♂️Walking through the Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, Mirage, Flamingo, MGM, Aria, Venetian, Paris, and Treasure Island
🚗 Renting a car to drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and staying at the Bright Angel Lodge
🥤 Experiencing the extravagant (milkshake at The Black Tap) and equally comforting (pasta at the Batista’s) Las Vegas dinner cuisine
3 TIPS FOR GAINING LOCAL INPUT
-Ask if your booking/lodging includes or offers transportation services. Many of the hotels, casinos, and timeshares in Vegas have drivers who pick up and drop off all night. This is a great way to save money on Ubers (normally $10-$40 for a short drive down The Strip). The driver assigned to our hotel was helpful in our daily planning. Steve asked about our plans every morning and offered local suggestions for what to add or omit from the agenda. For example, both restaurants we enjoyed most, Battista’s and Juan’s Flaming Fajitas, were recommended by Steve.
-Ask questions! The driver that picked us up at the airport provided information about all the events happening in the upcoming week and told us what renovations were coming to some of the Hotels and Casinos in 2023. For example, after arriving at the Mirage, we learned that the entire building (castle- like structure) would be torn to the ground in 2023 to build a new Hard Rock Hotel shaped like a guitar. One of my favorite parts of travel is learning about the architecture, geographical elements, and city’s history. While driving by the Hoover Dam, I read an article that talked about the years spent building the Dam, its namesake, and the impact it has had on Las Vegas’s development.
How to Pack Light and on a Budget
Packing for a week in only a carry-on is simple. Here’s how I do it.
-Bring half the clothes you think you need. I like to leave room for new fashion pieces I find while traveling and often find that most lodging has a washing/drying machine if needed.
-Wear comfortable sneakers. And wear them in the airport since they take up lots of room. If it’s warm enough outside I will pack flip flops also. My go-to traveling pair: Feetures socks and Hoka sneakers. Feetures socks mold to the structure of your feet, have zone compression for support, and are made with a breathable fabric. It’s easy to get three uses out of each pair. My favorite pair for daily wear: Elite Ultra-Light No Show Tab. Hokas were introduced to me when training for a half marathon in Summer 2021 and since my first purchase, I have tried varying styles, with my overall favorite being the Clifton 8 model.
-Bring layers. Especially when traveling to desert places where days are warm, and evenings drop to colder temperatures. Outerwear takes up lots of luggage space, so I wear a hoodie and jacket to the airport.
-Basics are your friend. I always pack a long sleeve and short sleeve cotton shirt, thick-strap tank top, black yoga pants, comfortable light-wash jeans, hoodie, rain jacket, and under garments.
-Learn what’s important for you. My hygiene and nutrition products take up quite a bit of my space but keeping to my routines while away from home is important to me. The daily vitamins and skin care products I use supports my digestion and help me stay on track with my beauty goals.
My skincare products 🧖🏼♀️
The 5-Step Nighttime Skin Care Routine [That Works While You’re Dreaming]
CEO of Morning Skin Care [Best Products for Dry Winter Skin]
Conclusion: Word for 2023
The Nevada/Arizona trip that focused on local-approved food, lots of observing while walking The Strip, and day-tripping to the Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire, and Hoover Dam is a core memory of 2022. As we approach 2023, I find myself reflecting on the times I feel most in-tune with excitement and the gift of each new day. I like to assign an intention and word to each year. In previous years, mine have been mostly centered around travel, movement, or exploring. This year, I’m setting the intention of the following word combination: wholesome, limitless, and glamour.
What are some words that you want to highlight in your life in 2023?
xxx
Allie M.
[…] budget tips, and cultural information relating to the South of France, USA’s Carolinas, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and […]