Las Vegas: Cheap and Quirky Edition

Travel Blog  •  Eva Holland  •  02.12.09 | 5:37 PM ET

Photo by Eva Holland

In spite of the recent plunge in room prices, “cheap” isn’t necessarily the first word that comes to mind when you think of Vegas—“jaw-dropping excess” might be closer. But beyond the high-roller tables, celebrity-helmed restaurants and designer clothing stores, there are bargains to be found. The Traveling Mamas recently posted a handy list of “free or cheap” Las Vegas activities, and it includes some more unexpected fare, like the Broadacres Swap Meet or the Pinball Hall of Fame.

I visited Las Vegas for the first time this summer, and with the exception of a close call at the Jimmy Choo store in Caesars Palace (where a part of me tried to argue that happiness is, in fact, a $600 pair of boots) I managed fairly easily to keep a grip on my wallet. My favorite Vegas freebie? The collection of vintage neon signage on Fremont East, where the glory of the good old days (sort of) lives on.


Eva Holland is co-editor of World Hum. She is a former associate editor at Up Here and Up Here Business magazines, and a contributor to Vela. She's based in Canada's Yukon territory.


4 Comments for Las Vegas: Cheap and Quirky Edition

MudslideMama 02.12.09 | 7:43 PM ET

Thanks, Eva! And you are so right - Fremont is really a good time. It’s also free to gawk at all the interestingly attired Vegas folk - although I noticed that they get annoyed when you point and giggle. Just kidding.

Ling 02.13.09 | 10:06 AM ET

Love those classic neon signs myself. Been thinking about a route 66 roadtrip to check out the motels and signs.

Sophia Dembling 02.13.09 | 4:57 PM ET

Yup, Fremont is great. Also the crazy fountains at the Shops at the Forums, another free experience, if you avoid the shops themselves.

My favorite way to do Vegas (and we go every few years, my husband has a thing for craps) is to stay in the nicest hotel we can afford (I like Caesar’s Palace, for its combination of luxe and kitsch, also the Golden Nugget) so I can hang by the pool while Tom gambles. And Vegas is one of the few places I like to visit with a gang of friends.

Sophia Dembling 02.13.09 | 4:58 PM ET

Oh, and my refrigerator magnet from the Liberace Museum is among my most prized possessions.

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