Las Vegas for Non-Gamblers

Through a set of circumstances, I waited until 2001 to visit Las Vegas. I was forty in 2001, and I don't gamble, which is part of the reason I never felt the need to visit the oasis in the Nevada desert. But then two different friends vacationed there, and it started to look a lot more interesting. A little research confirmed my suspicions -- Las Vegas has a lot to offer non-gamblers.

After the events of September 11th, my friends and I expected long delays and lines at the airport. Instead, we sailed through security checkpoints and there were no lines for ticketing. We stayed at the MGM Grand, one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever enjoyed. If you're not staying there, it doesn't offer a lot of amenities in the non-gambling department, except a first-class show in EFX. But first-class shows are everywhere in this town. The rooms are beautiful and spacious, at least in the Grand Tower -- the Emerald Tower contains the cheap seats, and the rooms are reportedly small -- but still beautifully decorated.

There are five pools, but only one is open during the winter months. Since the weather was nice enough that the one pool was crowded, it was hard to say why the rest were closed. There is a 'river' pool which can be rafted on rented rafts, but it was closed as well. The theme park has been closed indefinitely, and no one could tell me when it would re-open. Since the hotel is film-themed, there is an interesting option we weren't able to experience due to time constraints -- films and clips are available for viewing in their private theatre.

The MGM is connected by an overhead walkway to the New York New York. The facade of this hotel is fabulous, a sight in itself, particularly at night when the little tugboats in the harbor spout water around the Statue of Liberty. There is a roller coaster on top of the hotel that runs through the skyline and in and out of the casino.