It’s true, Las Vegas has no shortage of things to do such as gambling, shopping, eateries, bars, entertainment, shows, clubs and casinos. However, if you are looking to do something unique and off the beaten path, here are my top picks.
HEADZUP VEGAS
This is a new indoor amusement center. You will like the 3D trick art museum and this might be the only one in the US to my knowledge. If you visit on a weekday it’s less crowded.
The museum is located inside a mall. They also have an archery tag, escape room, Axe throwing, cornhole, DIY workshops and a whole lot more. Each activity is priced separately. Once you pay, you need to sign a waiver. Then wait in line and then be greeted by a host. She/he gives you a short tour and briefing, and everything you need to have a memorable experience.
The staff is walking around so if you need assistance, they are available. There are pictures and places marked on the floor to help get the angle for nice photos. which was really helpful. There are about 50 art and Tan, the staff that was working was very helpful. He tells us where to stand for the best photo opportunities, and even took pictures of us. You can ask them, they were all very friendly energetic and helpful. Ladies, carry a purse that fit over your neck/shoulder so your hands are free. After you are finished, you can so much to explore if you wish.
LION HABITAT RANCH INC
It is located in Henderson, 12 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, They have around 46 lions and couples of emus, ostriches, parrots and tiger cub. General admission is $25, last Sunday of the month local gets 15%off. You can be a trainer for a day cost $800 base price, and other admissions/event choices.
I love how close you get to the lion some 4-5 feet away, these lions are huge I didn’t realized as when I see them in Zoos they are far away. As you walk around the area, you’ll learn fun and fascinating facts.
I also found out that these lions look so well-groomed all the time, they do get a little bit of help. To make sure the lions look their best, the trainers shampoo their fur with baby shampoo, followed by a blow-dry treatment.Talk about being the “mane” attraction!
If you are lucky you might see the trainers hand-feed the lions and give them balls for some playtime. We saw a 11 weeks old cub so cute! They will also do a $30 to hold the Cubs.
These are the lions that used to be at the MGM Grand. They used to transport them everyday from here to MGM but hotel decided they no longer needed them, so they are now live permanently here. I was sad for these lions at first but learned these cages are bigger than the city allowed, in the summer they have an AC enclosed area where they can go inside, they are wells feed and taken care of. The place was well maintained as it looked very clean. The staff were very knowledgeable.
Ozizie the giraffe that paints 
The costs of keeping these magnificent creatures is enormous, so it was a nice surprise to find that it didn’t charge extortionate prices. Evans and his wife own this place and the passion they have is seen by their interaction of the cub. Don’t expect a big place like a zoo, this is a habitat and they are going to bring in more animals to make it a zoo.
MEEPLEVILLE BOARD GAME CAFE
For only $7, you can get unlimited game time. I think Monday is $3, Tuesday a student discount and also an annual membership of $20. There is always some events going on as well.
The selection of games is absolutely impressive, over 2000 games. I didn’t even know this many games existed! They have new releases, classic award winners. They also have strategic games, Party Games, R-Rated Games etc. The space is quite big with many tables with comfortable chairs.
The owner Timm and the staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. They helped us set up and showed us how to play a couple games. There is a cafe selling snacks, sandwiches, beer and wine. You can order and eat while you play.
SEAQUEST
Not too far from the Las Vegas Strip. It is located close to The Boulevard Mall and is hidden next to a Goodwill and John’s Incredible Pizza. They have lots of things to see including snorkelling with sting rays and baby sharks. It cost about $30 additional, on top of the entrance free.
I really like the aviary exhibits, and it was really cool to feed the birds. Also we were able to pet many of the animals such as starfish, rays, turtle, coati mundi etc.
There are bathrooms, sinks and soap/hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere. The staff were friendly and the place was clean. Age 2 to 11 is $9.95 and Age 12 + is $14.95 adult. You can purchasing food tokens for the animals for $21.
Feeding the Stingrays 
THE LAS VEGAS FARM
Located in Northwest area, you can spent about an hour or so here.
The market is free to browse and they were baked good, fresh eggs, vegetables, soaps, etc . To see and/or pet the animals is only $6 adult $4 kids and totally worth it. There are beautiful peacocks, and chickens everywhere, buy hay for a $1 to feed the animals~ llama, donkeys, turkeys, goats, horses, etc. There is also pony and train rides. The $6 admission, proceeds support the animals.
Make sure you wear boots or sneakers. I wore sandals and the hays gets in the way. There is water and soap to wash your hand.
Lastly, they offer a nice patio area with cover, great lighting and a nice ambiance with a special access to the animals should you want to host a party.
LAKE MEAD CRUISES
This is a beautiful and a very relaxing cruise esp. the Champagne Brunch cruise $46 that includes a glass of champagne and American style buffet breakfast and ofcourse the cruise. The length of the cruise is 90 mins.
For $26, they have just a cruise at 12pm and 2pm but there is a grill inside to order food.
This is located in Lake mead National recreational area and you will need to pay $25 entrance for it’s a National park. You headed to the Lake Mead Cruises landing and boarded the Desert Princess. It’s a colorful and beautiful 300-passenger paddlewheel boat. Checked in at 9.30am and the cruise starts at 10am.
The breakfast was good. After eating, go up to the sun deck. The view was spectacular and esp the Hoover Dam. The music was pleasant. The staff were friendly.
Hoover Dam in the background
FLOYD LAMB PARK
History has it that this park was called a “divorce ranch” that later became a park and was named after a Nevada state senator convicted of bribery.
This park is huge and beautiful with 4 man made lakes. There are peacocks,rabbits, ducks roaming around. You pay only $6 entrance fee per car. Nice place for a picnic, clean bathrooms, well maintained. In addition, there is a petting zoo with goats, horses, burros etc. The historic area is included in the admission.
CHINA DATE RANCH FARM
A hidden oasis in the middle of the desert!! Less than 90 miles from Las Vegas near Tecopa and Shoshone, just off a major route to Death Valley. To reach the farm, follow Interstate 15 south to Highway 160, the route west through Mountain Springs Pass to Pahrump.
Visiting the date farm is fun and you can hike and explore the area. The drive to the farm is nice with beautiful views of the desert and canyons. You will like the ambiance outside and I enjoyed watching the quails running around the ranch. The date shake was really luscious and so were the cookies and dates samples.
After visiting the gift shop headed out to explore and hike. Explore the slot canyon and the waterfalls totalled about 5 miles and takes about 2.30 hours.
CAMEL SAFARI
You get picked up from hotels in the Strip or you have the option of meeting in Eureka Casino in Mesquite. Just reserve the safari and give them a call to arrange the pick up. You arrived at the Camel Safari Ranch after an hour and 24 mins from Las Vegas. First in a classroom, learned the history of the camels, their unique camel herd of both Dromedary (one-hump) and Bactrian (two-hump) camels as well as feeding, anatomy, training, breeding and keeping of these camels. It was very educational and interesting.
After that, take a ride on their Dromedary camels, my camel name is Lodi and he is 13 years old and he is cute. It was about 30 mins ride in the desert near the beautiful Virgin River and breathtaking desert mesas led by an experienced handler. We left the hotel in Vegas around 11am and return until almost 4pm so give yourself plenty of time for the experience.
The ranch has 14 camels I believe and Safari owner, Guy Seeklus, was leading my tour. Him and his staff are highly passionate about the camels and super knowledgeable and friendly.
Feeding baby camel
You also get hands-on “camel encounters,” with both Dromedary and Bactrian camels. I was feeding a 13 months old camel and they liked to be petted too!
They also have segway tour and camel encounters.
TOWN OF OATMAN
It is an authentic old western town with burros roaming the streets. Don’t miss the gunfights staged on weekends called Wild West Shootouts, every day from 1:30pm til 3:30pm.
Oatman’s “Wild” Burro’s are the descendants of burro’s brought here by the miners and when no longer needed were turned loose. They wander the streets and greet our tourists. They had fifteen burros that day.
You can buy $1 small bags of food for them. One of the burro was quite aggresive, so be aware. There are many gifts, and craft shops selling handmade leather goods and jewelleries, candy shops, etc
It is easy to find parking. If you are in the area, definitely stop by. It is very entertaining and it’s free.
AREA 51
Experience the most desolate, uninhabited desert on your route to Area 51 and visit the world’s most top secret military facility on a road trip or on a tour. The sights to see are
Sight #1 – Extraterrestrial Highway
Nevada Route 375 was officially named the Extraterrestrial Highway due to the many claimed sightings of UFOs along the 92-mile stretch of road. From Las Vegas, take Interstate 15 north to U.S. 93 north and turn west on Nevada Route 375. Travel through this sparsely-populated road, & then passing by the small town of Rachel, Nevada. This is the closest town to Area 51, the mysterious government research and testing facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range. You can stop for lunch at the local hotel, the Little A’Le’Inn. The gift shop features an assortment of extraterrestrial souvenirs, including T-shirts, mugs, and caps.
Sight #2 – Alien Research Center
A small roadside attraction, a museum and gift shop, stop for pictures by the giant alien statue.
Sight #3 – The Black Mailbox & The Front Gate
Between mile marker 30 and 29 is a square white mailbox (it was formerly painted black, which gave it the name the Black Mailbox). This mailbox is a demarcation of the road that leads to the Front Gate of Area 51. The Front Gate is only a giant sign that says keep out.
Sight #4 – A’Le’Inn
This restaurant/bar/gift shop is a good stop. A’Le’Inn sells the most comprehensive book on Area 51 and the surrounding area. You should try the “World Famous Alien Burger”. Also, further conjunction with the release of “Independence Day”, there is a time capsule buried next to the restaurant that will be opened in 2050.
Sight #5 – The Back Gate
The back gate is great because there is actually a gate set-up in the middle of a field with a few cameras and a guard shack. Don’t photograph the guards.
It’s roughly eight miles from HWY – 375 to the Back Gate. The first five miles are dirt, the last two or three are paved.
You’ll know when you are at the gate, and don’t try and cross. In fact, we were told to stay at least 10-20 feet away.
Warnings
Area 51 is a military base. Don’t try and cross the fence, you will be fined and arrested. The best part of the trip out to Area 51 is that it really lives up to the idea of a top secret destination. While the drive is long and there aren’t really any tourist sights, there aren’t any road signs pointing out the sights, and you won’t see anyone, there could definitely be aliens and UFO’s there. Just let your imagination run wild.
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