Jul 12
15
There are a lot of great reasons for traveling solo to Las Vegas. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see the appeal of traveling with a friend or a group once in awhile. After all, we’ve all heard the expression “There’s safety in numbers.” Some things, like getting drunk, just aren’t safe for a woman to do when she’s traveling alone. Wandering off the beaten path at night when you’re alone isn’t a great idea, either.
But my reasons for occasionally wishing for a travel companion or two has little to do with safety. It’s my perception of whether or not an activity would be fun if done alone. There are a handful of things I haven’t done in Vegas, even though I would love to, because I just don’t want to do them alone. What are they?
Gondolier at the Venetian
Go on a Gondola Ride at the Venetian
One of my favorite activities in Las Vegas is visiting the Canal Shoppes at the Venetian and leaning against the railing (with all the other tourists) to watch the gondolas glide lazily up and down the fake canals of fake Venice. The gondoliers sing so beautifully, I could listen to them all day. It really transports me in my mind to Venice. I’d love to go for a ride myself just to say I had, but it’s one of those things I would feel very self-conscious doing by myself. There’s only one way I would do this: With a significant other.
Cruising down the Strip in a stretch limo
Picture yourself and a group of friends cruising down the Strip at night in the back of a black stretch limo, cocktails in hand, laughing, listening to music and having a great time in the heart of the neon landscape. Now picture yourself sitting alone in the back of a stretch limo with your drink in your hand and nobody but the driver to talk to. It’s a pathetic picture, isn’t it? That’s why I haven’t done it.
Going to a male strip show
It’s not that I really feel the need to see half-dressed men with waxed chests, okay? But when I was younger, some friends and I used to go to strip clubs (where they have male and female strippers) up in Canada. It was a hoot–lots of drinking, lots of laughs, lots of embarrassment. And here’s Las Vegas, with all its male strip shows, and I haven’t even considered going to one. That’s the kind of thing that’s better with a bunch of girlfriends, possibly for a bachelorette party or a milestone birthday. A woman going to a show like this alone is like a cry for help.
RM Seafood
Rick’s Tasting Game at rm Seafood
I have been dying to try this, but there’s no way I could do it alone. Rick’s Tasting Game is a blind tasting challenge where you sample 16 creative flavors of ice cream and try to guess what each flavor is. (And by “creative,” I mean really nutty, like parsley-flavored ice cream.) If you guess them all, you get it for free. If not, it’s $18. The price isn’t prohibitive, but it seems a shame to waste so much ice cream and there’s no way I could finish all 16 flavors by myself. This sounds more like a team sport to me.
KISS Monster Mini Golf
This hasn’t even been open long enough for me to try on one of my trips, but since I was a huge KISS fan growing up and I do love miniature golf, I would love to play a round here. Every summer, I used to take my nieces to the local putt putt when they came to visit. Now that they’re older and don’t come to visit as often, I have no one to play mini-golf with! And somehow I just can’t see myself playing 18 holes by myself. Part of the fun of miniature golf is the competition and comparing your score with everyone else.
The Hofbrauhaus
The Hofbrauhaus, located across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel (off Strip), is a replica of a German beer hall, complete with a live band playing traditional beer hall music. It has the potential to be a ton of kitschy fun, the kind of place most of us don’t have back home. Sitting around a long table with a group of friends, steins of frothy beer in our hands, and all the wienerschnitzel we can eat sounds like a good time. Sitting alone at the same long table with a bunch of strangers. . .not so much. I’ll pass.
So there you have it, the things I’d rather not do alone in Las Vegas. It’s a pretty small list when you think about it, which means most of what Las Vegas has to offer is enjoyable when you’re traveling solo. (Why do you think I go back every year?) And the freedom I have as a solo traveler is a pretty fair trade-off. Still. . .I wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to cruise down the Strip in a stretch limo one of these days.
How about you? What are some Vegas activities you’d never consider doing alone?
I’ve been wanting to try the Tea Lounge at Mandarin Oriental for a while now (mostly because their Golden Assam sounds amazing), but so far I haven’t had any luck convincing someone to come with me. Normally I don’t have a problem with dining solo, but the Tea Lounge just doesn’t seem like the kind of place you can go by yourself. It’s a little like the gondolas – technically you COULD go there alone, but they’re designed for couples and small groups, so you might as well be screaming out “LOOK AT ME, I HAVE NO FRIENDS TO SHARE THIS WITH!” the whole time. Which would kind of ruin the whole experience.
OMG, Nate, I can’t believe I didn’t include that in my list, because I’ve been dying to do an afternoon tea either at the Tea Lounge or the Petrossian Bar at Bellagio. My biggest fear is that they’ll bring out so much food that most of it would go to waste, because there’s no way I’d be able to eat it all by myself. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has done it alone what it was like.
I’d add a visit to Drink and Drag to the list. Tim and Michele Dressen at fivehundy podcast had a great time there, I’d love to check the place out, with a friend.
Ooh, that’s a good one, too Hetz! That place looks fun….but not necessarily alone.
Ice cream tasting. How did I miss that one? I might have to make a trip soon.
I have been to Vegas both solo and with friends and I like it much better with other people. There are things that are just not as much fun when you are by yourself. I am not a big gambler but I do like blackjack a lot better if I am with a friend. It give you someone to share the joy and misery with.
I keep saying that I am going to go to the Hofbrauhaus but I just think it would not live up to the original.
LOL, Jeff. “The joy and the misery” – I guess that could be true with blackjack–or any gambling, really.
Let’s do Rick’s Tasting Game together one day! We’ll force ourselves (wink, wink) to try all that ice cream.
I’m going to try to swing by Drink and Drag on my trip next week, and I’ll be solo. If I can remember, I’ll post an update here when I return.
Any time, Kent!
I would love to hear what it’s like, Dave! Have fun!
After many disastrous trips to Las Vegas with other people , no reason in the world would get me to travel with someone else ever again. Restaurants , shows and other activities don’t care if you’re alone so why would you?
Ha, good point, Craig. Our money’s just as green as anyone else’s.
Gray , Mini golf & beer hall both sound fun if we have any cross over time in September happy to join you
I think we do have some crossover, Sharon, so that’s a possibility! I’ll be in touch.
Hey Gray:
A nice list. If you didn’t get the mini-golf in this last trip (or wait, are you on that trip *right now*?) I’d be happy to check it out with you. Of course, my usual yearly solo trip is in the dead heat of mid-July… but if we happen to cross paths that, or a leisurely cocktail-filled limo cruise, sound totally fun.
(Just discovered this blog today, by the way, and it’s a pretty cool find…)
Hi, Clay – Thanks for the offer! On this trip, I actually decided that even Labor Day week is too hot for me. So July is definitely out. But you never know when our paths might cross in Vegas. Thanks so much for commenting. I hope you enjoy the blog.
Hi Gray, congrats on your well written insightful blogs.
I will say that I have been to Las Vegas male revue shows by myself previously and it’s really no big deal. I have been to both Chippendales and Thunder From Down Under when I was in Vegas on vacation with my boyfriend. It was just the two of us so none of our friends were there with us. Since this was Vegas, I wanted to see the shows but he didn’t want to accompany me (I find men are a lot more insecure about these things) so I still went ahead and saw the shows on my own while he waited for me downstairs playing blackjack in the hotel’s casino. It’s really not that bad at all. The Chippendales theatre at the Rio is set up no different than a movie theatre with side by side row seating so nobody really notices or cares anyway. The TFDU showroom at the Excalibur is smaller with elongated tables near the stage (10 to 14 seats per table) but along the perimeter of the showroom there are over 50 individual bar seats situated behind countertops. Both places are quite dark except for the stage lighting, especially the TFDU showroom, so you can’t really see the audience that well. I think they set that up on purpose to allow the women in audience to feel more uninhibited. Although there is no full nudity, both shows are quite entertaining and very easy on the eyes
Hi, April! Thank you so much for the review! You’re right, that doesn’t sound bad at all.
These two male revue shows are pretty much a must see for every red-blooded woman who has ever been to Las Vegas, it’s almost like a right of passage. I really don’t understand why there is so much social stigma in regards to going to shows that involve sex appeal. It’s just silly. We are all mature adults and these shows are simply for entertainment, just like any other live show. The heck with all the social stigmas, who are we as people to judge others? I have no shame in being a healthy, red-blooded woman. When a single man goes to strip club nobody bats an eye, why should it be any different for a woman?
If there’s something you want to do that is fun, you should definitely do it, especially when you’re in Vegas! I certainly don’t have any regrets going to these shows, and seeing them by myself doesn’t take anything away from the experience. I think I would have had more regrets if I didn’t go. Its good to try new things and get out of ones comfort zone. These show offer a fun, lively atmosphere where women can be women. They’re not just for 21st birthdays or bachelorette parties, they’re for all women in general. I have even seen elderly women at these shows when I was there. If you’re an independent and bold enough woman who can travel the world by herself, I can’t possibly see how you could feel uncomfortable with going to a Vegas male revue show on your own. But if you still perceive it as “a cry for help” as you have put it, you will be rest assured and happy to know that there are plenty of ‘firemen’ and ‘policemen’ at these shows!
LOL, April. I think the discomfort comes from the different ways men and women are raised in this country. Women are definitely held to different standards and once you internalize that, it’s hard to shake off. Though to be honest, these shows aren’t really high on MY list of things I’d like to do in Vegas. If it’s on yours, though, more power to you.