Tom Jones International

Las Vegas offers much more in the way of things to do than most places. And, it’s a fact that many of these do not involve gaming or going to shows. There are some very cool things of which you can take advantage. Just plan ahead where you need reservations and enjoy the city’s offerings!

---

At the Mirage Hotel’s Dolphin Habitat you can participate in the Dolphin Trainer for A Day Program. It’s amazing, fascinating, fun — it’s just wonderful. The relatively new venture is not a “swim with the dolphins” adventure. Rather, participants actually work with the Habitat’s staff to train the dolphins, exercise and feed them and do anything else these amazing mammals do in the course of a day. Call 702.792.7889 for information, hours and pricing (and it’s not inexpensive). If you can afford the time and the money, it’s very worthwhile. You’ll never forget the experience.

---

And, speaking of “experience,” you cannot come to Las Vegas and miss The Fremont Street Experience. Every night, downtown Las Vegas is a neon festival with a sound and light show overhead in a covered arcade. There are street vendors, food, the old casinos. (And, like Times Square on New Year’s Eve and any other place that’s real crowded, there are also pickpockets. So, please be careful.) There’s free entertainment and, very recently, a new tradition has started downtown. First Friday is a monthly block party celebrating the thriving arts community in Las Vegas. It features good food, free entertainment and lots of art galleries in the area of the city that is rapidly becoming gentrified.

---

Filed under the category of “Only in Las Vegas,” you must put The Atomic Testing Museum. For many years the Nevada desert was home to many of our nation’s atomic bomb tests and this museum (just a few blocks east of the MGM on Tropicana) recreates the time in our nation’s history when were were involved in a hard-fought Cold War with the Soviet Union. The test site even had its own pinup girl — Miss Atomic Testing of 1957 (above). Today, no one seems to know who she was and lots of people are trying to find her.

Among the eclectic collection of items offered in the Museum’s gift shop is this Albert Einstein Action Figure. One of us bought it and it now graces her desk in the hope it will make her smarter.

The Musuem is a really interesting place and is recommended.

---

One cannot forget to visit Madame Tussaud’s. The world-famous wax museum has an outpost at The Venetian.

In there, you may see the following familiar people:
























Yes, along with lots of others, Enge, Dubya and TJ are all waiting to say “hi.” So, if you have the time, do pay them a visit.

---

The Ethel M Factory tour and cactus garden just up the road (15 minutes) from the Strip in Henderson is great. Admission is free, you get samples of the chocolate and the cactii are beautiful.

And, Lucy fans, there actually is a lady standing behind a conveyer belt as the candy goes by, just like Lucy and Ethel did. The “M” in Ethel M is for “Mars,” and the chocolate shop is terrific with M&Ms in colors you see nowhere else. Go. You’ll like it.

---

Of course there are the natural wonders and those created by human ingenuity that should be seen:







A short ride away from the Strip lies Red Rock Canyon. Once home to herds of wild mustangs and burros, today you may still see a wild animal. The Canyon also boasts scenic outlooks, hiking and biking trails and picnic areas. It costs $5 per car to enter.

---

Valley of Fire State Park is indeed wondrous. It’s just beautiful and the colors live up to the park’s name. If you go, bring a camera because you’ll want to capture the experience.

---

Hoover Dam is truly a wonder of the modern world, harnessing as it did the awesome power of the Colorado River to bring electricity to Nevada. The dam is, really, awesome, when one considers it was built in the 1930s with construction methods and machinery we today consider quaint. You can even take a tour into the workings of the dam.

---

When Hoover Dam was built, Lake Mead was created. Today, with the region’s demand for water ever-growing, the lake is diminishing. But, it does have a beach and boating facilities. It’s part of the federal government’s National Recreation Area is is worth visiting.

---

Just 23 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, Boulder City was chartered in 1931 as a home for the workers building Hoover Dam. The only municipality in the state where gaming is outlawed, Boulder City nonetheless has charm and sites that make it worth visiting. Chief among these is the Boulder City Museum and Historical Association that offers a delightful interactive experience of what life was like for the dam workers. It’s great for children and adults. There’s also a charming, historical hotel and a theater. Don’t look for gourmet food here, though. But, even without the fine dining, a day here is a day well-spent.

---

Located 250 miles from Las Vegas in Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park can be done on a long car trip. There are also railroad connections and helicopter flights available. But, however you choose to go, the Grand Canyon is a marvel. If you can spend some time there you can go to the floor of the canyon, or camp, or stay overnight and watch the sun set or rise over the canyon. It’s beautiful.

---