DJRD Presents: A mini-guide to Las Vegas

I have been wanting to do a travel guide post for a very long time.  I love to travel and it is always helpful to read about places you are going beforehand - especially if the suggestions are coming from someone who you know has similar taste or whose opinion you trust - like bloggers you follow, friends, locals, etc. So after our little trip last weekend I figured I would do a "mini-guide" to Las Vegas and take a moment tell you about some places I like to shop/visit while I am bumming around the Nevada desert with my family!  Do keep in mind that this is not going to include clubs, bars & restaurants (though I do know a handful so email if you really need that type of advice!)  these are just things that might be different to your typical visit to "Vegas"...

Vintage/Antiques

I don't get to vintage/thrift shop in Las Vegas very often but this past weekend I did drag "the Brit" with me to a couple of places I used to frequent back when lived there...

THE ATTIC - 1025 S Main St (downtown)

Visiting the Attic is a bit like invading the actual attic of someone's eccentric/hoarder grandmother but you can find some really cool things amongst the oddities.  

The shop recently moved across the street from it's old location and it doesn't quite hold up to its former glory but is still definitely worth a visit.  It is located in a industrial area that backs up against the "Art District" in downtown but it is very near the Strip and fairly easy to get to!

CHARLESTON ANTIQUE MALL - 307 W Charleston Blvd (downtown LV)

This is a fairly large antique mall also very near the Strip - sidenote: when I lived there it was called Red Rooster Antiques and painted red which is a bit classier if you ask me... no one did.  The "mall" is separated into different sellers stalls/rooms and while there is a lot of old retro junk and memorabilia (for example, the Brit almost bought an Elvis watch) you can find some pretty great things (clothing, accessories, nicknacks, furniture) at decent prices. 

 I wanted this old vintage display elephant with original rings intact. Alas, the Brit didn't think we had a place for it :(  and he's probably right.

Be sure to find the Tiki Room. It's like a time-warp straight back to the 60s - has it's own soundtrack too!

 I really could spend hours in there and half expected to bump into Don Draper.

Flashy new things...

FASHION SHOW MALL - 3200 Las Vegas Blvd S.

I have been going to this mall since I was a small child and it keeps getting bigger and better, and looks more and more like a spacestation from the outside (see above photo - not taken by me).  I was also green with envy when I noticed that they are getting a TOPSHOP! Other shops include... Nordstroms, Saks, Neiman Marcus,  Zara, the world's biggest Forever 21 (seriously huge - it used to be a whole department store), J.Crew, Kate Spade, Betsy Johnson and loads more which you can read about here.

Forum Shops at Caesars Place where you'll find Agent Provocateur, H&M, Marc Jacobs, Anthropologie, Juicy Couture, Intermix as well as designer places I do not allow myself to go into...Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Dior, etc.  I think it is also important to note that the Forum was the first of the "hotel malls" in Las Vegas and the first to have a faux-sky ceiling that changes from day tonight. Credit where credit is due, people.

Honorable mention...
Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood  because they have an H&M, Urban Outfitters and Sephora. 

a few of my favorite hotels to visit...

the Bellagio 
the Cosmopolitan  
the Wynn
Caesar's Palace

Off the beaten path...

If you are looking for a little escape from the Strip here are a few of my favorite things:

 Neon Bone Yard where old Las Vegas signage goes to die - also a pretty interesting museum.

Red Rock Canyon a national park with hiking trails, camping, etc. Best to visit in the spring/fall since it gets supremely hot in the summer time. (photo via)

Also in the Red Rock area is Spring Mountain Ranch where you can tour Howard Hughes' Ranchhouse.  Howard Hughes (yes, of the Aviator fame) was an important figure in Las Vegas history. He also owned at least half the land in the area at one time or another. This house was a little getaway for he and his wife at the time and is still filled with little eccentricities including a secret room or two. (photo via)

Hoover Dam (photo by ansel adams) is about a 40minute drive from the Strip. Fun facts: it was constructed in the 1930s, over 100 people died trying to build it, and is located right smack dab between Nevada and Arizona state-lines on the Colorado river.  It is really hard to explain how impressive this is.  It is something you really should see for yourself. You can even take a tour inside the damn which I think I did in, maybe, the 3rd grade but really want to do again.

Well, that is it for now.  I hope you enjoy!