Pride season has come and gone, but there are so many ways to celebrate the LGBTQ+ pride all year long. One of best ways to let your colors show is to pack a bag and take a quick getaway to one of your favorite destinations for a gay ol’ time. To cap off pride month, I made a dash for State line and headed to Sin City (because it just wasn’t hot enough in Southern California!) Some of my favorite things to do while in Las Vegas are to eat, drink, lounge by the pool, and catch a show. It makes for a great escape and helps to keep you distracted from the gloom of working a 9-5 all year around.
Here’s a look back at my Vegas quickie! Hopefully it will inspire you to find the debauchery in the desert with pride!
Zumanity
A must-see show on the Las Vegas strip is Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity. Zumanity is a sexy and seductive performance that features aerial acrobatics, contortion, strength and endurance—all with a sensual side. Zumanity is part burlesque part cabaret and features naughty acts that are perfect for sharing with a special someone or with a group of friends. Set in the backdrop of the beautiful theater inside the New York-New York Hotel and Casino, Zumanity will make you remember at least one of your thrilling escapades and remind you that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
The Neon Museum
Not everything worth seeing in Vegas is on the strip! There are so many gems just a couple of miles away that are truly meant to be experienced. Whenever I’m in Vegas I try to make at least one quick visit to the Fremont Street downtown area. It’s a classic look at Las Vegas and where the fabulousness was born! Just a stone’s throw away from Fremont is The Neon Museum, an outdoor experience that is dedicated to preserving that culturally significant essence of old time Vegas. Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum is open seven days a week and features hundreds of out of commission Las Vegas signs in what they call their “Neon Boneyard”. Here you can get up-close and personal with iconic signs from Las Vegas past such as the Sahara, the Moulin Rouge, the Aladdin, and the larger-than-life Stardust. As you walk through the boneyard you will see the changes in style and trend that range from 1930s Las Vegas to the present. It’s a really special place that you should check out during the day AND night! Perfect for those Instagram shots!
Temptation Sundays
As if Vegas couldn’t get any better, Temptation Sundays drops into town every Sunday during the Summer to really turn up the heat. Hosted by J.Son at the Luxor Hotel & Casino, Temptation has been around for ten years. Each Sunday hundreds of lucky boys dip into the desert oasis at the Luxor and celebrate pride season all summer long. Drink specials! Dance music! Cabanas! What else could you ask for?
Le Thai
Another hidden spot on Fremont Street in Downtown Vegas is an unassuming Thai restaurant located in the heart of Sin City’s historic neighborhood–Le Thai. The restaurant’s modern design is enriched with natural light, colorful walls, and low hanging plants that set the dining experience. I recommend the wings, ground beef larb salad, chicken satay, and pork ga pow–perfect with an ice cold beer on a hot summer day!
WOW the Spectacular
If you’re staying on the Vegas strip you won’t be far from the Rio, the hotel and casino that is a party 24/7. Rio is home to shows like Chippendales and world class nightclub VooDoo nightclub, which are always a good time. If you find yourself at Rio, you will want to check out WOW the Vegas Spectacular, a show that will let you travel around the world and dive into the surreal. The show features acrobatics, projections, water, and music that sets the atmosphere. From mermaids to pirates–WOW is full of excitement and death-defying acts that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The stand out performance is arguably Silvia Silvia, a woman in her 60s who shoots an apple off her own head with a crossbow arrow–all while looking fierce and serving bike babe realness. WOW is a great show to experience while in Vegas because the theater is also set up in a booth/lounge setting that is more comfortable than theater seating and gives you a chance to enjoy good company.
Piranha Nightclub
Everytime I visit Vegas I head to Piranha Nightclub. Yes, the drinks can be very expensive and yes there may be a cover for non-locals, but YES, it has the best music and go-go boys in all of Sin City. Piranha has two large dance floors that are separated by a large piranha fish tank. There is a nightly drag show that usually features local drag queens and sometimes welcomes special guests from RuPaul’s Drag Race. If you head to Piranha try to grab a drink at Freezone or QUADZ, which is one of the only video bars still around in Vegas–then head over to Piranha for some dancing!
Calico Ghost Town
If you’re driving into Las Vegas on the I-15 from California you may have seen signage announcing the Calico Ghost Town, a California historic site in San Bernardino. If you’ve never seen it–go look for it! My Vegas quickie trip this year was my first time traveling the 3 miles away from the freeway to learn more about Calico. Sure, it wasn’t fun to be in the middle of the desert in 100 degree weather, but it was nice to be able to learn a little about California history and what was at one point the nation’s largest producers of silver. If you visit Calico you can take various tours that will show you how the once mining company operated. You’ll see railroads, school houses, and even glory holes–yes, glory holes! But possibly the funnest attraction at Calico is the Mystery Shack which is a physically confusing tilted house that will leave you dizzy and without being able to stand up from the chairs in the house. Give it a shot–but don’t go after a bottomless mimosa brunch!
These are just some of the awesome things you can do on a quickie to Vegas–for more ideas, check out what last year’s trip looked like!
