Las Vegas Day Trips: Visiting Henderson
Las Vegas is a great place to visit, but if you’ve been short-circuited by the sensory overload of the Strip and are looking for a break, take a trip to Henderson, Nevada! Henderson is only 6 miles east of Las Vegas on Route 215—just minutes by taxi—yet it is a world away from the bright lights of Vegas. The second largest city in Nevada, Henderson has plenty of diversions—from casinos to shopping to outdoor fun—to keep your mind and body busy. Yet, because it retains something of a small-town feel compared to Las Vegas, you could almost consider a trip to Henderson a vacation from your vacation.
The Best Places to Shop
Henderson has what you’re looking for when it comes to shopping—especially if you’re a bargain hunter.
The District at Green Valley
Billed as an urban center in a suburban community, this unique shopping plaza is a sort of open-air mall, annexed to the Green Valley Resort and featuring a mix of nationally known brands and boutiques. 2300 Paseo Verde. 1-866-782-9487. www.thedistrictatgvr.com.
The Best Places to Gamble
Your money is just as good in Henderson’s casinos as it is on the Strip. These casinos offer all the excitement minus some of the distractions, such as trapeze artists and Bengal tigers.
Barley’s Casino and Brewing Company
All your favorites are here—keno, video poker, sports book—plus an assortment of freshly brewed beers that might become new favorites, such as Boulder Gold Hefeweizen or Black Mountain. 4500 East Sunset Road. 702-458-2739. www.barleys.com.
Green Valley Ranch Resort
The lakeside setting and European décor add those touches of elegance that invite your “on-best-behavior” feeling. But fun and relaxation lie at the heart of this casino, which offers 55 various table games (blackjack, baccarat, poker, craps, roulette, and so on) as well as 2,200 slots and a state-of-the-art sports book, featuring 5 movie screensize video walls and 33 50" plasma TVs as well as individual monitors. 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway. 1-866-782-9487. www.greenvalleyranchresort.com.
Sunset Station
One of the biggest casinos in town and winner of the best slots and the best video poker awards by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sunset Station features more than 110,000 square feet of casino action with more than 2,500 slot machines that range from a penny to $25 and more than 52 table games. Bingo and race and sports books add to the fun as well as pai gow poker, an Americanized version of a Chinese domino gambling game. 1301 West Sunset Road. 1-888-786-7389. www.sunsetstation.com.
Options for Families
In many ways, Henderson offers more family fun than Las Vegas. Not only is it a launching point for trips to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, but it also offers various diversions—weird, wild, and otherwise—to keep a family busy until the dinner bell rings.
Scenic Segway®HT Tours
A Segway®HT is a two-wheeled, upright, personal transportation device that automatically and intuitively responds to your body’s movements, and they provide the get up and go for one of the most unusual—and beautiful—tours you’ll take. The 2-hour, $96/person tour starts at the Ritz Carlton’s picturesque Pontevecchio-style bridge, includes a refreshment stop at the X and its beautiful private sand beach, and ends with a meandering glide along the cobble-stone lakeside path toward MonteLago Village for window shopping on wheels. 1605 Lake Las Vegas Parkway. 702-236-3209 or 1-888-Go-Segway. www.scenicsegways.com/page.aboutus.
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
When you’re ready to get back on your own two feet, try visiting the Henderson Bird Preserve—a 140-acre preserve with hiking trails and viewing stations. The nine ponds provide pit stops for thousands of migratory birds as well as various species of resident birds. It’s a quiet break from the action. 2400 B Moser Drive (at Sunset Drive). Open Daily 6 a.m.3 p.m.; last entry at 2:45 P.M. 702-267-4180, www.cityofhenderson.com/parks/parks/bird_preserve.php.
Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens
At Ethel M’s, you get to see how chocolates are made, taste some free samples, and visit an exotic cactus garden—all in one fell swoop. But the real deal here is chocolate—lots of it—in all kinds of combinations that are bound to bring a smile to the fussiest face. Factory store: 2 Cactus Garden Drive. Open daily 8:30 a.m.7 p.m. Tours are self guided. Admission: free. 702-435-2655 or 1-888-627-0990. www.ethelschocolate.com.
Clark County Museum
This charming museum boasts The Heritage Street exhibit, which features houses preserved from a century or so ago, complete with furnishings and signs that help the kids of today understand what the world was like before texting and cell phones. Other displays include information on the region’s natural history. 1830 South Boulder Highway. Open daily 9 a.m.4:30 p.m. Admission: adults $1.50, seniors and children $1. 702-455-7955.
The Best Places for a Drink
You couldn’t call Henderson a “party town” on the scale of Las Vegas, but there are certainly enough bars and cocktail lounges in the city to keep you off the streets and (hopefully!) out of trouble.
Al’s Garage Henderson
I don’t know whether it’s the menu spray-painted on the wall or the hot-rod, retro atmosphere, but if you’re in the mood for a frosty cold one or just hangin’, Al’s will scratch those itches. 2240 Village Walk Drive. Open 24 hours. 702-320-5870. www.sragg.com.
The Gaudi Bar in the Sunset Station Hotel
The Gaudi Bar is a stained glassdecorated tribute to the works of eccentric Barcelona artist Antonio Gaudi. This slightly bizarre, 300-seat wraparound lounge also offers live music. 1301 West Sunset Road. Open 24 hours. 702-547-7777. www.sunsetstation.com.
Great Dining in Henderson
Hungry in Henderson? Look no further. Here you’ll find restaurant suggestions in all price ranges to suit your budget.
Expensive
Auld Dubliner Henderson Irish
The menu is diverse but humble: “Traditional Irish Fare,” as the sign says (Irish stew, shepherd’s pie, and corned beef and cabbage) together with some pleasant surprises, such as grilled lamb or Pacific swordfish salad and chicken stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese, drizzled with Marsala sauce. The décor, from the exterior façade down to the faucet fixtures, was imported from Ireland and reassembled by Irish carpenters. 40 Via Bel Canto Suite 100. Open 11 a.m.2 a.m. 702-567-8002. aulddubliner.com.
Moderate
Lucille’s Bar-B-Que Henderson Southern BBQ
The recipes here for hickory-smoked baby-back ribs, brisket, chicken, and the like go back generations to the deep South, where Lucille Buchanan learned the slow art of barbecue at her grandmother’s knee. There are a couple items on the menu Grannie Buchanan might not recognize, such as Dixie egg rolls (diced barbecue chicken, andouille sausage, grilled corn, Southern braised greens, and Monterey Jack cheese fried crispy in an egg roll wrapper) or “Shanghai” spareribs, basted in a hoisin barbecue sauce. But make no mistake: this is Southern barbecue at its finest. 2245 Village Walk Drive. Open SundayThursday 11 a.m.10 p.m., FridaySaturday 11 a.m.11 p.m. 702-257-7427. www.lucillesbbq.com.
Todd’s Henderson Seafood/American/International
It’s hard to categorically pin down Todd’s. What can you say to goat cheese wontons in raspberry dill sauce or shrimp salad with candied garlic and feta cheese? But seafood is the star attraction here, culled from the chilly waters of Cape Cod to the even colder waters of the coastline. There are also various cuts of beef here for the non-piscatorial among you. 4350 East Sunset Road. Open MondaySaturday for dinner from 4:30 p.m. 702-259-8633. www.toddsunique.com.
Inexpensive
El Jefe’s Mexican Restaurant Henderson Mexican
Eating local (or close to local), of course, is never a bad idea—and at El Jefe’s, you can’t go wrong with the tried-and-true selection of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and other traditional Mexican dishes in addition to some delicious standbys such as carne asada (marinated and grilled skirt steak) or chiles rellenos (roasted poblano peppers stuffed with carne asada and cheese). 9925 South Eastern Avenue. Open daily 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. 702-453-5333. www.eljefesrestaurant.com.
Amigo’s Mexican Cantina Henderson Mexican
Are you getting the drift here? You can eat Tex-Mex, Mexican, and Southwest cuisine well and inexpensively. Amigo’s offers tamales, fajitas, and camarones (marinated shrimp) plus a wide range of appetizers. 777 West Lake Mead Parkway (in the Fiesta Henderson Casino Hotel). Open daily 5 p.m.10 p.m. 702-558-7000. www.FiestaHendersonLasVegas.com/dining/cantina.
Where to Stay in Henderson
Looking for somewhere to rest in Henderson? You’ll surely find somewhere to stay at one of the city’s major hotel chains.
The Ritz Carlton, Lake Las Vegas
A luxurious hotel and spa nestled on the shores of the largest privately owned lake in the United States. The lavish Mediterranean architecture and lakeside setting, not to mention the spa, should untangle the most stubbornly knotted nerves. Golfers will enjoy the 36-hole championship course. 1610 Lake Las Vegas Parkway. 1-800-241-3333. www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/LakeLasVegas/Default.htm.
Sunset Station Hotel Casino
With its Spanish-style décor and 114,000 square feet of gaming and entertainment space, the Sunset offers a little of everything, including several elegant Latino- and Italian-themed restaurants. 1301 West Sunset Road. 1-888-786-7389. www.sunsetstation.com.
Green Valley Ranch Resort
This hacienda-style hotel offers a spa, gaming, and a great selection of restaurants (steakhouse, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and so on). But the highlight of the Green Valley is the eight-acre “Whiskey Beach” area. Beginning in the ultramodern, super-hip Whiskey nightclub, the party spills out onto a patio that features beds (each with televisions, music, and drink service) and a truly stunning view of the Las Vegas Strip. Below the patio is one of the hottest swimming oases in Las Vegas, complete with a sandy beach and pool cabanas (each with a personal plunge pool). 2300 Paseo Verde. 1-866-782-9487. www.greenvalleyranchresort.com.
Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino
The Railroad Pass, is clean and comfortable, and its location in the mountains, just minutes away from Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, make it a convenient in-between home base for those who want to spend some time in Las Vegas and some time seeing the natural attractions nearby. But what makes the Railroad Pass somewhat famous is that it holds the oldest (1931) active gaming license in southern Nevada. Definitely worth a look. 2800 South Boulder Highway. 1-800-654-0877. www.railroadpass.com.
Fiesta Henderson Station Casino Hotel
Those in search of quality accommodations at a bargain price (as low as $39 a night) need look no further than the Fiesta. Golf packages, nightclubs, casino gaming, and a variety of restaurants—including the Fuego Steakhouse, the Baja Beach Café (with deals on meals 24 hours a day), and Amigo’s Mexican Cantina, where you can not only get great Mexican food but also 36 premium tequilas—are all available. 777 West Lake Mead Parkway. 1-888-899-7770. www.FiestaHendersonLasVegas.com.
For more information on things to do in Henderson, visit www.visithenderson.com<. Have a great trip!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Las Vegas by John Hawks and Tom Higgins
