A Pandemic Outing: 3 days in Las Vegas
Thus far, life after receiving the COVID vaccination hasn’t been significantly different – work is the same mix of tele-work and N95/face shields for in person encounters, grocery store trips and errand runs remain limited, and social outings have been pretty nonexistent. Three weeks after our second doses, my husband and I did finally decide to do something bold – fly to Vegas to visit my parents, who are 3 weeks out from their first Fauci Ouchi.
Wait, what – you are traveling? NOW? Before you judge, consider the following: the vaccine we received is 95% effective in preventing COVID19. Zero (yes, zero) patients in the clinical trials were hospitalized and zero died, and the same seems to be panning out on a larger scale, as we look at the data out of Israel…and the vaccines do appear to have protection against the newer variants (less effective at preventing all cases, but again, no severe illnesses and no deaths to date). I have zero fear at this point of contracting a severe or fatal form of COVID19. Since we have not changed our day-to-day behavior, I am not fearful that we are spreading the virus to my parents, nor to anyone we might come into contact with – because we are vaccinated of course, but again, we are severely limiting our contacts with other people and we are very careful. 11 months into this, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks are second nature. Flying on an airplane – when done right – is far less risky then what I potentially encounter at work.
Read more about risks of travel and travel safety on our prior post here.
As more and more Americans become vaccinated – and given that over 100 million Americans have had COVID and a large percentage of them have some immunity, we are going to see people venturing out a bit more, as cabin fever and mental health needs override concern about COVID. I am a firm believer that by using science and our current knowledge about SARS-CoV2/COVID19 and aerosol/droplet spread, that we can safely travel to a small degree – and help support floundering small business. Contemplating a weekend getaway? I thought I’d share some of our experiences and recommendations for how to enjoy Las Vegas safely. Yes, I realize that for some, going to Vegas without bars, clubs, indoor dining or shows might seem a bit like drinking decaf espresso, but there is a point – it can be an enjoyable trip, and there are plenty of things you can still do without increasing risk of spreading COVID.
Need something to read for your trip? The recent article in the New Yorker, The Plague Year, is a long read, but a great deep dive into the pandemic – and also how the mRNA vaccines came about so quickly (spoiler: mRNA vaccine technology is decades old; a coronavirus mRNA vaccine was developed after the MERS outbreak years ago. All that was needed was to sequence SARS-CoV2 and then insert the SARS-CoV2 genetic material into existing technology).
Know Your Destination
We made ourselves aware of current restrictions and closures before we traveled. Las Vegas is one destination that is mostly open for business. Mask wearing is strictly enforced in casinos, hotels, and shops. If you know what you are going into, it can help minimize disappointment and frustration regarding closures and restrictions.
Getting to Vegas: Airports and planes are becoming a bit more crowded, and I would still be very cautious about your choice of PPE – double masking is in. Vegas is a short flight for us, which makes wearing an N95 bearable. Check out our related post on pandemic travel for how to travel as safely as possible. On arrival, consider renting a car – parking is once again free for all casinos/hotels on the strip (hooray!) and traffic is overall much lighter than usual, although current construction happening on the strip itself can be an annoyance. If using a ride share or taxi, opening windows strategically can help reduce risk of exposure to COVID and other respiratory viruses. Vegas fills up on the weekends with Californians looking to escape their state’s lockdown; for minimal crowds, come on a weekday.
Las Vegas – Good to know:
- Casinos are open, but at 25% capacity. Last month, many were open only on certain days of the week (i.e. Thurs-Sat) but at the time of this writing, most appear to be open 7 days a week with some exceptions, check in advance for Monday through Wednesday. Expect hand sanitizer stations and even legitimate hand washing stations, plexi-glass dividers at all gaming tables, and social distancing enforced. Mask wearing is enforced, but you will see folks with masks off at their slot machine while they sip their beer or cocktail. If you are dying to gamble but nervous about crowds, go on a Monday-Thursday, (before 11am is best), or early mornings on the weekends, and pick higher end casinos who are taking safety seriously.
- Restaurants are open at 25% capacity. Reservations are required in advance at all restaurants. Those that have outdoor seating usually provide heaters. Attractions are also limited to 25% capacity and many will require purchase of tickets in advance.
- Shows: the vast majority are currently dark, but many will be opening mid-February 2021. I think we will pass on shows for the time being.
- Shopping malls, including the Fashion Show mall across from Wynn, the Venetian, and the Caesar’s Palace shopping mall are open, with limited capacity inside stores. We felt comfortable strolling though with masks – all have plenty of space to socially distance, and mask wearing was enforced. Saturday’s are the most crowded at the malls, so plan accordingly.
Day 1: Visit the Strip
If you are coming over a long weekend, head to the strip on a weekday for fewer crowds. We don’t gamble, but typically stroll through casinos to see attractions like the Bellagio gardens. You will find fewer people in the mornings and early afternoons – but also note they are limiting the number of people at these attractions – this actually yielded a much more pleasant experience!
9am: After grabbing a take-out breakfast, get your indoor sightseeing in while the casinos are empty. Many indoor experiences are open, masks required. I like to start at the Bellagio conservatory gardens which has rotating exhibits that change about every 2 months. Adjacent to the gardens, in the hotel lobby, you can admire the beautiful Fiori di Como, a glass flower installation by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. You’ll find ample hand washing stations, and safety standards are high here.
Stroll through the Bellagio shops to the street crossing over to Caesar’s palace. Start by strolling along the strip down to Caesar’s Trevi fountain replica, blistfully peaceful in the mornings.
10 am: the Forum Shops at Caesars open. With high ceilings and ample space, you won’t feel crowded here.
11 am: after a bit of browsing, consider an early lunch here at Joes Stone Crab or one of the other more spacious Forum Shop restaurants – while not outdoors, the faux outdoor seating in the mall is distanced and appears to have decent ventilation compared to other indoor alternatives – and if you go right when the restaurant opens, crowds are low to non-existent; this is a late rising town! (If it is a weekend and you’d feel safer outdoors, consider crossing over to the Venetian, where Lavo operates a pretty decent champagne brunch with outdoor seating).
12 pm: Revived, exit the Forum shops towards the Mirage. If animals are your thing, you could consider a visit to Mirage Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat (purchase tickets in advance). Don’t expect a midday volcano eruption – Mirage’s volcano has very limited hours currently (Friday to Sunday only, at 7 pm, 8 pm, 9 pm, 10 pm, and 11 pm). Otherwise, time to venture to Italy and scratch that travel itch – cross the strip and head over to The Venetian and Palazzo. We find the shops at the Venetian to be a bit more congested here, but it’s still early in the day, so it shouldn’t feel worse than your local grocery store. If your relationship is still alive after all those months of quarantining and #WFH, consider a gondola ride at the Venetian – with both indoor and outdoor options – or simply watch as the boats drift along, serenaded by life music. Madame Tussaud’s wax museum is also open at the Venetian, but we skipped this since it is all indoors. Cross through the mall into Palazzo’s gardens and take a waterfall selfie; the garden has rotating themes (currently the theme is the Chinese New Year). Among the shops at the Palazzo, a highlight to see (if open) is the rare book store, which always has some interesting offerings. A new offering in the Palazzo’s shopping area – which we again skipped, trying not to be too over-zealous indoors, is the Museum of Dream Space, a digital art museum.
1 pm: From the Palazzo, cross over to the Wynn where you will be greeted out front by a small fountain show. The Wynn and Encore feel very calm and peaceful, and the indoor gardens are worth strolling. If you didn’t stop for lunch yet, there are several dining options here with outdoor seating. If you have any regular shopping to do, the Fashion Show Mall across the street is the place to find all your basic big-box stores.
2 pm: Head back up the strip past the Venetian. Cure those early afternoon lulls with a coffee and pastry at Bouchon’s bakery at the Venetian before you head up the strip further. Next stop: the shopping area adjacent to the Linq, which leads back to the Linq’s High Roller Ferris wheel. It opens at noon on Fridays and Saturdays currently (4pm on weekdays) and I advise going shortly after it opens – evenings tend to be more popular (you also score a better change of getting your own individual car if you buy tickets for the cars that do not include alcohol. Buy your drink at the lobby bar just past the ticket booth, and enjoy a more peaceful – and safer – ride).
4pm: head South down the strip for a quick visit to the Flamingo hotel’s Flamingo Habitat, which is in the back of the casino (and is thankfully outdoors, as this casino doesn’t seem to take as many precautions as its neighbors.) Continue on and cross the street to Bally’s outdoor shopping area, the Grand Bazzar shops. For a relevant dive into the health consequences of the pandemic, visit the Real Bodies exhibit at Bally’s (tickets required in advance), which currently has a display about the effects of COVID19 on the body.
5 pm: Viva la France! Another great stop for those homesick for European travel. If you didn’t catch the Ferris wheel at the Linq, you can still get a view of the strip by visiting the Paris Eiffel Tower viewing deck. End your day with an early dinner outdoors at the Paris: Mon Ami Gabi is an old favorite for its reasonably priced menu, good food, and beautiful view of the Bellagio fountain show from its outdoor seating area (Bellagio’s fountain show runs roughly every 30 minutes in the afternoons, and every 15 minutes from 7pm until midnight). Alternatively, dine at the Bellagio: Lago (Italian by Jose Serrano) and Prime Steakhouse are dinner options we have not tried, but have outdoor seating with views of the fountain show. To cap off your day, be sure to catch the Paris Eiffel Tower light show (outdoors, every 30 minutes from sunset to midnight).
Other strip area dinner options: Bouchon at the Venetian is spectacular for both dinner and brunch, and offers an outdoor seating area, but call in advance – in our experience, the outdoor patio isn’t always open. The Wynn and Encore offer several restaurants with outdoor seating, but even with reservations it is first come first serve – so plan on an early (5:30pm) reservation. Lavo at the Palazzo has strip-side outdoor seating, though we haven’t had a meal there other than brunch (it is our #2 pick for brunch on the strip, second to Wynn’s Lakeside). Near the strip, Del Frisco’s steak house has a cigar bar out front that currently has 2 tables set up for outdoor dining, and word on the street is Ferraro’s is reopening too. If you are forced indoors, many of the restaurants in the Forum Shops at Caesars feel open and well distanced. I would also consider takeout. View our full list of Las Vegas restaurant recommendations here.
Day 2: Downtown Las Vegas
10 am: New and notable: Meow Wolf will be debuting its new interactive Las Vegas art experience mid-February 2021. I imagine they will run at 25% capacity. Early, as always is best from an aerosol/droplet exposure standpoint, they will open at 10am on weekends – bring a good mask and plenty of hand sanitizer. Afterwards, you are a less than 10 minute drive from downtown sights.
11 am: If Meow Wolf sounds a bit too “out there” for you, the Mob museum in downtown Las Vegas opens at 11am. We skipped this since it is indoors, but is operating at 25% capacity and has taken many precautions including ramping up their HVAC – so if you go, go early, and go masked, and you should be fine as long as mask rules are enforced museum-wide.
12 pm: Snag lunch at a downtown eatery. If you aren’t able to get a dinner reservation at Esther’s Kitchen, make brunch reservations – you won’t be disappointed!
1 pm: Time for some street art: over recent years, there have been a lot of efforts at cleaning up downtown Las Vegas, of which was born a huge street art scene. Take a self guided tour, or look into a guided option. A favorite not to miss is Big Rig Jig.
4 pm: Since you are in downtown, it might be a great time to check out the new Circa casino for a happy hour cocktail on their rooftop bar, the Legacy Club. The state of the art ventilation system in Circa is coincidentally timely, making it probably the safest casino you can visit in Las Vegas from an ventilatory standpoint.
6 pm: The Fremont Street experience is an enjoyable outdoor light show set to music, hourly on the hour from 6pm to midnight.
6:30 pm: Best after sunset, the Neon Museum is an “only in Las Vegas” outdoor museum where old neon signs are stored. Open 2 pm to 10 pm daily, it can also be an after dinner experience. it is 0.7 miles away from downtown, so I recommend a quick cab ride (windows down, masks on).
8 pm: Esther’s Kitchen is our new favorite restaurant. While indoors is cramped and not recommended, they have a lovely outdoor patio and a parking lot converted into private outdoor heated dining tents that hold parties of 2 to 4 people. The food is Italian with a West Coast vibe: start with the sourdough bread paired with a few spreads, followed by the octopus. Standout entrees were the cacio e peppe, the agnolotti, the swordfish – and yes, the spaghetti and meatballs.
Day 3: Take a Hike
Its time to get some vitamin D: spend a day outdoors, get some sunshine, and walk off all that food! Check our recommended hikes here. Don’t forget that reservations are needed for Red Rocks. After your hike, have a late lunch on the outdoor patio at Honey Salt (or, if you aren’t an early riser, start with a 10am weekend brunch at at Honey Salt and hike afterwards). Another option is to head out to Henderson and visit Ethel M’s Botanical Cactus Garden. One of the biggest collections in the world, over 300 species of cacti and succulents occupy the four-acre garden, and it pairs well with chocolate. Alternatively, kick it by the pool – you deserve a day off!
