A brand new world of adventure
LAS VEGAS HAS BECOME A PRIME DESTINATION FOR CANADIANS SEEKING AN ADRENALIN-PUMPING EXPERIENCE
Imagine the opportunity to drive a Ferrari on a pro racetrack, skydive over a stunningly beautiful landscape or ‘skyjump’ off a tower. You can do it all in Las Vegas, and Canadian adventure seekers are flocking to the city in ever greater numbers to take advantage of what the city has to offer.
“Las Vegas is an adult playground,” says celebrity tattoo artist and Vegas resident Joey “Hollywood” Hamilton. “There are so many things to do in one space and there are vacation packages for any kind of person.”
“When travellers arrive in Las Vegas they’re ready to play,” says Sean Shannon, managing director of Expedia Canada, this country’s leading online travel provider and the country’s ‘Sin City experts’, “and they’ ll try things they wouldn’t think of doing anywhere else. Often travellers experience a ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas effect,’” he says.
Adrenalin junkies can get their fix skydiving high above the strip or speeding around in a supercar at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Animal lovers seeking a gentler experience can do an inspiring yoga class surrounded by dolphins at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat or visit the shark reef at Mandalay Bay.
Nature enthusiasts can arrange a breathtaking helicopter ride over the majestic Red Rock Canyon. And, of course, there’s the enticing Las Vegas nightlife, where visitors can see thrilling shows such as Absinthe, the hit acro-cabaret variety act, among many others.
For Hamilton, it was the rush of an Ultimate Fighting Championship event that first drew him to Las Vegas for a weekend getaway. Now he’s made the city his home and has a thriving business as a tattoo artist on the strip. He’s made many TV appearances as the winner of the reality TV competition Ink Master, Season 3, and is Expedia.ca’s ‘Sin City insider’ for adventure travel.
Hamilton loves to share tips about the city’s adventure hotspots. For the more extreme adventure seekers, Hamilton suggests heading to the Stratosphere Tower amusement rides, which include the notorious SkyJump — a steep, heart-racing descent from a 253-metre height. “It’s not the norm,” he says when comparing it to other daring rides. “It’s like if the CN Tower had a bungee jump off the side.”
For more moderate risk-takers, Hamilton suggests indoor skydiving, which includes the same free-fall sensation in a more contained space.
While he’s eager to share what he knows about adventure in the city, Hamilton is also keen to try out new experiences he’s learned about from his international tattoo clientele — he estimates about three out of 10 of whom are Canadian.
Most recently, for instance, Hamilton and his wife took a ride on the newly opened High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel at 168 metres, offering dazzling views of the strip and surrounding desert landscape.
“What I love about Vegas,” Hamilton says, “is how it’s always evolving and growing.”
That evolution is making the city increasingly attractive to visitors who don’t fit the profile of the typical weekend gambler. “There really is something for everyone (in Vegas) and people can look at the options and pick the activities that are right for them,” says Shannon.
Travellers can book their itinerary online ahead of time, if they like — Expedia.ca makes the process easy and convenient. For the more spontaneous visitor, once they’re on the ground in Vegas they can inquire about their entertainment and options face-to-face at one of the many desks of the Expedia Local Expert.
Hamilton says some people have specific thrills in mind when they arrive, including visiting his business to get a tattoo. After all, a brush with celebrity is its own special kind of rush. “They book the session months in advance and still can’t believe they’re getting tattooed by (me) since I was on television, which is fun and cool.”
Today’s visitor to Las Vegas has more choices than ever to take them out of their comfort zone and enjoy an adventure unlike anything they could experience anywhere else. And people aren’t slow to take up the opportunity.
“Many people say ‘I wouldn’t normally do this but I’m here in Vegas, so why not,” Shannon says. “They’ll let their hair down and just have fun.”