NEON GLOW
Las Vegas has grown up, with the bright lights of the notorious strip as likely to illuminate sleek marathoners as boozy revellers
By DAVID ASHFORD
I WENT TO VEGAS 20 YEARS AGO. It was an amazing experience but I haven’t revisited for fear of how my older, more responsible self would handle those all-you- can-eat buffets followed by booze-fuelled all-nighters in smoke-filled casinos.
And yet word has it that modern Las Vegas has evolved – and surely if any city can reinvent itself, it’s the Capital of Second Chances. I wanted to find out what’s on offer for the new breed of visitors, healthy travellers who want a great time without blowing out their wallet or their gut.
ONLY WAY IS UP
My good intentions start the moment I disembark. After a gruelling 14-hour flight I hit the wall – literally – by sharpening up on a 15-metre climbing wall in the Venetian Hotel. The shot of adrenaline, followed by a “recovery” juice loaded with turmeric and vinegar, jolts me straight into the local time zone.
Thus girded, I head out for a hike – of the indoor variety. A former pro boxer called “Rocket” guides me through the wilds of the Aria Hotel, stopping to point out expensive works of art while punctuating the tour with bracing sets of lunges and squats. The electric chaos of the neverending slot machines assures me we’re in Vegas, but away from the gambling tables the state-of-the-art gym is packed with sleek clientele – this weekend more than most as the annual Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon has hit town.
GOING THE DISTANCE
Now in its eighth year, the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon really took off when it was switched to a dusk start two years ago. Like most of the 40,000-plus runners I opted for the half marathon, a flat but spectacular route that finishes under the glittering lights of Las Vegas Boulevarde.
This being Vegas, the runners warm up with a free Snoop Dog concert. Through a smoky haze he asks the crowd, “What’s the best thing to drink for a marathon?” He then offers his own suggestion: “Gin’njuice...”
I decide to leave the headphones in my pocket as live bands and cheering crowds line the route. Early in the race the temperature plummets as the sun sets but we’re soon warmed by the pulsing neon glow of the famous strip. If there’s a more visually spectacular urban run on the planet then I can’t think of it.
I picked my way past countless Elvises, Marilyns and newly weds (there were no less than six couples getting married en route) all the way through Old Vegas with its little wedding chapels, to the newly revitalised Downtown district. This is where my good vibes end as a small tear in my calf brings me to a howling halt. I limp on but the last four kays are ground out at a grimacing shuffle.
My time is on the slow side of respectable and made to look even more so by the news that the full marathon has been won by a guy dressed as Elvis, clocking a tick over 2 hours 30 minutes in full suit, wig, shades, the lot. It is, according to the gleeful crowd announcer, an Elvis world record.
COOL DOWN
There is no shortage of options to soothe my aching limbs the next day. The 6km strip boasts no fewer than 45 spas – the highest density in the world. I opt to try out something uniquely Vegas: a yoga session in the capsule of a giant wheel called the High Roller. What better way to find my “om” than 200m above the Vegas skyline? My lithe instructor Markie, who spent a year playing in the Lingerie Football League, reminds us to “love ourselves”. Her soothing tones waft through our headphones, asking us when we last gave ourselves a hug. While I would’ve happily obliged for her, I drew the line when she suggested I give my own knees a kiss . . .
I finish my Vegas experience much as I’d started – with a burst of adrenaline. A zipline flight down the length of Fremont Street (yep, it’s called Slotzilla) is a full minute of head-first adrenaline played out above the original Vegas strip, a good portion of which is now enclosed by the world’s largest TV screen. For the first time in my life I have some inkling of how Superman must feel.
All those years ago I had left Vegas feeling sore in the head and light in the wallet. This time around I was feeling clean, fresh and revitalised. It occurred to me I hadn’t once thought of gambling. For old times sake I put my last $5 note in a slot machine at the airport. It lost, I shrugged. A rare disappointment on an otherwise memorable adventure.
ACCOMODATION
The Stay Well Rooms at the MGM Grand occupy a complete floor of this iconic hotel. Bonus: vitamin C in the shower water, energised lighting and aromatherapy (mgmgrand.com). Want a room close to the finish line of the marathon? Check out the LINQ Hotel and Casino and request the complimentary in-room fitness carts from the spa (caesars.com/linq).
EAT
Chef Roy Ellamar’s market-inspired menu at Harvest at the Bellagio is seasonally sourced from local farmers. Amazing what can grow in the desert. Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, meanwhile, is where the beautiful people go to be seen eating beautiful food while Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House does the best seafood on the strip.
VISIT
The Grand Canyon is a spectacular 40-minute helicopter flight from Vegas. The flight takes in the Hoover Dam and includes a glass of chilled champers at the foot of the canyon (maverickhelicopter.com). The Neon Museum, meanwhile, showcases the best of Vegas’ iconic signage. An Instagram dream.
GETTING THERE
United Airlines flies to Vegas via LA and San Francisco from most Australian capitals. Go to united.com for more details.
For additional info go to lasvegas.com/au