Sams Town

Located in an area dubbed the “Boulder Strip,” Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall is situated about 15 minutes from the Strip on the corner of Flamingo Road and Boulder Highway. If you’re not familiar with Vegas those cross streets probably mean nothing to you, so we’ll just say it’s on the East side of the city, closer to Clark County Wetlands Park and Sam Boyd Stadium than it is to the Las Vegas Strip. This is not the hotel for someone looking to stroll the Strip every night. This is where nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will find their zen. Mystic Falls Park, located at the center of the resort, is a 25,000-square-foot atrium filled with trees, flowers, cobblestone paths, brooks and a waterfall. At night, you can catch the free “Sunset Stampede” show boasting lasers, lights, dancing fountains and music recorded by the Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra. For the holidays, the park is transformed into a winter wonderland. Even animated displays of penguins and beavers are set up. It sounds like we’re messing with you on that last part, but you’ll have to stay there during the holidays to see for yourself. Once you’ve had your fill of nature for the day, check out a concert or other entertainment at Sam’s Town Live, or head to Roxy’s Lounge where live bands take the stage nightly. All the latest movies are shown at the 18-screen Century Theatres. Plus, there’s a world-class, 56-lane bowling center that comes complete with its own pro shop, snack bar and video arcade. Basically if you’re tired, it’s raining or you’re that one person in every group who hates what everyone else wants to do, Sam’s Town has plenty of indoor activities to fill your time before bed, while you wait for the weather to clear or while you do everything possible to avoid hanging out with your family. After a long day of indoor/outdoor adventures, either real or imagined, The Angry Butcher is the place for some of the West’s biggest and best steaks. You’ll enjoy filling your belly with chicken, ribs, salmon and loads of fresh vegetables in the restaurant’s lodge-like setting. If big portions are your thing, head over to the Firelight Buffet. Meat eaters will love the open rotisseries and carving stations, and on Friday nights there’s a seafood feast that includes snow crab legs. Clearly the cuisine at this quasi-cowboy casino caters to carnivores, and vegetarians are left to subsist on Sbarro and alliteration; but there’s still Calamity Jane’s Ice Cream Parlor. Everyone loves ice cream, right? Complete with a refreshing outdoor pool, shuttle service to the Strip and downtown Las Vegas, Gatsby’s Salon, an RV park and 30,000 square feet of meeting facilities, Sam’s Town is a western-themed hotel packed with adventure for the young, the young-at-heart and the people who are clearly neither but will never admit it.