Located in Henderson, Nevada on the way to Hoover Dam, the Historic Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino is the oldest continually licensed casino in America. Serving travelers and Boulder City's residents for going on 87 years, Railroad Pass has 120 comfortably furnished rooms and suites.
The Las Vegas Strip is nothing short of a marvel where ingenuity, creativity, and innovation are combined with a lot of money and a huge electric bill. The end result is a place that would be called the most magical place on Earth if Disney wouldn’t sue over copyright laws.
In all seriousness, there are few places in the world that can rival the blend of excitement, cuisine, entertainment, shopping, and crazy cocktails that one finds on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s like a one-stop shop for everything you ever wanted (whether you knew it or not).
Still, the Strip isn’t the only place where one can find similar excitement, cuisine, shopping, etc. Las Vegas, and indeed the entire state of Nevada, is filled with casinos doing their best to offer the same thrills as you would find on the Strip, usually at a fraction of the cost.
Railroad Pass Casino Food
Therefore, next time you’re in Las Vegas, feel free to spend plenty of time on the Strip, but don’t be afraid to explore. Who knows what excitement you might find?
1 – Golden Nugget
Hopefully, you will allow me a little liberty on defining “near the Strip” since Fremont Street in Las Vegas isn’t exactly a long distance away. Still, the whole point is to remind Vegas vacationers that there are places to go outside the relatively narrow confines of the Strip and that there are plenty of good reasons to do so.
One of the best places one can go off the Strip is the Golden Nugget. If you harken back to the Las Vegas of olde, more than likely, you’ll be thinking about the Golden Nugget. This fine casino used to be the place to go when you want to gamble in the desert and is steeped in the history of the city.
Part of being steeped in Las Vegas history is the fact that the Golden Nugget has really kept up its charm. While Fremont street has been cleaned up and is a much nicer place to spend time than it was a decade ago, it has the Golden Nugget to really class it up with golden façade, modern décor, and all the touches you expect from a hotel on the Strip.
What you don’t expect are Golden Nugget prices, which don’t appear to have changed too much in the course of Vegas history. For instance, you want a room for less than 60 bucks? Stay at the Golden Nugget, because you can find it there.
Of course, it lacks some of the chic finish of newer casinos, but at the end of the day, it’s a great place. The Golden Nugget offers unique character at a decent price. For many, that is perfectly golden.
2 – Buffalo Bill’s Hotel and Casino
If you’re in Las Vegas, you have a car, and you love rollercoasters along with your gambling, get in your vehicle and head south. After a few hours, you will arrive in Primm, Nevada, near the California border. It’s home to the Buffalo Bill’s Hotel and Casino and the Desperado roller coaster.
Desperado was declared the tallest rollercoaster in the world in 1996, and it offers riders the opportunity to make crazy faces while experiencing 80 mph speeds. All of this is to be experienced while traveling around the casino and hotel and going high enough to clearly be able to see into California.
For some, that roller coaster is enough of a reason to make the drive to Primm. For others, they may be looking for the additional thrill of doing some gambling. Fortunately, Buffalo Bill’s offers a range of casino games, card games, and a lot of slot machines. It also offers room rates at some of the lowest prices in Nevada, a full spa, and seven restaurants.
Buffalo Bill’s is definitely an out-of-the-norm venue. For some, the drive to Primm might be a bit much. For those who make the journey, they are in for an experience they won’t soon forget.
3 – Railroad Pass Hotel, Casino and Travel Center
Railroad Pass Hotel, Casino and Travel Center is the spot of Nevada’s oldest licensed running casino. Started in 1931, Railroad Pass sits between Henderson, Nevada, (a suburb of Las Vegas) and Boulder City. It can be seen clearly on the drive from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam and is a great place to stop for a meal if you are driving rather than taking a tour.
Part of the reason it’s such a great place to stop for food is the Iron Rail Café, one of three places to get food at Railroad Pass Hotel. The Iron Rail Café is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week and offers a menu that could easily be called diner food at prices that make the drive from Las Vegas worth it.
These prices include $12 for a prime rib dinner, $16 T-bones, burgers for less than $7 and pancakes for less than $4.50. At some level, one wonders how they are able to maintain these prices. At another level, it’s probably best not to think about that and just enjoy the food.
On top of the cheap eats, rooms can be found for less than $60 a night and there’s enough gaming action to keep anyone occupied. This is another nice, out-of-the-way spot that can be a great place to do some gambling away from the sharks and the crowd.
4 – Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa
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Located roughly 10 miles from the Strip (roughly a 20-minute car ride), you will find the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa. It’s hard to describe the Red Rock, but in many ways, it is a microcosm of the entire Vegas experience in one area. There’s shopping, gaming, luxury, and food. The only thing missing is proximity to the Strip.
Still, for the owners of the Red Rock Casino, that’s not a bad thing. They look at their casino as a place where travelers go when they are still interested in the glamour of Las Vegas without having to deal with the hassles of the Strip.
Therefore, next time you want something different, check out the sportsbook, the 70 table games, and nearly 3,000 slot machines. Next time you want something different, try Red Rock, especially after it has recently undergone a $35 million-dollar upgrade, the goal of which was to keep it the premier off-Strip hotel in the Las Vegas area.
5 – Green Valley Ranch Resort
Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson, Nevada is about eleven miles and twenty minutes by car away from the Las Vegas Strip. However, when you step foot into the Mediterranean-themed resort hotel, the Strip could be hundreds of miles away and you won’t care one bit.
Railroad Pass Casino
The calling card of the Green Valley Ranch Resort is luxury. Its pools look as nice or nicer than anything you would find on the Strip. The eight restaurants offered on site feature a wide variety of different flavors and options, including the ubiquitous Las Vegas buffet. Plus, there is a full spa and salon, entertainment venue, movie theatre, etc.
Railroad Pass Casino Restaurant
There’s also gaming, too, because this is a resort and casino. With the Green Valley Ranch, there are numerous ways to gamble: slots, poker, bingo, sports betting, etc. The Green Valley Ranch really is everything one would need from the Vegas experience, just away from the Las Vegas crowds and away from the Strip.
Also, did we mention shopping? The Green Valley Ranch offers The District, a shopping and dining area with a good mix of upscale stores, family friendly shops, and everything in between.
What makes the Green Valley Ranch the most impressive is the off-Strip pricing. Rooms can be found on sale for less than $100 per night, which makes it the perfect mix of upscale accommodations and price.
Conclusion
This list scratches the surface of off-Strip casinos and resorts. Nevada is famous for its gambling, so it’s really no surprise that there would be a lot of places you can go to find a good game or a good hotel that are a little off the beaten path.
Of course, all of this is not to say that there’s anything wrong with the Strip. I love spending time there and marveling at what the casinos have built. On the other hand, I’m not always the biggest fan of paying prices on the Strip. That’s why it’s refreshing to be able to board a shuttle or get in my rental car and explore the options that exist around Las Vegas.
Ultimately, I encourage you to do the same. Just don’t blame me when you suddenly decide you’d rather stay off the Strip in a place that’s just as nice.
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