The Vegas Minute ...RELAX!
Las Vegas is known for a great many things, but relaxation may not be one of them, with its lights, sounds, hordes and … well, l how overstimulating it can be.
However, the “Entertainment Capital of the World” also offers myriad refreshing and renewing options tucked away in its megaresort walls and nearby environments – you just have to follow your sense of zen to find them. Here are three options to get your radar for relaxation tuned up.
The Spa and Salon at ARIA
Five-star Strip resort ARIA is no slouch when it comes to luxury, so if you’re looking to really pamper and reset, their Spa and Salon offers high-end treatments in a secluded atmosphere. The spa offers a full range of services, including ganbanyoku Japanese stone beds, Shio salt room and therapy pool, and every style of massage treatment you could imagine. But if you want the true ability to turn off and tune out, book a Spa Suite – either alone or with up to three others – to take advantage of the spa without any outside distraction in a private lounge area with a hot tub. It’s perfect for that exhale moment between treatments or just to completely shut out anything challenging that 2024 offered. aria.mgmresorts.com/en/amenities/spa-and-salon.html
Walk the Strip Early
Traversing the Las Vegas Strip offers plenty of “ooh” and “ahh” moments, but it also can offer a constant headache – the glut of people doing the same. So if you’re in Las Vegas trying to escape the stress of your day-to-day Southern California lifestyle, take the people out of the equation and walk the Strip early! Setting out in the morning hours (say, around 7 a.m.) is a beautiful time to take in the larger-than-life nature of the wackier casino facades, the Fountains of Bellagio or the Luxor pyramid without the strollers, revelers, rabble-rousers and leaflet distributors. During the hot months, the sun is indirect and the temperatures are mercifully lower. A bonus for fans of the unexpected – you never know who (or what) you’ll see in Las Vegas at any time of day. visitlasvegas.com/las-vegas-strip
Run to the Hills
Las Vegas is a valley (a “meadow” if you want to be literal), so it’s surrounded by mountains typical of the basin and range geography of Nevada. One of the more majestic ones is Mt. Charleston in the Spring Mountains, which is among the snowcapped peaks you’ll spy looking west from the Strip in wintertime.
The mountain – and its same-named resort town – offers skiing, hiking and other natural fun and represents a perfect opportunity to flip the script on your Vegas vacation. Best of all, it’s less than an hour from the center of the Strip, making it an easy half-day trip or a nice bookend to a Vegas weekend, whether you choose to do a nature walk, get in some resort town vibes or just want to take a deep breath of fresh mountain air. Relaxed yet? gomtcharleston.com