The wonderful thing about Thanksgiving is you don’t have to spend the holiday the exact way it’s glamorized on television shows and in movies. Thanksgiving is about celebrating the things you’re thankful for in life – and that doesn’t always need to include a cornucopian spread of multicolored gourds and fruit pies every year. Whether you have a large family, it’s just two of you, or you prefer a feast with your closest friends, Las Vegas is a great place to commemorate this wonderful “Fall-iday”!
If you’ve chosen Vegas for your family Thanksgiving get-away, you can cross “cooking up a huge meal” off your list! Las Vegas might be the city of entertainment, but it takes a close second for great places to eat, and that doesn’t exclude Thanksgiving meals. Vegas hotels and casinos offer a plethora of buffets and gourmet restaurants that will leave you in a food coma and loosening your belt afterwards.
At Carmine’s, located at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, you can order a Las Vegas Thanksgiving feast for the whole family that includes an 18-pound roasted turkey, sausage and sage stuffing, cranberry sauce, a variety of vegetables, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and maple syrup, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a choice of pumpkin, pecan, or apple pie for dessert. This option is perfect for families of six to eight. The best part is, you can sightsee the Strip while burning off the Thanksgiving Day carbs!
Just because you came to the desert for Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you have to miss out on some beautiful fall scenery. Just 20 minutes north of Las Vegas, Mt. Charleston has colorful forests, plentiful wildlife, and cozy lodges to make your get-away holiday as charming as ever. What better way to embrace thankfulness for your loved one than to walk side by side on beautiful trails lined with scenic views and cascading waterfalls?
You can stop and enjoy a Thanksgiving picnic or even explore the terrain by horseback. Perhaps even spend your Thanksgiving evening warm and toasty in a cozy cabin. Once you visit Mt. Charleston, you’ll have one more item to add to your list of things you’re thankful for.
If you and a group of your closest pals opted for a “Friendsgiving” in Vegas this year, then why not go big? Big entertainment, big drinks, big city lights, big fun – you can find all this in classic Downtown Las Vegas! Book a room at Golden Gate and you’ll be close to all the action for your Friendsgiving celebration. Golden Gate’s penthouses are perfect for group get-togethers, equipped with a kitchen to snack on your Thanksgiving fixings and three giant flat-screen TV’s so there’s no arguing between watching the parade or the football game.
Golden Gate’s penthouses also include a large outdoor patio with lounge seating, a gas grill, a full wet bar, and a 50-inch flat-screen TV. When you’re not celebrating in your brag-worthy penthouse, you can take a zipline ride on Slotzilla or stroll under the massive Fremont St. LED canopy. A Friendsgiving like this would definitely be one-of-a-kind!
Thanksgiving just isn’t complete without a little competitive shopping the next day, which is why Vegas is the perfect place to visit during this holiday. Once your food has digested and you’re well rested from all the excitement, Sin City offers several places to score some Black Friday shopping deals. With one location near Downtown and another just south of the Strip, Las Vegas’ Premium Outlets are your one-stop-shops to fulfill all your gift ideas without emptying your wallet.
With stores like Michael Kors, Converse, Lucky, Perfumania, and Saks Fifth Avenue, you’ll be able to find something for everyone on your list at not only Black Friday prices, but outlet Black Friday prices. Make sure to bring an extra suitcase to take home all your goodies!
A traditional Thanksgiving is lovely, but it’s completely okay to deviate from the norm from time to time. Because of the endless entertainment, beautiful weather, and delectable restaurants, Las Vegas is a fantastic place to visit year-round. With a little creativity, you can make your Las Vegas Thanksgiving weekend an exciting, stress-free Thanksgiving tradition!
