Fremont Street

After the Las Vegas Strip, Fremont Street must be the second most famous and decadent place in Las Vegas — a place hardly known for half measures. This five block pedestrian mall is topped with an arched steel canopy that is studded with lights. Every evening, that canopy dazzles you and any living thing for miles with a light-and-sound show, using its 12.5 million synchronised LEDs.

Not in my name

While Fremont Street is hardly old school, it does offer something more on the lines of classic Las Vegas, compared to the megaresorts of the Strip. The street was named after the US army officer and early explorer John Fremont, who first mapped the Las Vegas area (for the colonisers). It quickly got a reputation for rowdy gambling halls with cheap booze and loose women. Fremont was probably a little peeved to have his name attached to the place — but then again, maybe not.

Make your first stop the Plaza casino. This low key, 1970s-era joint sits next to unused railroad tracks and has a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the neon madness of Fremont Street. Just a block away you can find the neo-Victorian Main Street Station casino, which is home to an eclectic array of relics and antiques — including a chunk of the Berlin Wall, bizarrely.

However, your trip to Fremont Street would not be complete without visiting the legendary Binion’s. This place was opened by a real yeehaw-ing Texas cowboy, Benny Binnion, who used to have gold buttons on his shirts. It was the first plush-carpeted joint on Fremont Street and also where the World Series of Poker kicked off.