Amazing Race's Will & James Do Las Vegas

From show stopping entertainment and fine dining to energetic nightlife and casinos, the city of Las Vegas has it all. This city has always been a top destination for LGBTQIA+ travelers which is why we were excited to experience Viva Las Vegas as we Get Back OUT There. Forget the saying “What Happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” because we are sharing some of our favorite experiences on and off the Strip!

We were excited to visit The Neon Museum - which is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to “collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment." We were fortunate to receive a guided tour from Dawn Merritt, the Chief Marketing Officer of The Neon Museum, where we learned more about signs that directly relate to the LGBTQIA+ community and history in Las Vegas. 

We loved meeting with drag performer and superstar, Coco Montrese (above) to learn more about the art form and how performers have been impacted by the pandemic. Coco is currently performing at The Garden Las Vegas as well as Area 15 for their Friday night Draganza show. If you ever visit Vegas, we highly recommend experiencing one of Coco’s shows! 

One of the newer attractions in Las Vegas is known as AREA 15, which is located minutes off the Strip. This space offers live events, immersive attractions, art installations, bars, restaurants and more. We had the privilege of experiencing Wink World: Portals Into the Infinite, which was designed by Blue Man Group Co-Founder, Chris Wink. Afterward we enjoyed two floors of arcade games at Emporium, sipped on crafted cocktails under an LED canopy of a Japanese Maple Tree at the enchanting Oddwood bar and ended our time relishing in the curated flavors of The Beast by Todd English. 

Located in the heart of the Arts District in downtown is a fresh, new nightlife experience known as The Garden Las Vegas. We had the pleasure of meeting with the owner, Eduardo Cordova to hear more about what it was like to open this intimate, chic LGBTQ lounge bar in the middle of the pandemic. They’re open Thursday-Sunday and offer a different vibe every night. We had a wonderful time enjoying craft cocktails and light bites while watching drag performers Coco Montrese and Alexis Mateo during our visit. 

Stay tuned for a bonus video on Las Vegas dropping Friday, October 8.  

Video produced by Alexander J. Little