From Great Food & Drink to Arts and Americana, Here are a Few Hidden Gems
If you’re headed to Las Vegas for HIMSS21 (or just planning to visit there sometime soon), you might be looking for unique things to do while in town – and Certilytics has you covered.
Attending HIMSS21 in person?
Schedule a meeting with us and receive a $50 Venetian chip
Sports & Recreation
Glam rock and mini golf bring out the best in people – so perhaps it’s no surprise that Las Vegas found a way to combine the two into a single experience. KISS Mini Golf is located in the Rio Hotel & Casino. Open 12-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, entry into the venue (which includes an arcade) is free, and an 18-hole round runs $12 per person.
Despite being a game of skill rather than chance, pinball has long had a home in Las Vegas thanks to a Michigan arcade magnate named Tim Arnold. Arnold arrived in the city in 1990, and over the course of two years brought out his collection of more than 1,000 pinball machines. Today these machines – along with other classic arcade games – are available for play at the Pinball Hall of Fame, recently relocated to a 25,000 square-foot location on the Strip just across from the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. The games cost what they did originally – 25 or 50 cents depending on their year of manufacture – and the venue is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.
Arts & Culture
What is Omega Mart? An immersive art experience created by the collective known as Meow Wolf. A mind-bending wonder. Or is it a supermarket?
Either way, it’s one of those things more easily captured in video than written description:
Omega Mart is located off the Strip in the Area 15 entertainment complex, and is open 10 a.m. – 12 a.m., seven days a week. Tickets are available here (note that tickets must be purchased for specific date and entry time), and run just under $50. Also be sure to note the footwear and clothing restrictions detailed on the purchase page if you want to be able to enjoy the slides.
Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden (Henderson, NV)
Nevada’s largest collection of cacti and succulents sits about 15 minutes off the Strip – located, as you might expect, on the grounds of a chocolate factory founded by the man who invented M&M’s.
The botanical garden and boutique chocolate brand both proudly carry the name of his mother, Ethel Mars, the brains behind the world-famous chocolate recipe still in use at the factory today.
Depending on your tolerance for sun and heat, this unique attraction might be best visited during the morning hours – which is definitely doable, as the botanical garden and chocolatier-viewing aisle (both of which are free) are open for self-guided tours from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. All manner of chocolate goodies are available for purchase from the factory’s onsite store as well.
Dining & Dives
Though perhaps more famous for buffets and bottle service, Las Vegas is a desert oasis of international cuisine and under-the-radar watering holes that give dive bars a good name. A few to consider:
Lotus of Siam – Fantastic Northern Thai cuisine, revered and James-Beard-awarded for good reason.
Jaleo Las Vegas – Spanish cuisine at its finest. “The centerpiece is the Paella Grill, an open-fire wood grill specially designed to cook paellas in the authentic Spanish way and one of only three in the world.”
Chubby Cattle – Authentic Chinese hot pot, served via refrigerated conveyer belt and inspired by Mongolian, Tibetan, and Chinese philosophies of medicine and healing.
Saddle N Spurs Saloon – A legendary holdout from Vegas’ equally legendary days as a honky-tonk bar town, SNS has a rotating schedule of live music, karaoke, and free dance lessons.
Bourbon, BBQ & Big Data – and Other Events at Certilytics’ Booth (#4450)
For those who are attending this year’s HIMSS conference, we hope you’ll stop by and see us in person at Booth #4450 – and we also want to make sure you know about our events and giveaways that sweeten the pot even more.
Schedule a meeting and receive a $50 Venetian chip – Visiting our virtual booth and scheduling a meeting ensures our team can plan to have your $50 Venetian chip available for pickup when you meet with us – our way of saying thanks for making time to connect.
Try our PMPM savings calculator and be entered to win an Apple Watch or $50 Amazon Gift Card* – Complete our self-service savings calculator to see the expected savings we can deliver for your target populations, and enter for chances to win.
Bourbon, BBQ, & Big Data – Wednesday 8/11, 4-5:30 pm, Booth #4450 – Enjoy a midweek chance to relax and network with fellow leaders across healthcare, big data, and IT. Taste four of Kentucky’s best bourbons, and enjoy signature cocktails & mocktails served alongside BBQ hors d’oeuvres to suit every palate.
Hope to see you in Vegas for HIMSS21!
*By completing the calculator and providing your contact information before 7 p.m. PST on 8/12, you’ll be entered to win an Apple Watch. Drawings occur on Tuesday 8/10, Wednesday 8/11, and Thursday 8/12—so completing the calculator sooner rather than later gives you more chances to win.