Sin City: Alternative Las Vegas

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Back to Las VegasAlternative Las Vegas: Off the Beaten Strip

If you want to get away from the glitz and kitsch or just go where most of the tourists don't go, here are several "un-Vegasy" things to do, kindly supplied by James P. Reza, Geoff Carter, and the editors of the Las Vegas Weekly.

Double Down Saloon. Sin City's coolest bar, hands down. Enjoy cocktails, plug songs into the world's wildest jukebox, admire the bizarre mural work by Vegas artists, or just mingle with local characters and the occasional celebrity.

West Sahara Library Fine Arts Museum, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. (tel. 702/507-3630). Don't laugh. Las Vegas has its very own gala art museum, ensconced in the most impressive building built in the valley since Wayne Newton set up residence. Built to Smithsonian specs, the museum is one of the few urban buildings in Vegas that lends a sense of space and quality to the surrounding stucco. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 9am to 9pm, Friday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

The Arts Factory. Las Vegas's premier artist collective maintains a gallery inside the "Arts Factory" art compound. The CAC's unique vision of this town is too good to miss. Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 5pm.

Jazzed Cafe & Vinoteca. Run by professional dancers Kirk Offerle and Connie Chambers, this tiny, elegant bistro stays open until the wee hours, lit by candles and the brilliance of the clientele. Great java, terrific wine list.

Floyd Lamb State Park, I-95 North; exit at Durango. This huge former working ranch once served as a forerunner of those trendy "desert spas" so popular in Scottsdale. Today you'll find acres and acres of grassy picnic areas; walking, hiking, biking, and horse trails; huge shade trees; and two lakes. Wanna be a true native? Always call it "Tule Springs."

Chinatown Mall, 4255 Spring Mountain Rd. The Occident meets the Orient in a big way. A prodigious meeting of great restaurants, interesting shops, and unique amenities, all with roots buried deep in the Far East.