It's hard to get away from the strip. Mainly because there's much to do on the strip. And because it's painful to get off the strip. Plus, you only have so much time and many places off the strip won't give you free drinks for showing up. But if you can pull yourself from the tables, the shows and from the FoodTV food courts here's where we'd go for a weekend away from the noise, smoke and "sob" liquor.

OUTDOORS

Red Rock Canyon

Need a taste of beauty after too many roulette wheels? It's here only 45 minutes from Vegas. Great for hiking, great for sightseeing and great for catching some clean air. We'd go here even if it wasn't to get away. We'd go here to stay. Make Red Rock the focus of a trip and then spin into Vegas proper for dinner and a show. Leave the tables for another weekend.

ARTS

Las Vegas Philharmonic

This is the antithesis of the Blue Man Group or if the only music you hear is the dinging of slots. Most big cities have philharmonics and Las Vegas while not as famous as New York, Chicago or Los Angeles has a fine orchestra. And the cheaper seats will cost less than an appetizer in many "Superstar Chef" restaurants. And there are fewer calories. They have a solid schedule of programs that can fill most anyone's love of the finer musical forms... no, we aren't talking Mr. Manilow.

MUSEUM

Neon Museum

Okay, it's not the Picassos at Bellagio. I'm not telling you to pass on the Picassos, I'm telling you there are alternatives that pull you out of the casino and show a different side of Vegas. Personally, I like the big kitsch. It reflects on recent anthropology. A time gone bye. Someone pass the kleenex. It's not expensive, not too hard to reach and only pulls you out of your element for a few hours. And walking the boneyard can be considered exercise. In Vegas rolling dice is considered aerobic.

SPORTS

Las Vegas 51s

Being a baseball fanatic, hitting a minor league ballgame anywhere is the norm. But in Vegas you can see great baseball in one of the best minor league parks in the country. And the price for two will be far less than any other entertainment on the strip. Watching drunks is not entertainment. You can probably tie a night game in Cashman Park with a day trip over to the Neon Museum. Sitting outside, eating a hot dog and watching baseball, maybe not as great as hitting a full house on the river but it's damn close.

EATS

Komol

Most people might toss Rosemary's at you but we're going a different way here. At Komol's you'll find excellent Thai food at reasonable prices. You can get great food in Vegas but you can also get some very bad food, too, and some of it will need a mortgage. Here you get tasty food at tasty prices and that is a very rare Vegas find. Now not everyone likes Thai food - idiots - but our guess is they went someplace like Cheesecake Factory doing fake Thai or got the wrong dish. If you don't like spicy make sure to ask the waiter about spiciness. And ask them what they like or what someone in your party likes, usually they'll steer you in the right direction. I know I have.

For every five places I've listed here, there are five more I haven't listed. Go find your own hidden places because that's what being a traveller is about.