Las Vegas is a great city for entertainment and conventions! The two biggest reasons a geek would want to travel to Las Vegas are the two uber-geek computer security conventions, BlackHat and Defcon.

Defcon 19 banner

(PHOTO: Defcon 19 banner)

Defcon, for example, is now in the Rio, and just finished its 19th convention for the hacking and security 1337 (elite). This year at Defcon 19 there were sessions titled, for example, “Staying Connected During a Revolution or Disaster,” “Bosses Love Excel, Hackers Too,” and “Introduction to Tamper Evident Devices.”

Defcon 19 symbol

(PHOTO: Defcon 19 cryptic symbol)

In case you were wondering what the differences were between the two conventions, this article offers one take on the differences between Blackhat and Defcon.

There are many other conventions held in Las Vegas, from the Consumer Electronics Show to the Toastmasters International Convention. For more information on convention what/where/when, check the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

For entertainment, in addition to gambling (yes, they even have slot machines in the airport), there are many wonderful shows available, such as Phantom of the Opera or one of the Cirque du Soleil acts.

Geeks may be most interested however in one of the many magic acts available. The best (in my opinion) on the list is Penn & Teller, who have been dazzling audiences with their smart brand of bad boy magic in Las Vegas for over 10 years. And if you get to the show early, you might be treated to a wonderful jazz concert by this duo (geeks should be able to identify at least one of the musicians).

Penn & Teller pre-show with Mike Jones and Mystery Bass Player

(PHOTO: Penn & Teller pre-show with Mike Jones and Mystery Bass Player)

Show tickets can be expensive, so your best strategy for securing seats is to go to one of the half-price ticket vendors, such as tix4tonight and halfpriceshows. The name says it all: on the day of a show, you can often get reduced-price tickets for that evening’s performance (though not always for 50% off). The reduced-price ticket vendor will give you a voucher you then take to the show’s box office in exchange for the actual tickets. As long as you exchange your ticket at least an hour before showtime, you should be able to get tickets without any problems.

There are also live bands most nights in the various bars, clubs, and hotels, along with dancing and/or dancers. And gambling.

Alas, one of the best reasons to visit Las Vegas, Star Trek: The Experience, is no longer open. It ran 1998-2008 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

You also might enjoy just people watching, buying something from a street vendor, watching the nightly water show at the Bellagio, or walking through each of the many hotels along the Strip. The Luxor has an Egyptian theme. The Excalibur has a medieval theme. Caesers Palace has a Roman theme. The Venetian has a Venice theme, and so on.

[Las Vegas Arc de Triomphe](http://kendallgiles.4orion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/vegas_arc_de_triomphe.jpg)
(PHOTO: Las Vegas Arc de Triomphe)

The Paris section has an Eiffel Tower, and especially at night taking a ride to the top is the best way to get a panoramic view of the city. For example, here’s the view from the Eiffel Tower looking south along the Strip:

Looking south along the Strip from the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower

(PHOTO: Looking south along the Strip from the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower)

Note that the Eiffel Tower rides are cheaper during the day than during the night, and the coupon book we got in our taxis had a 2-for-1 coupon in it!

If the glitz, glamour, blinky lights, and noise get a little too overwhelming, you may want to find something to do outside of Las Vegas. For example, you could visit the Hoover Dam. Or drive to San Diego. Or tour the Grand Canyon. Or visit the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, home of the History Channel’s Pawn Stars.

street artist, who works his magic with cans of spray paint

(PHOTO: street artist, who works his magic with cans of spray paint)

Finally, for the geek, high on your list might be to take a defensive handgun course, take other firearms training, learn to rappel and climb with ropes, or even learn some unarmed defensive techniques. About an hour away from the Vegas strip you can find all of this at one of the premier firearms training institutes, Frontsight.

Next: extra tips and hints for making the most out of your Las Vegas visit.

Here are the four parts of this Geek’s Guide to Vegas series: