When I was invited to spend a long weekend in Las Vegas, I had to wonder: Was Vegas my kind of town? I don’t gamble, smoke or drink. Truth be told, I like to go to bed at a reasonable hour and get up before 9 a.m. Would this kind of attitude fly in Sin City? Despite my initial reservations, I went. Maybe I’m not like the typical Vegas devotee, but I was willing to bet I could find some fun.

I was right. I easily filled the four-day trip with my usual checklist of vacation musts—fine dining, nature outings, laziness at the hotel pool and theater performances.

There’s certainly no lack of entertainment on The Strip—the roughly four-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that is home to many of the world’s largest hotels and casinos and the city’s main tourism thoroughfare. The hotels here try to outdo each other for visitors’ time and attention and, as a result, offer plenty of attractions, many of which are free. I filled much of my time with these freebies: an opera performance in the Piazza San Marco at the Venetian; the stunning botanical garden at the Bellagio; the Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand and the Sirens of TI show at the Treasure Island hotel.

On my second day, I rented a car and got off The Strip. Las Vegas is located in the Mojave Desert, so I knew it would be easy enough to spend time in the great outdoors. I love being in the desert. Perhaps it comes from growing up in Maine, some 80 percent of which is covered in pine trees—deserts always seemed foreign and exotic to me as a kid, and I’m still a big fan. Driving away from Vegas, the landscape opens up, and I had sweeping views that went on for miles in every direction. The wide-open vista gave me a sense of awe and freedom, and I couldn’t have been happier.

Although I had a wonderful time seeing Vegas my way, in hindsight I realize that I probably made a mistake by not taking a “when in Rome” approach. It’s a city like no other, and I missed a golden opportunity to break out of my norm and let loose. I treated the hotels and casinos like museums when perhaps I should have gone along with the crowd and treated them like playgrounds. The next time I’m there (I’m sure there will be a next time), maybe I’ll order a 22-ounce margarita and pull up a chair at a poker table. They say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and I don’t want to waste another chance to find out if that’s true.

Did I miss your favorite Vegas spot? E-mail CarandTravel@aaany.com and help me plan my next vacation.