9 October 2025 was our only full free day in Las Vegas. We'd arrived the evening before after a long drive from the Grand Canyon via Route 66 and Oatman, and the next day was for Mr. Olympia and an armwrestling competition. One day for one of the most famous cities in the world – would that be enough?
For us, yes. Not because we saw everything, but because the Strip turned out not to be our kind of place. What we'll remember from Las Vegas is something else entirely: a few hours at Dragon's Lair Gym, and an unexpected training session next to Mitchell Hooper.
The short version
The Strip: bigger, louder and more spread out than we'd imagined – we were done surprisingly quickly. Dragon's Lair Gym: Flex Lewis' gym, a day pass, deadlifts in our socks and a world-class strongman cheering us on. Guess which one we'd go back for.
A view from The STRAT
We started by buying tickets for The STRAT, the tall tower at the north end of the Strip, and going up to look out over the city. Honestly, it didn't do much for us. The view wasn't especially memorable, and we didn't feel it was worth the money.
Walking the Las Vegas Strip
The Strip was what we'd looked forward to. We'd pictured something like a concentrated city centre: impressive buildings and attractions close together, and a lively atmosphere for walking between them.
The reality was a huge, heavily trafficked road with enormous hotels and casinos spread out along it, each its own separate world. The distances were longer than we'd expected, and crossing over often meant a pedestrian bridge.
We walked a stretch of the Strip and went into a few of the famous hotels. Inside: casinos, slot machines, lights, noise and activity in every direction. It felt less like walking through a city and more like moving between giant entertainment complexes next to a busy road.
At some point we looked at each other and wondered what we were doing there. That's our reaction, not a verdict – lots of people love the Strip exactly for its scale and non-stop entertainment. It just isn't what we enjoy.
Leaving the Strip for Dragon's Lair Gym
After a few hotels I'd had enough for the time being, and suggested to Kristine and Inge that we take an Uber to Dragon's Lair Gym – the gym owned by seven-time 212 Mr. Olympia Flex Lewis, which he moved from Florida to Las Vegas. As someone who loves strength training, I wanted to see it. And if we could get a workout in, even better.
It was only about 8 km away, though finding the right Uber pick-up point in the tourist area was surprisingly fiddly. Then we were away from the Strip – and into a place that suited us immediately.
A day pass, no gym shoes and some light deadlifts
We hadn't brought gym gear, so we improvised: day passes and training in our socks. We kept it to some light deadlifts – the last thing we wanted was to tire ourselves out or risk our arms the day before the armwrestling competition.
Training next to Mitchell Hooper
While we were setting up, I noticed a bar behind us loaded with a lot of weight. We had no idea who it belonged to – until Mitchell Hooper walked over.
The Canadian strongman, who won both World's Strongest Man and the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2023, was in town for the Olympia weekend. I got to talk to him and film some of his lifts, and while we did our own deadlifts he stood right there encouraging us.
It wasn't a planned meeting – we had no idea he'd be there. Just a spontaneous moment in a gym, which is exactly why it was so good.
Why a gym was our Las Vegas highlight
We'd spent the morning among famous hotels and casinos, and none of it stuck. A few hours at Dragon's Lair did. Serious training, great equipment, bodybuilders coming in to prepare for the Olympia weekend – it's the kind of atmosphere we naturally love.
It might sound odd that our main attraction in Las Vegas was a gym. For us it made perfect sense. The Strip was something we felt we ought to see; Dragon's Lair was somewhere we actually wanted to be. The best part of a destination isn't always the most famous one – sometimes it's the place that matches what you love.
Back to Circus Circus
Afterwards we went back to Circus Circus. We'd thought about heading out again in the evening, but we'd had enough stimulation for one day – and with a competition the next day, we didn't want a big night out or unfamiliar food. Our room was perfectly fine; it was just finding our way around such a huge complex that took getting used to. And it's central and good value – a sensible base if you mostly need somewhere to sleep. We kept the evening quiet.
Looking back
Our first full day confirmed that the Strip isn't for us: too much traffic, too much noise, too many casinos. We're glad we saw it, but we didn't feel the need to see more. Dragon's Lair Gym was the opposite – the best part of the day, not least because we ended up sharing part of a session with Mitchell Hooper.
The next day would be completely different: Mr. Olympia, and our own armwrestling competition. But that's a story of its own.
If Las Vegas is more your thing than ours
Plenty of people love exactly what we didn't – the shows, the lights and the size of it all – and Las Vegas is also a base for day trips like Hoover Dam or flights over the Grand Canyon. We haven't tried any of these ourselves, so we can't vouch for them, but if you want to see what's on offer:
Practical information
| When | Thursday 9 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Dragon's Lair Gym | Flex Lewis' gym in Las Vegas, about 8 km from the Strip – we bought day passes at the front desk; check current prices and hours before you go |
| Getting there | Uber from the Strip – allow time to find the right pick-up point at the big hotels |
| Stayed | Circus Circus (Hotels.com) – central on the Strip and good value |