Travel Guide to Primm and Its 5 Best Attractions

Primm is a small town just outside of Las Vegas on the California border. Check out what Hopper has to say about its best attractions, casinos and hotels.

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Hopper Editors - Thu Oct 26 2017

At the heart of it, Primm, Nevada, sitting pretty on the border of Nevada and California, between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, has all the flash and superfluity of its neighbouring city just up the Interstate 15, but they each play to different sides of the American Dream. Where Las Vegas capitalizes on the gilded success of the ostensibly limitlessly wealthy by constantly delivering bigger, better, more exclusive; Primm plays to simple American dreams: someone had an idea, and then they made it huge. Peter Macintyre was selling gas in the 1920s until he realized that bootlegging was far more lucrative. Whiskey Pete is now a legendary Primm icon. Dale Hamilton, owner of the State Line, had a gas station with a few slot machines. Now the casinos are larger than ever, puncturing the skyline of this highway community with the rolling peaks of a resort rollercoaster and Whiskey Pete's faux-castle tower. It's not Vegas, baby, but it's a close brother, both born of the thought that extravagance can bloom from a little stretch of highway.

Stay the night at Whiskey Pete's for its large casino and beautiful views

Though they share the same state, Whiskey Pete's is without the shiny mega-complex, fine-wine swilling pretense of Las Vegas. With classic lounge acts, smoky casinos and 777 affordable and habitable suites overlooking the desert and mountains off in the distance. Its nearby dining options include everything from the hangover-friendly IHOP, Denny's and Pancake House to classic, upscale fare such as GPs Steakhouse, designed to resemble a 1930's country club. Check out the Desert Arena schedule to see if any of your favorite acts are playing! The arena is a 12-minute walk away, located in Buffalo Bill's.

Shop designer goods at discount prices at the Primm Fashion Outlets

To get glammed up before you hit the Strip, make a stop at the Primm Fashion Outlets. This indoor outlet mall houses over 100 brands like the Coach Factory Store, Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus Last call kate spade new york, Juicy Couture, Lacoste, and others, so visitors so inclined are sure to find that club-ready dress for less. Kitchen appliance fanatics will go nuts in the Williams-Sonoma Marketplace, Le Creuset and Kitchen Collection; the shoe-crazed have their choice of Nine West, Nike, or Converse. The point is, there's always something for everyone, except maybe more time to explore.

For a twist on American and Greek classics, go to the unpretentious Mad Greek Café

The Mad Greek Café originated as a crazy last-ditch effort to make a life in America in the early '70s. They serve classic American eats with a Greek twist – or the other way around, it's not quite clear. In any case, The Mad Greek is the only place you can find the "American-Greek" sandwich, which is a burger topped with gyro, or a Mad Club, a triple-decker sandwich made with chicken breast, gyro, cheese, avocado and salad on pita. Their menu is extensive, serving all three meals as well as specialty alcohols (they have an impressive scotch and whiskey list).

Stay at Buffalo Bill's for their massive casino, unique amusement park, and concert arena

The Desperado roller coaster at Buffalo Bill's: One-time Guinness Book of Records Winner, eternal champion of hearts.

Buffalo Bill's is a huge Western frontier-themed casino resort which comprises 1,242 guest rooms and suites, bilingual gaming tables in English and Spanish and an impressive amusement park, but all people ever want to talk about is the buffalo-shaped pool. Well, fine. Their buffalo-shaped pool is unarguably high on their list of unconventional amenities, but so is the tram that connecting Buffalo Bill's to Terrible's Primm Valley Resort and Casino and Whiskey Pete's, the almost gratuitously large casino (46,000 square feet) with over 1,700 slot machines, and one of the largest and tallest roller coasters in the world. For a memorable night in the heart of the Mojave desert, check out Buffalo Bill's.

Buffalo Bill's likes to boast that there's something for everyone at the gigantic lodging and gaming complex, and perhaps the attraction that drives this idea home is the small but ever-present smattering of rides and rollercoasters. Driving by on Interstate 15, it's impossible to ignore the winding rail structure that elevates high above the already massive hotel. Passengers on Desperado find themselves dropping from 225 feet, reaching 80 miles per hour and almost 4 Gs. In 1996, Desperado was titled the World's Tallest Roller Coaster by the Guinness Book of Records, and even now, it is still highly ranked as one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world.

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