Members of the Tapping Teachers Dance Company, from left, Ann Larson, Linda Cozine, David Larson, Dorothy Tanaka, Mary Rector and Jean Henninger perform during the Las Vegas Senior Idol talent showcase at the Charleston Heights Arts Center on Oct. 9.
Saturday, June 8, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Temperatures are in the triple digits, teenagers are rambunctiously celebrating their summer vacation and tourists are slowly seeping into your favorite Las Vegas haunts.
Tired of wearing out a seat at the bingo hall this summer? Here are 10 activities for senior citizens in Las Vegas.
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Attend a writing workshop
Seniors can exercise their writing muscles at various workshops around the city.
The Las Vegas Writers Group meets every month and occasionally hosts a guest speaker. New members are always welcome, and there is a $5 charge for the meeting. Meetup dates can be found here.
Centennial Hills Library offers a writing workshop course for adults and seniors with Maxwell Alexander Drake, a sci-fi and fantasy author.
After you've taken that class or attended the workshop — or if you're already prepared to thrust your work into the light of day — there are courses at Clark County Library that offer tips for budding authors about publishing your work. Las Vegas-Clark County Library District lists its writing workshop courses online.
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Enroll in a summer course
For $40, retired or semi-retired adults can enroll in the summer session at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNLV. Admitted students can attend any of the offered courses, including Artist's Workshop, Hollywood Musicals-Documentaries and Food: A Social History of Taste. Seniors can take as many classes as they want, like Parapsychology Investigations Since 1880 and Black Holes Explained.
Classes began during the week of May 20, but seniors can register any time during the summer. There are eight locations for classes, including various retirement communities around the city, but most classes take place on UNLV's Paradise campus. Prospective students can peruse courses and register online, over the phone at 702-895-3394 or in person at the information desk at 851 E. Tropicana Ave., Building 100.
Many senior centers, such as the Heritage Park Senior Facility, also offer an eclectic range of classes for patrons. Seniors can take an introductory line-dancing class or gain tips about how to cook with dark chocolate. Numerous classes, like Steppin' Just a Little Sweatin' and Stretch, will help you stay active. Prices for classes vary. Heritage Park Senior Facility is at 300 S. Racetrack Road and can be contacted at 702-267-2950.
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Go for a swim
For a refreshing dip, seniors can cruise into any of Southern Nevada's community pools or water parks for $1. People over age 55 can avoid water-winged babies at two adult-only facilities in Las Vegas.
The Cora Coleman Indoor Pool, 2100 Bonnie Lane, is open from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It is open from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, call 702-455-2120.
The West Flamingo Indoor Pool, 6255 W. Flamingo Road, is open from 10:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, call 702-455-4192.
Both pools offer private swim lessons for $25 per half-hour and various fitness classes.
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Hone your computer skills
Numerous Las Vegas-Clark County libraries offer computer classes for seniors.
There are some specialty classes dedicated to deciphering Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. More basic classes such as Internet 101 and Email 101 also are available.
Classes are two hours long and begin at 10:30 a.m. Space is limited to 10 students. Seniors can register online.
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Join a book club
If every page on your bookshelf is yellowed and mangled and you're looking for new characters to fall in love with, become a member of a book club.
The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District website lists many prospective book clubs.
There is a club specifically for romance novels called the Desert Hearts Romance Readers Book Club at Sahara Library and a tea time book club, which meets at Moapa Valley Library, among more than a dozen others.
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Put on your dancing shoes
Seniors can take a soul line-dancing class from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Friday at the Doolittle Senior Center, 1930 J St. Participating dancers must pay a $2 membership and should register five days in advance by calling 702-229-6125 (702-386-9108 for the hearing impaired).
People over the age of 50 can show off their ballroom dance moves at the Las Vegas Senior Center, 451 E. Bonanza Road. Seniors who pay the $2 membership fee for City of Las Vegas Senior Programs and a $4 admission fee can sway to live music provided by Boyd Coulter and his band.
The ballroom dances take place every Tuesday night and Friday afternoon. More information can be found by calling 702-229-6454 or going online
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Roam around a farmers market
The Country Fresh Farmers Market boasts homemade baked goods, sandblasted glass and the unique tacizza, a taco pizza.
On Thursdays, it operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 240 Water Street in Henderson. On Fridays, vendors set up shop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway.
The Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Boulevard, also hosts a farmers market called Bet on the Farm! Farmers Market. On Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., food lovers can congregate and examine different types of produce and other foods in the Rotunda Gallery.
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Sing karaoke
If you don't mind staying out a little later, check out one of Las Vegas' karaoke bars. You can belt out a Sinatra classic, a Martin favorite or some other singalong staple.
E-String Bar and Grill, 2031 W. Sunset Road in Henderson, offers free karaoke six nights a week at varying times. Specific times can be found on the Henderson restaurant's website calendar.
Ellis Island, 4178 Koval Lane in Las Vegas, invites patrons to sing on a daily basis from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.
If you'd rather stay in and you don't have your own karaoke machine, there are numerous singalong, instrumental-only videos on YouTube. Simply search for that old hit that you love and pretend to be Judy Garland or Nat King Cole in the safety of your home.
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Take a walk
Seniors over the age of 62 can purchase a lifetime America the Beautiful senior pass for $10. The pass ensures entry to federal recreation sites, including Red Rock Canyon. Some elementary treks include Fire Ecology and Lost Creek, which are just under 1 mile and are ranked as "easy" on Red Rock's spectrum of difficulty.
The Desert Wetlands Park is another a good site for fresh air. The park, which is next to Sam Boyd Stadium, recently opened a nature center, which houses exhibits dedicated to the Las Vegas Wash and the plants and animals in the park.
Nevada residents over the age of 65 can purchase a ticket to the Springs Preserve for $8.95. Visitors can walk among its gardens on their own, but guided walks are offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Instead of a traditional hike, try a night hike. Mount Charleston offers a night hike with a naturalist. Night hikes are generally on Fridays, starting between 7 and 8 p.m. Scheduled times can be found here.
If you'd rather stay out of the sun, Howard Lieburn Senior Center also has a Walk with Ease program. For a $5 drop-in fee — or free entry with a fitness pass purchase — Las Vegans over the age of 50 can join the walking program at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The center, 6230 Garwood Ave., can be contacted at 702-229-1600.
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Visit an art gallery or museum
For individuals who prefer admiring nature in a confined space, why not visit a museum or an art gallery instead? UNLV's Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery has a new exhibition every few months.
Down the street, you can find out more about Nevada's explosive history at the National Atomic Testing Museum, 755 E. Flamingo Road. Seniors over the age of 62 can pay $11 to learn about mushroom clouds.
If you want to drop by a museum that is reflective of more recent history, seniors can tour the Neon Museum, 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Longtime locals can share fond memories, reminisce over fallen casinos and see the signs up close. Day tours are $12 for seniors and night tours are $22.
For a more traditional museum experience, go to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Admission is $8 for seniors who want to roam through the remnants of Ancient Egypt or see models of dinosaurs.
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Watch a free film
The Lieburn Senior Center offers free matinee movies at 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday. The center, 6230 Garwood Ave., provides popcorn and water for its patrons.
The East Las Vegas Community Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave., also offers free popcorn when it shows free films at 1 p.m. Fridays.
To learn which films will be shown at either location, moviegoers can call 702-229-1600.
Some Las Vegas-Clark County libraries host some free movie nights. Films vary from old classics such as "The Women" and "Rebel Without A Cause" to new Academy Award-nominated hits such as "Life of Pi" and "Zero Dark Thirty." The movie schedule can be found on the events calendar.
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