Information wanted about Las Vegas and environs
Bookworm on Mar 05 2010 at 7:30 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
We’ll be heading off to Vegas in a few weeks and I wondered if you, my readers, had any suggestions for:
1. Hotels
2. Shows
3. Activities (Hoover Dam, Mt. Charleston, Area 51, swimming pools, etc.)
4. Dining
Keep in mind that we’ll be traveling with two children and intend to include them in our activities. Also, while we’re not exactly cheap, we don’t like to waste our money.
Thanks.
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20 Responses to “Information wanted about Las Vegas and environs”
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My advice about Vegas is to Stay Away!! Stay FAR, FAR AWAY!!!
I know that isn’t helpful, but that’s how I’ve treated the place all my life. Being in Reno only hardened my resolve.
My wife’s attendance at a convention in Las Vegas did nothing to change my mind.
Talking to a friend who attended UNLV has done nothing to change my mind.
I would like to see the Boulder Dam some day…..but I’m guessing I can do that without actually visiting Las Vegas.
Neither my husband nor I gamble, so we’re currently planning:
The Atomic Testing Museum
Hoover Dam
Red Rock Canyon
Lance Burton
Terry Fator (maybe)
Lots of food
Swimming pools
Cirque shows
Book, the same generation that kicked Nazi butt gave us Hoover Dam, one of the most beautifully made Depression-Era structures I’ve ever seen. Its workmanship and design make later Colorado River dams, like Glen Canyon, look Soviet-shoddy in comparison. Make your visit the better part of a day if you can so that you can saunter across the crest of the dam, like the inheritors of greatness that you are, and maybe take in the turbine room.
Also have the kids take a good look at the new bypass bridge, a graceful arched concrete span just south of the dam, built to shunt traffic directly from Nevada to Arizona without having to clog its way across the dam itself. The bridge’s huge supporting arch is anchored at both ends in foundations that had to be blasted out of rock about 200 precipitous feet below the rim of Black Canyon.
Speaking of Black Canyon, in certain light it is one of the most beautiful chasms in America. You can take a boat trip down it from the dam–another possibility. On your way back through Boulder City, you can always stop at Boulder Bowl and challenge the kids to an adults versus offspring game. Assuming the kids lose, the bowling alley has a bar. They can buy you a beer.
~ Liberace Museum – I know this is weird but I’ve been to Vegas many times but have yet to make it there. It would be a crazy sight!
~ Gondola ride at the Venetian – This would be something fun for the kids. I’ve been to Venice before and this option is similar but without the odor.
~ Eiffel Tower at Paris – I believe it is 1/3 the size of the real thing. There are many coupons floating around for this, usually.
~ Amusement rides atop the Stratosphere – A bit pricey but worth it for those who like a thrill!
~ Circus Circus – It’s worth a visit. Very ghetto-fabulous!
~ Dancing fountains in front of the Bellagio – one word: BEAUTIFUL. It’s a great sight especially at night!
~ Medieval Times like show at Excalibur – Kids will love this. I’ve never been to this one but I’ve been to a Medieval Times before and kids love it.
~ Buffet at Paris – One of the best buffets on the strip in my opinion.
We had a trip through Nevada about 20 years ago. We avoided the big glitzy hotels, only to find – when we had no choice – that the big glitzy hotels aren’t that far from the cheaper hotels/motels in price, and generally provide very nice buffets for free or cheap with your overnight stay. I have no idea if it’s the same today, but if there’s some way to inquire about it, I would. Of course, the reason they offer the bennies is because they _assume_ that if you’re there, you’ll gamble, and the house always wins. If you just don’t…it’s your gain!
If you go to Boulder Dam, stop by Hemingway Park in Boulder City. There is a good chance you will see a herd of Big Horn Sheep, which come down from the near by hills to graze on the lush park grass. We saw 18 of them there on our trip last year.
You and your family may also want to see the Ethel M chocolate factory and cactus gardens in Henderson. There is a free, self-guided factory tour with an opportunity to sample. The cactus gardens have over 300 varieties of cacti. It might even be the time of the year for them to be blossoming.
Book, I don’t gamble and Vegas is one of my favorite places, mostly for the surroundings. If you feel fit, I recommend the many hikes, including Red Rocks. There are some really nice slot canyons with hot springs around Lake Mead. You can read about some of them here: http://www.hikinglasvegas.com/lakemead.html
I also recommend the helicopter rides into the Grand Canyon. Your boys should like that.
There are also some really great gun ranges out there, if you want to take your boys out to do some shooting.
We were in Las Vegas during February –
Hotel – We stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham and Suites in Henderson. We got in at $70 per night via American Express but the front desk told us that they would match that price and give us our Wyndham points as well. This is a new, very clean hotel and is smokefree. No gambling but a good breakfast downstairs, free wifi and a good business center. Very highly recommended. Has outdoor heated pool with hot tub, (we used both). Exercise room as well, only drawback was that it is about 15 minutes from the strip but that made is quiet and good sleeping.
Attractions – Red Rock Canyon is fantastic – the pictographs from the Indians are neat and the kids would love them. There is a neon sign museum that is on North Main that is open or opening soon which is also going to be neat. Of course, Hoover Dam is spectacular and should not be missed. Sams Town has a neat free show in their atrium and a good ayce prime rib buffet.
Food – there’s a bunch to explore there – prices are not what they used to be though.
No no no…Don’t go to Henderson!!!
We watch CSI…Henderson is where _all_ the criminals come from!!!!
Oh yeah…and it’s always raining in Las Vegas.
I don’t know how they manage it. They must only film 7 nights a year.
Bookworm,
Ah, Vegas! We always have fun there. The big hotels are hurting, so you should be able to get good rates at places like the MGM Grand or Monte Carlo — both nice places. Check their websites. Go to http://www.mgmmirage.com, and you can connect to all the hotels in their chain. Every major hotel has a rate calendar that will help you find the best deals, and you can learn about all the attractions at each hotel.
There’s a wonderful aquarium at Mandalay Bay. The first time we ever went to Vegas, we hardly put any money in the slot machines but were able to enjoy cruising the different hotels on the strip. The Mirage has a small zoo (Secret Garden) that has some of Siegfried and Roy’s big cats. You can see them up close. There’s also a dolphin pool. There’s an art museum at the Venetian, but I don’t know how interested your kids will be in that. There are shopping centers inside many of the hotels (Caesar’s Palace, Venetian, and others) and they may be good for a stroll, but I don’t know if there are any bargains.
As for the buffets, many of the hotels now have a fixed price for which you can eat all day, all you want, as many times as you want. The down side is that it traps you at that one hotel, but if it’s centrally located and you like the selection of foods, it can be a good deal. It is certainly less than it would cost you to eat at a bunch of different restaurants.
I haven’t commented here in a very long time, but I’m still reading every day. Thanks for all the interesting things you post, and thanks as well to all the commenters who add to the fun.
Judy
No no no…Don’t go to Henderson!!!
We watch CSI…Henderson is where _all_ the criminals come from!!!!
suek..VERY FUNNY!
I guess a visit to OJ Simpson would not be on the ‘family plan’ list of activities.
I’d put Area 51 on the ‘to do’ list unless you’ve had enough of ‘tin foiled’ hat folks.
My company took a trip to Vegas in November. I found it incredibly glitzy, superficial and shallow.
Just try to get a decent cup of coffee in the morning. Even Motel 6 will give you free easy coffee. You’ll pay Starbucks-style big bucks if you try in Vegas. That was weird.
But entertainment oppportunities abound. Vegas is only half about gambling these days. The other half is a smorgasboard of entertainment choices – if you’re willing to take the shallow, superficial route within the city. The city does make it easy – Las Vegas is an expensive whore – but the price is that it’s all extraordinarily shallow and superficial. All the commenters above have noted that more interesting opportunities are out there, but you practically have to leave the city to find any of them.
I go to Vegas occasionally, mostly to people watch. I don’t gamble or drink or smoke which does cut into traditional activities.
Mac King http://www.mackingshow.com/ has a very funny magic show. It’s a rare quality daytime show which is actually kind of nice for scheduling.
I like staying at Paris. It’s reasonably central and decent value and the decor amuses me. It’s right across from Bellagio – we could actually see their fountains from our room, and then if you want to see O it’s right across the street.
Hoover Dam’s very cool. I haven’t been since pre-9/11 and they’ve changed the tours dramatically but even if you just wander around the top and poke around the visitor center it’s cool, but hopefully they have good tours again.
Red Rock is lovely if you have the urge to hike around a bit.
I wouldn’t bother with the cirque shows because we get all of the traveling shows here first… with the exception of O which is quite different and very enjoyable.
The Ethel M factory is moderately interesting.
Thanks to everyone for the wonderful suggestions. (And don’t stop now if you’ve got more ideas.) I’ve got a very long list now of non-smoking, non-drinking, non-gambling things to do with the family.
Another thrill is the Stratosphere, the 1,000-foot tower just north of the Strip. You don’t have to take any of the rides on top of it to get a thrill. Just imagining (as well as watching) what it would be like to be spilled down an inclined plane that extends out over an 880-foot abyss, or sitting in a roller coaster that’s looping around the the tower’s crest at an altitude higher than the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, should stimulate your children’s entrails.
Be sure to wear your brown pants.
I live on the east coast so wanted to visit as much as possible. We stayed at the Paris, central on the strip.
Depending on how much time you want to spend driving, the South Rim Visitor Station Grand Canyon is another 4.5 hours driving from Las Vegas. For my family, it was well worth the time spent. Get up early and stay a long time because over the day, the Grand Canyon can show many different looks.
On another day during that same trip, we also visited Death Valley. Seemed to be a bit of driving to be under sea level in the mountains, but our two Middle School and HS aged kids thought it was worth the trip.
Red Rock Canyon, just south of Vegas was a good visit, as was the Dam, but those were already suggested. When we were there a few years ago, a double rainbow was seen over Lake Meade as we were leaving our Dam tour.
If your kids are old enough, get them inexpensive digital cameras and make sure they document the trip through their eyes. Make sure they take hundreds of digital pictures as digital media is cheap. Afterward, they can make a photo album of their trip, possibly along with some creative scrapbooking ideas to help them remember the fun that was had. Night pictures from the Stratosphere are great, but the strip is full of wonderful color and people. Our children had a wonderful time taking pictures of the odd roadside signs, Elk Crossing, Wild Mule Area, etc. Things not seen in North Carolina.
judyrose said in #12:
> There are shopping centers inside many of the hotels (Caesar’s Palace, Venetian, and others) and they may be good for a stroll, but I don’t know if there are any bargains.
I can second that. When we were there (as a company) we did a scavenger hunt, and two “clues” were at opposite ends of Caesar’s Palace. It took *forever* to get from one end to the other. If you strolled it calmly I bet it would take a half hour. In that one complex alone within Caesar’s, the number of stores and attractions were staggering. If you want to window shop, you’ll be in nirvana.
Well. If you’re going to venture as far as Death Valley, be sure you visit Scotty’s Castle. Interestingly enough, I did a search for the info on it rather than trying to build a story myself, and found that the government link was down. No explanation. (It’s a national park). But Wikipedia is pretty close to how I remember it. On the minus side, it’s pretty much an all day trip with nothing much other than the “Castle” itself. Although this is a super time to visit Death Valley, if you’re going to go there at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotty%27s_Castle
How long did you say this trip was planned for??? 2-4 weeks???