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The MGM Grand and its lion habitat on the casino’s west perimeter offer a chance to stand next to a ferocious lion with the only barrier being a 11/2-inch pane of glass separating the tot and the beast. While you’re at the MGM, tap into your inner island child with a lunch at the anything but boring Rainforest Café. As you dine, the restaurant is transformed into a jungle with all the sights and sounds of wild animals and birds in a tropical storm. All kids, young and old, will love to pick up some souvenirs at the gift shop featuring exotic animals and other jungle items.
Down a ways from the Las Vegas strip is Buffalo Bill’s Resort, home of the Desperado Roller Coaster, one of the tallest roller coasters in North America. With a 225-foot drop and a 55-degree descent on the first hill, it's one of the most thrilling and daring roller coasters your family may ever ride, promising to enhance the incredible views of the city.
No Vegas getaway is complete without a helicopter jaunt over Hoover Dam, only 30 minutes outside the city. Don’t forget your camera as the view of this National Historic Landmark, one of the seven man-made wonders of the world, is breathtaking. The kids will gasp in delight as they realize the vastness of the dam, Lake Mead and the Colorado River that surrounds it.
Ten miles from the strip is the Ethel M Chocolates factory. This confectionery has been around since the turn of the 20th century and is a must-see for all who can appreciate how to make homemade scrumptiously delicious chocolates. At the end of the tour, everyone gets to sample a decadent piece of chocolate and then the challenge begins—what succulent treats do you buy and devour at home?
Only minutes away, situated in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, is the family-owned Cowboy Trail Rides. The ranch is situated in the canyons with cactus and desert flowers and comes equipped with an Old West setting including cowboys, horses and desert terrain with Technicolor views, making you quickly forget you’re in the 21st century. The riding trails are tucked away throughout the valley and your guides are professional wranglers, creating an adventure remarkably close to a scene in a Western movie.
By this time, the family could use a recharge back at the hotel, and nothing sounds more appealing than a splash in a pool buzzing with fun.
A stay at the Mirage comes family-equipped with two swimming pools featuring six cascading waterfalls surrounded by a tropical paradise, lots of gullies and coves to swim through, and three water slides the ecstatic kids can twist, flip and twirl down. Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat is located near the pool and is home to exotic white tigers and lions, leopards, black panthers and bottlenose dolphins. As you wait for the kids to wind down, relax poolside in the Tahitian-like environment where lunch is served and a doting wait-staff desires to satisfy your every whim. Don’t miss the legendary Mirage Volcano. The street-side erupting volcano has been renovated to include sights and sounds by legendary Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, Indian tabla sensation Zakir Hussain, and the Fountains of Bellagio design firm WET.
A must-do while on the strip is a day at Circus Circus Adventuredome Theme Park, a unique, dome-encompassed attraction within a temperature-controlled environment. You can unleash your playful spirit as you ride log rides, get swept up on the roller coaster, smash bumper cars and triumph in a game of laser tag.
If you yearn for more and are in need of an even bigger thrill, stride over to the Stratosphere and take a ride on the Big Shot, where you’ll launch 1,087 terrifying feet above Las Vegas in a mere 2.5 seconds, create six Gs of force, then plunge 160 feet to negative one G. The ride moves so fast that you’ll swear you are an astronaut blasting into space at the speed of light.
No trip to Vegas is complete without a show and some magical splendor. The kids will enjoy the perplexing magic tricks and the fascinating special effects of Lance Burton, a classical magician performing at the Monte Carlo Hotel. He oftentimes gets children involved in the show by having them come up on the stage and assist with some of his tricks. He stuns his audiences as he and his assistants disappear and mysteriously appear in other parts of the theater. It’s unfathomable how he makes a car disappear with an audience member in it. This show promises to be a golden nugget of family-friendly entertainment your kids will treasure for years to come.
Hotfoot it over to the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and indulge in some retail therapy. The shops boast the extravagant and the unusual as the style-conscious mom seeks to relish herself in souvenirs—a bit extravagant, but she deserves it. The shopping experience at the Forum is unique in that it combines, for free, the Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain shows, located just outside the Cheesecake Factory, which consist of talking, lifelike statues recounting the myth of Atlantis in a dramatic fashion with a fountain, lasers, fire, steam and sound effects that are captivating. The Forum has several eateries, but the Planet Hollywood is a smashing hit with the kids. The menu consists of a variety of foods attractive to even the most discriminating tastes—such as chicken crunch (chicken strips coated in Cap ‘n Crunch cereal). The fun and vibrant surroundings include movie and television memorabilia lining the walls, bringing out the movie buff in all of us. Pick up a souvenir in the gift shop and bring a piece of Hollywood glamour home with you.
Las Vegas boasts entertainment for the whole family, whether you enjoy water parks, amusement rides, dining, shopping, shows or outdoor wilderness excursions. Vegas is booming with a spectacular mix of things to do, making it the perfect over-the-top fun place for your next family getaway. The only problem is the time goes by too quickly, making this trip to Vegas only the first of many more to come.
Reprinted with permission of Going Places |
