Vacation ideas

The glitz, the excess and the gambling of Las Vegas makes the city an unlikely stop for a family vacation. However, families that do take the plunge into this desert oasis are pleasantly surprised that there are so many things for minors to do here, from Cirque du Soleil performances and free shows, to just perusing the Vegas hotels and casinos. While people under 21 won’t be able to touch a slot machine, they can go shopping, play in arcades, check out the tigers at the Mirage or the sharks at Mandalay Bay, ride a gondola at The Venetian, watch Lance Burton the magician at the Monte Carlo, ride the thrilling roof top Stratosphere attraction, or visit the nearby Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon for natural wonders. With the exception of The Bellagio, all other hotel-casinos are open to tours for people of all ages.

You’ll notice the palatial Bellagio on Las Vegas Boulevard by its magnificent music-themed fountain “water-ballet” amid the Romanesque 8-acre lake that sits before the behemoth Italian structure. Here you’ll find thirteen restaurants serving California, Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine, as well as Cirque du Soleil performances, the Petrossian Bar and The Bank nightclub. You’ll marvel at The Conservatory, which is arguably one of the most awe-inspiring views on the Las Vegas Strip, with its greenhouse natural lighting, brilliant towering plants, giant butterfly sculptures, vivid flower arrangements, hundred-year-old fountain and blown-glass ceiling sculpture; you’ll feel like you’re in “Honey I Shrunk The Kids.”

The rooms are cosmopolitan and bathed in sage and dark wood with plush furnishings. The health club is newly redone as well, with natural lighting, personal attendants holding iced towels and drinks and excellent plunge pools at the spa. Swimmers list The Bellagio as one of their favorite on the strip with its neoclassical Roman garden and Grand Patio featuring godly pillars and domes. Shopping amenities boast pure swankiness: Tiffany, Armani, Gucci and Prada, to name a few. The casino itself features high-limit slots, semi-secluded roulette, blackjack, craps and baccarat, and a great 7 card stud area, as well as being the host to the Texas hold’ em, World Poker Tour.

Opened in 2005, The Wynn is one of the most expensive Las Vegas treasures, costing upwards of $400/night. One draw of this Vegas hotel is the 18-hole golf course. The 2,716 rooms are surprisingly spacious (over 640 sq. ft), with floor-to-ceiling views of the 140-ft. man-made mountain and waterfalls, deep plush beds with high-quality linens and down comforters, silky robes and velour slippers, with vibrant colors and Warhol artwork. The nine restaurants here are superb, albeit pricey. Hand-laid mosaics and stone walls make this Vegas hotel one of the more subtle designs. There is a state-of-the-art workout center and peaceful spa. There is also an unconventional shopping esplanade carrying Chanel, Cartier, rare apothecary items, like Monk-produced products and even a Ferrari dealership. The casino itself is flooded with natural light and flowers.

There are other neat hotels around Las Vegas of course. The Luxor is the onyx pyramid-shaped hotel, and it is one of the most famed icons of the Las Vegas Strip, decked out like an opulent Egyptian palace. New York New York has all the ritzy class of the Big Apple, with trees and Christmas lights included. The Stratosphere has death-defying rides that dangle you over the roof top and Circus Circus offers a thrilling roller coaster and indoor carnival, complete with a merry go round. MGM Grand has more than 3,500 slots and 165 game tables, which is the largest Las Vegas casino. Best of all, the strip is always expanding and no two trips are ever exactly the same!