Should I Take My Kid to Vegas?

You probably don't associate "family fun" with Las Vegas, but when I took a trip there at 16 with two friends of mine, I had a blast. 

Gambling isn't the only thing to do in Vegas, you know, and all of those other things? They're pretty spectacular. 

You can tour the casinos, for example, and enjoy any of the attractions minus the bars and tables or slots. Many of them have a lot of interesting things to see and do. The Bellagio, for example, is incredibly beautiful inside and hosts 'dancing water' shows in the pools outside that are BREATHTAKING. Of course, I'm not sure if they're still running the same ones they were when I was sixteen, but I'd guess probably not. There's also a fabulous glass flower chandelier in the lobby that's well worth a few minutes of your time. Looking around will cost you nothing. 

I took this while watching the show. 

The Bellagio isn't the only casino in Vegas, though. Caesar's Palace is also pretty fantastic, including the Forum Shops at Caesar's, which is one of the most spectacular malls I've ever seen. Now, typically, I hate winding up at a mall whenever I travel — there are malls everywhere, after all, and the stores all tend to be the same — but I wasn't complaining to see this one, because the inside was so visually compelling. 

The Forum shops are filled with beautiful paintings, statues and spiral staircases.

Touring the casinos was my favorite part of the trip. Like I said, looking around didn't cost anything, and there was a lot to see. Other casinos have other attractions, like Circus Circus, which, being carnival-themed, features a miniature indoor theme park. The Venetian looks like a little Italy, complete with an indoor canal system you can tour via gondola. My gondolier was quite charming and sang to us as he rowed along. I wish I could remember his name. I also had some excellent gelato there. 

  

And there's always Paris, with it's replica Eiffel Tower, which you can ride to the top. Here's the best picture I was able to get of it:

Actually, if you're interested in the fountains at the Bellagio, I recommend watching it from the top of the Eiffel Tower. It's a view you won't forget. And the view of the city is  GORGEOUS. You can see the entire thing. Make sure and time it so that you're at the top during sunset. The elevator ride up takes several minutes, and you may have to wait on others to leave before you're allowed to go up.  

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower in Vegas at sunset. 

When we weren't touring casinos or shopping, we were eating or watching one of the shows. My personal favorite was LOVE, a Cirque du Soleil show based on the music of the Beatles. There were, of course, shows we couldn't get into, but at least when I was there, the only Cirque du Soleil that was off-limits was the sexy, sexy Zumanity at New York, New York. And even if you can't get in to see the show, New York, New York is still worth a visit from younger patrons because of the spectacular roller coaster. 

There are too many cool things to do to describe in just one post. The short answer to your question is, yes, there's plenty for your kids to do in Vegas if you decide to bring them along. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than 12 or so, though, because little children might not be interested and there are some inappropriate things there they may not need to see (prostitution is legal in Nevada, and people will stand on streetcorners handing out pictures of almost-naked women in sexy poses). At 16 though, I was happy as a clam. So maybe I should rephrase that: it's a great idea to bring your teenager along on your Vegas vacation. 

(A NOTE ABOUT THE PICTURES IN THIS ENTRY: Most of my pictures come from my Nikon, but these were taken when I was sixteen, and the only equipment I had then was the phone camera to my Motorola Razr. I've cleaned them up as best I could, but they really don't do the sights any justice.)