My absolute favorite is the . On my first trip to Vegas, I took in this breathtaking watershow next to my sister-in-law who was discretely nursing her baby and with my oldest son, a tired, restless preschooler. A few years later, my husband and I stayed at the Paris Hotel for a couples getaway. I stayed up every night looking across the street at the show from my climate controlled hotel room until the fountains were shut down for the night. In 2009, my oldest and I made a long hot summer trek on foot from the MGM Grand to the Bellagio . Justin in a typical tween way was underwhelmed by the spectacle.
Ken and Justin take in the Bellagio Fountains Las Vegas
My latest visit to the fountains, however, is the one I will always treasure. We were able to share the fountain show with all three kids this summer. Destiny and Jared danced in the darkness to the beautiful music. Ken and Justin stood silently taking it all in. I had a moment to reflect on how much our family has grown and changed since that first visit over eight years ago.
People don’t think of Las Vegas as a family travel destination, but it has a lot to offer if you know where to look (and what to avoid). Indeed it is my youngest child’s favorite place to visit due his desire to stay in fancy hotels. Keep an eye on this blog in the coming months. I’ll share more of our Smith Family adventures in this affordable, off beat family travel destination.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidebook participates in Delicious Baby’s . This week Debbie has a great LEGO photo up. Check it out!
This is the second summer that our family has been crazy enough to head to Las Vegas in August. Visiting during this steamy season requires some creativity, but it still can be a fun family vacation. The secret to is pick a hotel with a great pool and bring plenty of sunscreen. A trip or two to a museum or a bowling alley are also fun. Throw in plenty of yummy buffets, some time to hang out in the room and watching plenty of Nick Jr. and you have the recipe for a super affordable summer getaway.
Visiting with the Flamingos, Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas
Since we were spending a whole week, we broke up our stay into two sections. First we stayed at . We spent our days floating down the lazy river and body surfing in the wave pool. (Although only Justin, age 11 met the height requirement). We attended the at the Excalibur on night. The kids loved shouting “Huzzah! ” for their favorite knight and swigging soda from beer steins. Destiny and Jared even had a chance to pet the horses.
Later in the week, we headed to the Suites at the . I loved this resort. The two room suite was just what we needed after life in a single room at Mandalay Bay. We could use the smaller, quieter Hilton Grand pool as well the fun but rowdy Flamingo Pool complete with very little kid friendly water slides. We ate deli food outside around the Hilton Grand pool for most meals. The last day, after checking out, we were able to take a final swim, and play ping pong until it was time to head home.
Mommy and Jared Relaxing at the Flamingo Hilton Grand Vacation Resort
Can hardly wait for next summer!
Happy Trails,
Bridget
Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Spotlight Thursday on the . Stop by to read about fun family adventures.
The Smith Boys Enjoy The Shark Tank Pool, Golden Nugget, Las Vegas
Las Vegas is know for its amazing pools. I’ve only had a chance to see and/or experience about four of them. From what I’ve seen so far ,The Golden Nugget should definately be on your must stay list if you value a fun, kid friendly pool.
Destiny Gets Splashing at the Golden Nugget Pool, Las Vegas
This lovely pool is completely shallow all the away around. It encircles a giant fish tank filled with large colorful fish and even a few sharks. A highlight for the adults and older kids is a water slide that passes directly through the tank. It is transparent in the part that goes through. I found myself going so fast that it was hard to see. My ten year old managed to slow down enough to look around and even make funny faces as he went down. There is a height requirement for the waterslide. Also, your little one must be a good enough swimmer to exit the pool by his or her self after they splash down.
Ken Reacts to the Golden Nugget Waterslide
Other great ammenities in the pool area are: pool lounge chairs to cool off on a hot Las Vegas day, lots of comfy cushioned lounge chairs to hang out on, and a hot tub that is shaped like a flower. Your family can hunker down in one petal while the couple on their honeymoon can hide out in the other.
One thing to be aware of is that this pool can get busy. During the day it was very crowed and difficult to find a lounge chair for our stuff. Justin got tired of waiting in line for the water slide. When we visited early evening it was almost deserted. We enjoyed our “private pool”.
I purchased life jackets for Jared and Destiny that they wore throughout their Golden Nugget pool adventure. The jackets gave me piece of mind and gave my preschoolers the freedom to explore the shallow water.
Jared is Ready For a Swim at The Golden Nugget Pool, Las Vegas
Congratulations to my friend Debbie at Delicious Baby who just had her third baby. She is so organized that she managed to get her up the day after she gave birth. Reward her efforts by checking out great the great travel photos from bloggers around the world.
The Smith Family will be spending our spring break in Las Vegas. Ken is teaching a class the week before Easter so we will be packing up the Family Adventuremobile (Otherwise known as our new to us Yukon XL) and hitting the road for our first seven day all hotel stay vacation in four years.
There seems to be a great debate raging on the internet about whether or not Las Vegas is a good vacation spot for families. We took Justin when he was a preschooler and had a great time. We stayed at the Excalibur with Grandma, Great Grandma, Aunt, Uncle and Cousins. We had fun sliding down the water slides and checking out the sights. I have returned to Vegas on couples getaways since Ken travels there alot for business. I also attended a wedding with my parents, and remember reveling in a kid free experience at the Bellagio buffet (I never wanted that meal to end!). I see both sides of the issue. Vegas has great, inexpensive opportunites for family adventure. On the other hand, when I go with just Ken, I revel in the alone time, and don’t really want to be surrounded by preschool tantrums. Although I must confess that I mostly just think to myself…I don’t have to deal with that until Friday- I’m so lucky!
With this in mind I’m not booking my kids into the swankiest hotel in Vegas despite the spectacular deals right now .(The staff at the Bellagio is breathing a sigh of relief.) I will do my best to keep my little ones behaving themselves in public and make sure they have plenty of sleep and downtime to prepare for being in the public eye. At least I am not Angelina Jolie or Katie Holmes being trailed by reporters wherever I go. If my kids misbehave all I will have to endure is some dirty looks not tabloid scrutiny. (OK, did the reporter who made such a big deal about Suri Cruise not wearing a coat, ever have a preschooler who hated to cover up?…well maybe it’s just a California thing.)
Now I just have to find the right hotel… I wasn’t to fond of the Excalibur (the sheets kept coming off of the bed!). With prices being so reasonable right now, I’m looking for a good hotel, good location, and lots of ammenities. Circus Circus and Excalibur are nice places to visit, but I don’t want to live there.
In looking for that perfect hotel experience that will keep my kids busy and optimally behaved I have uncovered these options:
The Golden Nugget- We plan to stay here on the weekend since its rates are very affordable. We chose it for it’s amazing pool with shark tank and water slide. Destiny is very worried about the sharks even though I constantly assure her they are behind glass. I’m hoping there is a separate pool area where we can hang out.
The Hilton Grand Vacation Resort at the Flamingo- This is our priciest option, but our room would include a kitchenette which would be invaluable because breakfast and lunch are going to get expensive for a family of five and retaurant dining alone with three kids (Ken will be working) sounds less than appealing. The only room available has one king so we would be breaking out the air mattresses. If we were going in May and the Flamingo waterslides were open this would be a no brainer. Unfortunately they’re not so I’m still weighing my options.
Trump Hotel- Ken has ruled this one out, because it is lacking in the awesome pool. If I were making this decision on my own it would be a contender. Great rate for a suite with kitchenette. Kids package includes the ability to check out board games and popular children’s books.
MGM Grand- The price is right for a large room with two queen beds. The pool complex is supposed be fantastic with a lazy river. There are fun things to do…Rainforest Cafe, see the Lions and preview TV shows. They have an on-site child care center in case we could figure out a way to take Justin to a show. Close to Excalibur for more fun.
If you are planning to visit the Legoland theme park in Carlsbad, California, this book contains all the information you need to make the most of your family adventure. The book also includes information about other area attractions, local restaurants and hotels.
Bridget Smith, mom of three, loves to blog about everyday adventures. Her mission is to change the world; one kid, one destination, one effortless trip, one overworked mom, one frazzled dad... one day at a time! Come and join her.
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