Suggestions needed for visiting Las Vegas area

Hello,

I'm planning for a family vacation around this Christmas to Las
Vegas, Hoover Dam, Death Valley, Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon.
We will fly to Vegas 12/23 morning and leave there 12/29 afternoon.

1. What shows should we see in Vegas? Any good show for 10 years old
kids?
How expensive are the shows? Do we need to buy the tickets in advance?

2. We'll rent a car to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Death valley,
and
Grand Canyon.
How long will it take to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Death
Valley
from Vegas? How long to spend and what to see around over there?

3. Is it safe to drive to Grand Canyon during winter? Any snows? What
should
we see on the way from Vegas to Grand Canyon? Any resonablly priced
hotels at Grand Canyon?

4. Do we have time to visit Reno? Any other places near Vegas should
see?

Thanks so much for any suggestions and inputs?

You'll have better luck if you ask the alt.vacation.las-vegas
group.

Regards, Daniel

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As someone else suggested, you might want to post your
question to the Las Vegas newsgroup, but I'll take a stab
at a few of your questions...


Any good show for 10 years old kids?

My general impression is that most of the shows are aimed at
adults, but I think some such as the magic shows like David
Copperfield might be appropriate for kids. There are some web
sites available (you could find them with Google) that describe
all the major shows, and you might find that helpful.

Be aware that children are *not* permitted by law in the hotel
casinos unless they are accompanied by their parents
and are just walking through quickly on their way to somewhere
else. So if you intend to gamble or spend time looking around
in the casinos, you'll need to arrange for a babysitter or whatever.

Also, the Bellagio (one of the most beautiful hotel/casinos in Vegas)
doesn't permit children on their premises at all, except in limited
circumstances (see their web site for details). But you and your
kids can still see the Bellagio's magnificent fountains, as they are
viewed from the sidewalk.

By the way, the Circus Circus hotel/casino advertises itself as
being family-friendly, but I've heard several people say that it's
rather run-down. But I'm sure you could get some good hotel
advice in the Vegas newsgroup.


How long will it take to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead...

Lake Mead and Hoover Dam are pretty close; I'm thinking around
45 minutes or so from Vegas. Hoover Dam is extremely impressive;
take one of their tours if you can (they've cut back a bit due to
security concerns after 9/11, but I think you can still see some
behind-the-scene areas such as the powerplant).


Is it safe to drive to Grand Canyon during winter? Any snows?
What should we see on the way from Vegas to Grand Canyon?
Any resonablly priced hotels at Grand Canyon?

Frankly the drive from Vegas to the Grand Canyon is rather boring;
your goal will probably be just to make the drive as quickly as possible
to maximize your time at the Canyon. Snow is a possiblity as
you get near the Canyon (it's at a higher elevation than the Vegas
area). The north rim area is partially shut down in the winter (see
the official web site for details), but the south rim (where you'd
probably be going anyway) is open year-round.

James


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On Saturday 06 December 2003 19:38, Jim Bao wrote:

I'm planning for a family vacation around this Christmas to Las
Vegas, Hoover Dam, Death Valley, Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon.
We will fly to Vegas 12/23 morning and leave there 12/29 afternoon.

1. What shows should we see in Vegas? Any good show for 10 years old
kids?
How expensive are the shows? Do we need to buy the tickets in advance?

The numerous magic shows would be good for a 10 year old, and most are
"covered", that is, they have no nudity in them. Also, many of the big
production shows have "covered" performances, too. But check to be
sure. The Tournament of Kings at Excalibur would be very good. It's a
family dinner show (no forks or knives -- you eat with your hands.) set
in the days of King Arthur with horses, jousting and sword fights.
There's the Blue Man Group at Luxor. Of course, there's the Cirque du
Soleil shows like Mystere or O.

Most of the showroom shows are pricey -- $50 to $80 per person.
However, there are free shows running about 10 minutes every hour or so
at the Rio and Tropicana hotels, and the "street" performers/singers
inside the Paris and Venetian hotels. Check for details.

You might check out the Star Trek Experience role playing/motion control
ride at the Las Vegas Hilton. There's Circus-Circus with its live
circus acts and midway with games, and its Grand Slam Canyon amusement
park. It's all inside.

My best advice is to check at your hotel's Bell Desk and pick up one of
the many "entertainment weeklies" there.


2. We'll rent a car to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Death valley,
and
Grand Canyon.
How long will it take to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Death
Valley
from Vegas? How long to spend and what to see around over there?

Hoover Dam and adjacent Lake Mead are a 45 minute drive. Combine them
for a single day trip. Definitely take the Dam tour. Death Valley is
about 2 to 2.5 hours. Grand Canyon, South Rim (North Rim is snow
closed mid-Oct to mid-May) about 4 - 5 hours.

3. Is it safe to drive to Grand Canyon during winter? Any snows? What
should
we see on the way from Vegas to Grand Canyon? Any resonablly priced
hotels at Grand Canyon?

Check with the Arizona Highway Patrol (They have a weather hotline.) for
current driving conditions and advisories to the Canyon.

Instead of driving all the way to the Grand Canyon, stop a Williams, AZ
(It's on the way.) and take the train in. Nice scenery. However, I
don't know, if it operates during the winter. Or you could fly in for
the day from Las Vegas, but that's pricey. There are also day trips
via bus -- leave very early, come back very late.

Haven't stayed in the lodge there, but if it's like the North Rim's, the
prices are reasonable. Food is good. Very rustic.


4. Do we have time to visit Reno? Any other places near Vegas should
see?

Only if you fly. Reno and the Lake Tahoe area are 400 miles away, a
good 8 hour drive, one way.

For scenic areas nearby to Vegas: Red Rock Canyon, 45 minute drive; Mt.
Charleston, 45 minutes, 6000 feet higher, and 30 degrees F colder;
Valley of Fire, 1 hour -- Part of the Star Trek, Generations movie shot
there.

Have a nice visit.

--
Stefan Patric
NoLife Polymath Group

Hoover Dam and adjacent Lake Mead are a 45
minute drive. Combine them for a single day trip...

Valley of Fire, 1 hour


You could probably combine Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and
Valley of Fire into a single day trip if you wanted.


Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon is nice and is a little closer to Vegas than
Valley of Fire, but in my opinion Valley of Fire is a little more
interesting.

James

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Jim Bao wrote:

Hello,

I'm planning for a family vacation around this Christmas to Las
Vegas, Hoover Dam, Death Valley, Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon.
We will fly to Vegas 12/23 morning and leave there 12/29 afternoon.

1. What shows should we see in Vegas? Any good show for 10 years old
kids?
How expensive are the shows? Do we need to buy the tickets in advance?

2. We'll rent a car to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Death valley,
and
Grand Canyon.
How long will it take to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Death
Valley
from Vegas? How long to spend and what to see around over there?

3. Is it safe to drive to Grand Canyon during winter? Any snows? What
should
we see on the way from Vegas to Grand Canyon? Any resonablly priced
hotels at Grand Canyon?

4. Do we have time to visit Reno? Any other places near Vegas should
see?

Thanks so much for any suggestions and inputs?

Bring lots of money.

MTV

"Jim Bao" wrote in message
m...
Hello,

I'm planning for a family vacation around this Christmas to Las
Vegas, Hoover Dam, Death Valley, Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon.
We will fly to Vegas 12/23 morning and leave there 12/29 afternoon.

Good grief. Okay, you asked for suggestions, but you probably won't like
this one: take the kids somewhere else. Vegas has, thank god, finally
abandoned the "family destination" experiment of the 90s, and is definitely
geared towards Adult (with a capital "A") entertainment -- lots more nudity,
lots more drinking, lots more gambling, and lots more emphasis on other
non-kid types of things. Someone else mentioned the free outdoor stuff --
yeah, there's the volcano, that's good for 6 minutes. The pirate show at
Treasure Island has been completely revamped -- it's a terrible show, now,
featuring scantily-clad women. I haven't seen the Pirate show since the
change, but everyone I know who has says it's awful. Incidently, Treasure
Island has pulled out its arcade and put in a bar in its place.The MGM Grand
shut down its amusement park years ago. The Freemont Street experience is
fun, and worth taking a look at. However, the rest of downtown is just
casinos, and not particularly wholesome ones at that. Circus Circus has
circus acts and an amusement park, and is one of the few casinos that caters
to the family-set.

As someone else posted, kids can't loiter in the casinos. If you intend to
gamble, you'll have to make other arrangements for them. There's nothing
more pathetic (and scarier) than seeing young kids hanging around the lobby
or the front of a casino while their parents are inside playing.


1. What shows should we see in Vegas? Any good show for 10 years old
kids?
How expensive are the shows? Do we need to buy the tickets in advance?

There's a King Arthur thing at Excalibur that appeals to kids. Sigfried and
Roy are shut down due to Roy's unfortunate run-in with a white tiger. Kids
might enjoy Mystere, a Cirque du Soliel show, but bear in mind that Cirque
is _not_ a circus. Cirque's other show, "O," is my personal favorite, but
would appeal less to children, I'd think. Lance Burton has a magic show
that, last I heard, was suitable for children.

Last time I saw them, a Mystere ticket was running around $80, an "O" ticket
$100. Other shows run less, but it depends on the show. Advance purchase
is definitely recommended, though some shows won't sell tickets more than 30
days in advance, unless you're staying at the hotel.


2. We'll rent a car to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Death valley,
and
Grand Canyon.
How long will it take to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Death
Valley
from Vegas?

Lake Mead is about 20 minutes away, the Dam perhaps an additional 10-20,
depending on the traffic. Death Valley stretches from the state line about
half-way into California. Where in Death Valley did you want to go?

The Grand Canyon is a 12-18 hour round trip, btw.

How long to spend and what to see around over there?

Valley of Fire is nice, if you like scenic beauty. As for how long to
spend, the Dam is good for a morning, Lake Mead considerably less (it'll be
far too cold for water sports).


3. Is it safe to drive to Grand Canyon during winter? Any snows? What
should
we see on the way from Vegas to Grand Canyon? Any resonablly priced
hotels at Grand Canyon?

Can't help you there -- I'd never do that drive.


4. Do we have time to visit Reno? Any other places near Vegas should
see?

Good grief, you're only there for 5-1/2 days. No, you don't really have
time to visit Reno unless your idea of vacation is spending almost all of it
in the car.


Thanks so much for any suggestions and inputs?

There are a gazillion attractions in the U.S. which are geared towards
families with kids. Las Vegas is no longer one of them. Maybe rethink the
whole plan? Incidently, alt.travel.las-vegas is THE place for information
about visiting, but be warned: 9 out of 10 posters will say the same things
I did, and a lot more harshly. Kids in Vegas is an ISSUE.

On 6 Dec 2003 19:38:47 -0800, (Jim Bao) wrote:

I agree with all the posters before this one. I would add - don't
miss the free evening shows outside the strip hotels - like Treasure
Island, Mirage, etc.. they are free and start about 7 pm or so. Also
the light show downtown at Freemont street might be interesting. But
check on the "winter" times.








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The Grand Canyon is a 12-18 hour round trip

Just to be clear, I think the poster was saying that it takes
12 -18 hours for the entire trip (including a few hours at the
Canyon); not 12 - 18 hours of driving time.

The actual driving time is around 5 hours each way, depending
on your speed, traffic conditions, etc. You can drive over in
the morning, spend most of the afternoon there, and return
in the evening.

It's a long day, but it's worth it to see the Canyon. But obviously
it's better if you can get a motel near the Canyon and spend more
time there.

James

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Remove "NOSPAM" from my address when sending me e-mail.
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(Jim Bao) wrote in message om...
Hello,

I'm planning for a family vacation around this Christmas to Las
Vegas, Hoover Dam, Death Valley, Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon.
We will fly to Vegas 12/23 morning and leave there 12/29 afternoon.

1. What shows should we see in Vegas? Any good show for 10 years old
kids?
How expensive are the shows? Do we need to buy the tickets in advance?

2. We'll rent a car to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Death valley,
and
Grand Canyon.
How long will it take to drive to Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Death
Valley
from Vegas? How long to spend and what to see around over there?

3. Is it safe to drive to Grand Canyon during winter? Any snows? What
should
we see on the way from Vegas to Grand Canyon? Any resonablly priced
hotels at Grand Canyon?

4. Do we have time to visit Reno? Any other places near Vegas should
see?

Thanks so much for any suggestions and inputs?

Remember driving time to Reno from Las Vegas on highway 95 is about 8
hrs one way in summer. Area around this highway is completly desertet
and very windy. In winter with snow in northern Nevada, my advice:
don`t even think about it.