Vegas – A Family Getaway Destination

Las Vegas is a great family holiday destination. This city, famed for its numerous casinos and its scintillating nightlife also has a lot of activities that you could enjoy as a family. In fact, many casinos recognize the importance of family vacations and offer a host of family-friendly activities alongside their primary gambling attractions.

One of the main attractions in Las Vegas, other than the casinos is the High Roller. The High Roller is a 909-foot high roller coaster at the Stratosphere Hotel. Unless a newer and bigger roller coaster comes along, the High Roller has the distinction of being the highest roller coaster in the world, making it literally the biggest attraction in Las Vegas. The High Roller consists of tracks in excess of 800 feet and with sharply banking turns that could zip you along at speeds as high as 32 miles an hour. This exhilarating ride could set you back $5 a trip and you do get daily passes. As with most roller coasters, especially ones that are so high and steep, height restrictions are enforced.

Another great activity to indulge in with the kids is spending the day at the zoo. The Nevada Zoological and Botanical Park makes no tall claims of being the biggest zoo in the world, nevertheless it is a great way to spend the day with the kids. They have quite a few exotic birds and animals including wallabies, ostriches, flamingoes and emus. The chimpanzees at this zoo are a huge hit with the smaller kids. Sometimes their antics could even impress older kids. You can make a choice between a half-day and a full day ecotour of the desert. This could be a great fun-cum-learning experience for children as they learn about so many different aspects of the desert.

Who could resist the romantic charms of a gondola ride? You could stay at the Venetian Hotel and Casino and experience its authentic gondola ride as a double bonus. You have a choice of outdoor as well as indoor gondola rides. The gondolier serenades you with the romantic sounds of Venice while you float under bridges and past beautiful landscapes. There are romantic 2-person gondola rides as well as gondola rides for the whole family. Reservations for gondola rides have to be done in person on the same day as the ride.

Did you know there was a Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Las Vegas? This is an absolutely-must-do on your Las Vegas family vacation. It offers you that unforgettable opportunity of golfing with Tiger Woods, singing with Elvis and sailing with the infamous Jack Sparrow. Here you could come face to face with some of Hollywood’s most famous faces. Don’t forget to take your camera along to record those memorable moments.

Las Vegas, the original gambling town was completely focused on its casinos and glitzy nightlife. Rather lately the city has recognized the importance of promoting family activities alongside the gambling activities. The gambling casinos themselves offer families a lot of tempting choices that have families coming back for more!

Now veteran fights to find work in a tough economy (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Gregory Kamm of Las Vegas did close combat on the streets of Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. He didn't think he'd have to fight just as hard to find a job in Las Vegas in 2008, after completing earlier this year his third deployment.

It was all downhill ... (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Well.

Library honors late artist (Pahrump Valley Times)

The art of Mary Anne Layley-Marti will be on display until Jan. 30, at the Pahrump Library. Layley-Marti was a self-taught artist who learned to appreciate art at an early age while viewing the works of her grandmother.

IN BRIEF (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas Sands cuts Venetian Macau staff

Land for coal plant OK'd (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Monday approved land for one giant billion-dollar coal-fired power plant near Ely and issued a draft decision on a second one nearby.