Viva Las Vegas

Each year our family takes a vacation over Spring Break. But last year, Matt and I decided we’d get away on our own. A few years ago we purchased a timeshare in Breckenridge, and we were able to exchange it for a week in Vegas.

Now, if you’re like many of our friends, they said, “Vegas? Why would you want to go to Las Vegas, there’s nothing to do there but gamble.” I’ll admit I was a little skeptical at first.

When we got there, we checked into the Jockey Club an old (I mean original Vegas old) hotel that was converted to condos. It literally sits smashed between the Bellagio monstrosity and the MGM City (being built). Situated on the strip, we now faced the challenge of: “What do we do for a whole week?” We rarely take long vacations from the kids, and we were now having to think about what we would do on our “parents-only” getaway.

First of all, Vegas has some really fantastic shopping. If you love a mall, you’ll be in shoppers heaven. There are fun and unique shops all up and down the Strip. I must have dragged Matt to all of them. Some of our favorites were the Forum Shops at Caeasar’s and also the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Hotel.

Of course, there’s all the gambling you could ever want open 24-hours a day. If that’s your thing, go for it. It’s not mine, especially since there is lots of smoking in the casinos. We did go to the Fremont Street Experience one night. Fremont Street has many of the original Vegas hotels (the ones you see in movies with all the flashing lights). I did win some cash in a slot machine there, but that was the extent of my foray into gambling.

Moving right along, we had heard tell of the fantastic shows and entertainment in Vegas. There are literally so many shows it would probably take you 2-3 months to see them all. We particularly enjoyed Cirque Du Soleil’s Mystere at the Treasure Island. We also went to see Elton John’s Red Piano show as well.

If you’re looking to save money, there are plenty of timeshare presentations you could spend time going to and earn some cash. (That’s how we got really discounted tickets to Mystere). But beware, sometimes the promise of a “2-hour presentation” can turn into double that. Most of the timeshares are nowhere near the Strip.

Last, and certainly not least for us, Vegas is home to some incredible food and restaurants. You’ll find a lot of places are still somewhate reasonably priced (and you’ll see cheap steak advertised everywhere). There are so many great restaurants throughout Vegas, you’ll never go hungry. And we’re talking good restaurants–ones that you remember for a long time and tell your friends. Our last night we ate at the steak house in the Luxor (the pyramid hotel). It was fabulous, and paid for by one of our timeshare excursions.

We went to Madam Tussaud’s Wax Musuem (see me with Oprah?), rode the headache inducing roller coaster at New York, New York, saw the Bodies exhibit (which is totally fascinating), walked to the Stratosphere, and just had a blast. We wished we had made more time for trips like the Hoover Dam and even the Grand Canyon. Vegas is so close to those, we just didn’t get our act together in time. When we planned our vacation to Vegas, we did it all on our own. One thing we quickly found is that there is so much information about what to do in Vegas. What do you trust? Matt found all sorts of deals and coupons, but there are so many scams out there and so much information–it gets a little overwhelming.

We’ve never used a tour company or travel planning service. We have friends who swear by them, especially for Mexico vacations. Next time we’re looking for things to do in Las Vegas, we are going to spend time on the Trusted Tours & Attractions Web site. Trusted Tours & Attractions offers discounted tickets to the best sightseeing tours in 23 cities across America. Another place they have information on is the Miami Seaquarium, a fun excursion we’ve been on in Florida. Planning your next vacation? Looking for ideas on what to do? Sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and enter to win a Handheld GPS! Offer ends Monday, April 30th, 2008.