Arizona Field Trip Mom: Las Vegas for the Saturnalia Holiday?

Las Vegas for the Holidays

This Festivus was spent in Las Vegas. Again. The kids actually asked to go back and we happily complied. Vegas has changed a great deal since I was kicked out of the Golden Nugget as a child. To be fair, no one told me I could not put that quarter I found in the slot machine. I successfully avoided getting in trouble on this visit.

We enjoyed the lights on the strip, exploring the shops in the Venetian and the Forum Shops at Caesars, saw classic cars at the Linq, visited the the State Natural History Museum, visited the 7 Magic Mountains outside Vegas, and the Mormon Historic Park (hey, its history, interesting, and even though we are not LDS they let us in!). A big hit was the Linq High Roller - at the top you are at 550 feet above ground giving riders a great view high above the Las Vegas Strip (we rode it at twilight providing an amazing view of the city as it lit up for the evening). We explored the "original Strip" and found lots of iconic neon signs and historic markers. Nearby to the original strip was a neat little artisan shopping center made from shipping containers with a play area for kids and a stage for live music.

The most important aspect of going anywhere is the family time. Of course its easier and faster to fly, but if you travel by car you see what what most others only read about or find some "hidden gems" along the road. On I-93 we found Santa Claus, AZ (sadly it's dilapidated), visited Nothing, AZ (lived up to the name), and saw a lot of historic markers and beautiful landscapes. If you make the trip, try to take some time to pull over and take a picture, explore, be silly, and try new things.