A Family Day in Las Vegas

More times than not I have had people give me the “raised eyebrow” look when I tell them that we took our kids to Las Vegas with us! Who goes to Vegas with their kids? Vegas gets the reputation for being an adult only destination and yes while the majority of its attractions and allure are geared for 21 and up there is still plenty to do if you have children in tow.

Last year for Spring Break we went to visit Joel’s brother in California and made a trip to the Grand Canyon. The most logical airport for us to fly in and out of was Vegas, so we planned just one extra day on the back of our trip to spend together in the city before we headed home. Our entire trip had been amazing (I’ll save that for another post), but we crammed so much into that one day that it could have been an entire vacation of it’s own.

We drove back into the city from the Grand Canyon, so it had been a long day of driving. We opted to stay at a Hilton Vacation Club towards the end of the strip. This allowed us to have a larger room for the kids to spread out without the huge price tag of staying at one of the more popular resorts. We ordered pizza delivery for the night and settled in early preparing for our adventure the next day.

We were up early and ready to head out. I had found a brunch spot that I wanted to try called Hash House a Go Go, but all the reviews said to arrive early as the restaurant started to get busy by 9am. We also had a 9:15 reservation we had to make at another hotel. We arrived at the LINQ Hotel about 7:15, quickly parked and made our way to the restaurant when it was opening at 7:30. We were quickly seated at our table with no wait. Our server was amazing! We told him this was our first visit and that we needed to leave by a certain time. He quickly pointed out the favorite items and hurried away to get our drinks. He chatted with the kids and helped them decide on entrees. While we waited for the food the restaurant was quickly filling up around us. Our food arrived just after 8 and we dove right in. I ordered the brown sugar banana pancake and it was the largest pancake I had ever been served and it did not disappoint! Joel and the kids loaded up on Fried Chicken and Sage Waffles with bacon and juice. The server even brought Leanna some melted butter in a little hot water bath for her pancakes. As we headed out the door we had to weave our way through a sea of people as the restaurant was now fully seated at capacity and the lobby was full of eager hungry guests ready to snag a table.

Our next stop was the Mandalay Bay Hotel where we had booked a Stingray Feeding Tour at the Shark Reef Aquarium. Our tour started right on time, a full hour before the aquarium opened to the public. We were the only people on our tour as we headed inside to meet our guide. She began the tour in the rainforest exhibit area where we saw Komodo dragons, snakes, lizards, black tip reef sharks, lion fish and more. She made sure to stop at each exhibit rattling off facts about the various species. She was very patient and insightful as she answered all of the kids questions about various things pertaining to the animals and some not so much. About 30 minutes into the tour we passed through the open tunnel under the aquarium where we saw bonnet-head sharks swimming above us. We came to a large open room where there was a big concrete pool in the center of the room. The pool was filled with stingrays of varying shapes and sizes. The guide quickly went into an employee only area and came back with a plate of food for the stingrays. It was filled with krill and squid. She said that the squid was their favorite but that they wanted them to eat the krill so we had to start with that first. The kids were both a little timid to stick there hand into the water filled with food, but Joel stood behind them and guided there hands where the stingrays would nibble the food but not scare the kids away. They made quick work of placing the food into the pool and the stingrays realized what was going on they all came in rotation to where the food was being distributed. The squid ended up being a delightful desserts for all the stingrays. After we finished with the feeding everyone cleaned up and we stepped over to a large jellyfish tank. By this time the aquarium was about to open to the public. We finished our tour in another aquarium tunnel where the guide pointed out several sharks teeth beneath the window seals. We thanked our guide and headed on our way. Of course a gift shop was strategically placed in direct path to the exit. We found our staple refrigerator magnet souvenir, the kids picked out a stingray and jellyfish plush and we found a nice sea turtle onesie for the new baby.

Next we made a quick stop at the Allegiant Stadium. Solomon is a huge NFL fan right now and he was not going to miss the chance to check seeing this NFL stadium off of his list. Quick pic and then back in the car we went headed this time to Treasure Island Hotel for the Avengers Station Exhibit. Here we saw inside the secret Avengers Station lab where the kids were able to hold Captain Americas shield, vehicle test his motorcycle, gauge the size of your hand to the Hulks, chase Ant-Man, test your worth on lifting Mjolinor and see inside Iron Man’s suits. This was a great exhibit for any Avengers fan as it showcased real items from the films in a way that kids could interact and feel like part of the Avengers team.

Now it was time for lunch and when on the west coast where do you eat lunch, In and Out Burger. We headed back to our room for me to rest as I was about 32 weeks pregnant at the time. Joel took the kids down to the pool where it was freezing from the wind and they promptly returned. It was time to get ready for our family Vegas nightlife!

We headed over to the Luxor to watch the Blue Man Group. I had researched what was the best shows for kids in Vegas and this was a popular response with tons of positive reviews. Once again it did not disappoint. The show was hilarious and kept both kids and us adults laughing the entire time. How many marshmallows can one blue man catch in his mouth? At least 50 it seemed like! The music was so lively and in sync with the paint splattering. It was really an out of body experience and every act was better than the next. They said not to take any videos or photos but I clearly was not listening and snapped a few.

After the show we headed to dinner at our final stop of the night, Bacchanal Buffet in Caesars Palace. When we arrived the line to check in was wrapped around in a humungous S shape that seemed to go on forever. I remember Joel saying “this is the line to check in, I know this line is not for us”. Much to his dismay the line was for us as so we hopped in it. Thankfully it was moving at a moderate pace. When we got to the attendant to check us in she said we were an hour early for our reservation, which we were. However I told her that I needed to eat now and she took one look at my pregnant belly and waved us on through. After that we were quickly seated at our table. Now this place is called a buffet and in the manner of service I guess it was, but it was unlike any buffet I have ever seen in my entire life! This buffet went on for 3-4 rooms. It wound around the walls and zigged back and forth and every single surface of the counters was covered with food. They were serving every type of cuisine you could think of: Indian, Mexican, Korean, Vietnamese, Latin, Mediterranean, Japanese, Chinese, South American, French, Italian, I mean you name it they had something representing that type of cuisine. Also these dishes weren’t being served in a scoop and go format, every item was individually plated in tasting size bites. Actual chefs were manning each station cooking the food fresh and replenishing the grab and go bites. Once you had filled your tray and headed back to the dining room you realized there was an entire seafood bar filled with raw oysters, shrimp, crab legs and LOBSTER. This was a place where you needed to come hungry and be ready to eat 3-4 trays minimum of food! The kids were amazed and actually tried items from several regions we did not expect. Now as if you would still have room after sampling everything, in the center of the room there was the dessert buffet filled with at least 100 different dessert options to choose from. This was the kids favorite spot.

This was the perfect stop to end our day in Las Vegas. While we did walk through many, many casinos on our way to our excursions they were an after thought to all the fun and laughs we had as a family. It should not be understated that this is a hidden gem for family travel. The family activities were never crowded because most people were in the casinos. The cost of the excursions was far less than you would spend playing the slot machines. The food was some of the best we’ve had and that buffet is one that our kids still talk about and have asked to revisit again. I would highly recommend considering a day stop in Vegas if you plan to travel in the area or are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon. We love Vegas!