Las Vegas Is For Everyone: Kids
Last time I was in Las Vegas I had a discussion with a friend, and then again with my mother when I returned, about whether or not Las Vegas is a place for everyone. I love Vegas, I think it’s a great thrill all around, and I contend that it really is a place just about anyone can have fun.
Can kids have fun in Las Vegas? Certainly. Obviously the trip is not going to be a gambling one, or a nightlife one, but that’s okay. I think people underestimate how much kids loves looking at big, flashy, grandiose things; think about how much most kids love trucks and skyscrapers and big bird. These large things seem even more massive through the eyes of a child. Depending on who you bring with you, it’s still possible to get in some gambling or other adult activities. Maybe you go with another couple and take turns baby-sitting, or bring the grandparents. Maybe one parent takes the kids to dinner while the other spends a couple of hours at the poker table. There’s plenty of areas to compromise to accomplish everything you want to do while you’re out there.
Translate that to the over-indulgent culture of Las Vegas and you get plenty of sights to see that kids will get a kick out of. The fountains at the Bellagio or the Volcano at the Mirage. The half-size Eiffel Tower or the soon to be built observation wheels. Giant chocolate fountains, amazingly decorated lobbies, expansive buffet tables, flashy neon lights, characters from movies and cartoons on every corner, and pirate shows. That’s all without even mentioning the dozens of kid-friendly shows from Cirque Du Soleil to Penn and Teller.
You can’t forget the day trips either. There are bus trips if you don’t feel like driving, but Las Vegas is within reach of Death Valley, The Hoover Dam, and the Grand Canyon. All three places are family friendly locations and landmarks worth seeing. They contain historical and cultural value but are also cool places to visit. There are other interesting places as well closer to the strip like Red Rock Canyon, and Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. There are art galleries and museums all over the place.
Kids can certainly have fun in Las Vegas, and Las Vegas has things to offer beyond what it’s typically known for. Don’t let kids keep you from a Vegas vacation if that’s what you have your heart set on. There are plenty of opportunities for a child to have a very memorable vacation there.
The Worst Cirque Du Soleil Show Ever
I foolishly bought tickets to Cirque Du Soleil’s Criss Angel Believe while in Las Vegas without reading any reviews. I figured that the floor value of a Cirque show was going to be decent and that it would pair very nicely with magic and Criss Angel.
I was wrong.
First the stuff that didn’t belong at all; the crude and predictable poop jokes. I can appreciate a good poop joke as much as the next guy when it’s appropriate, but that’s not what I was looking for in Believe. The jokes themselves weren’t even clever, they were typical Beavis and Butthead “haha, #2..ahaha” stuff.
I suspect this was probably intended as some kind of comic relief in between illusion, but the acts were so bland and commonplace that it left you unfulfilled. To follow that up with a crude joke is not entertainment. Most of Angel’s tricks were the same stuff you can see in virtually any magic act on (or off) the Strip. Whether that’s creating birds from air, predicting three things the audience is going to say on a piece of paper supposedly locked up before hand, or sawing someone in half.
If you’re thinking the show could’ve been saved by some high-flying Cirque Du Soleil acrobatic stunts, don’t hold your breath. There was virtually none, and very little of what there was was above and beyond the theatrics you get in a normal magician’s act. There are a couple of explosions/flashy effects and a monster or two that for some reason Criss Angel and company needs to fight. That’s basically the extent of the Cirque involvement.
To make it worse Criss Angel spent a good amount of the eighty minutes promoting his own products. He gave away a magic kit, he boasted about one of his Youtube videos, showed off his motorcycles, showed clips of Mindfreak and even begged the audience to tweet at him. All in all it was a pretty disappointing show; take a hint and see Penn & Teller.
Smartest Parking Garage Ever
Ever turn into a parking garage only to be confused about the flow of traffic, and where all the empty spots are? Ever think you found a great spot, only to find a Mini Cooper tucked into the spot you thought was empty? Not if you’re in the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
When you turn the corner, illuminated signs tell you how many empty spaces there are down each aisle. That’s pretty helpful. I hate turning down an aisle and finding nowhere to park at all.
Once you turn, lights on the ceiling above each space tell you whether or not a car is parked there. Eliminates all need to hunt for a space and guess if there is one a little closer or not. Simply pick the green light you like, drive there, and park. The lights are pretty fast too. I pulled out of the spot, turned into the aisle, and looked in my rear view mirror to see the previously red light had turned green again.
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