Summer 2016- Vegas with Kids: Shows and Activities

Since we had two little kids with us, we were very conscious in picking out family appropriate activities that they would enjoy. A majority of our day was spent poolside, so we just needed to entertain them in the evenings. This review is a combination of our activities from our two Vegas trips: taking place pre and post our Orlando vacation.

We took Zoe and Felix to three different shows. The first is probably the most obvious as far as kid-friendly shows on the strip: Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur hotel.

Tournament of Kings is a dinner show that's very similar to Medieval Times. We had planned to do Medieval Times in Orlando, but since Florida has such an abundance of kid-friendly activities, we opted to do this type of show in Vegas. Tournament of Kings and Medieval Times are so similar, it just wasn't worth doing both. There is only so much staged jousting that one can handle in a vacation. If I had to pick, Medieval Times is the superior experience, especially with its pre-show activities like viewing the stables and walking through an exhibit of medieval torture devices. Medieval Times just gives you more for your money.

Tournament of Kings was approximately 55.00 a ticket and we purchased them on the same day without any problems. I believe the show has been running since Excalibur opened. I know I saw it in the early 90's. The arena is split into sections named for different countries. We were seated in the Hungary section, rooting for the Hungarian knight; who did not win, but was a "good knight" and performed admirably.

Dinner consisted of things that could be eaten without utensils. We had tomato soup in a faux metal bowl, a Cornish Game Hen, potato wedges, broccoli florrets, dinner rolls, and for dessert, an apple pastry. I learned on the official website that Excalibur is the largest purchaser of Cornish Game Hens in the world! Take that fact for when you compete on Jeopardy. The adults thought that the food was okay, but the kids picked at it. They were not impressed. I had read that there was a kid menu, but when we asked, we were told there wasn't. I think the kids only ate the potato wedges and bread. It was okay though, because they were given sodas in cups with flashing lights and they were enthralled by the show.

The show is silly, but you just have to get into the spirit of it. You need to cheer for your knight and boo for the bad knight. You have to participate. The more we were into it, the more the kids loved it. I thought I was going to be hoarse from cheering.

We got to meet the queen and the "evil knight" after the show.

The following night, we took them to their first Cirque Du Soleil show, The Beatles: Love at Mirage.

The Beatles: Love is probably the biggest production show that they have seen. Dan and I have both seen it multiple times, and it's by far, my favorite Cirque Du Soleil production. Zoe and Felix loved the high-energy parts, especially the rollerskating bit. They were wowed by the costumes and stunts. It's impossible to not be awe-struck by this show. However, sitting next to them, I noticed the slower parts of The Beatles: Love. It was never slow enough to completely lose their interest, but I could feel them getting antsy. They were only six and eight at the time, so I think if they had been a few years older, it would have been a better experience. As a bonus, they both loved the music and sang, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," repeatedly for the remainder of the vacation.

Staying at Luxor, we were inundated with advertisements for Blue Man Group. Zoe and Felix were very curious about the show: Why are they blue? This is another show that Dan and I had both already seen, but Blue Man Group is always evolving with new acts. I had previously seen maybe half of bits.

Blue Man Group was the best of the three shows for Zoe and Felix. It had very few slow moments and was mostly very-high energy. The kids love music and music is a huge element of Blue Man Group. The end feels like a rock concert, which the kids really loved. The sound is extremely loud, so make sure to ask for complimentary ear plugs. They are needed. I think the weirdness factor (They're blue and they don't speak), kept the kids entertained. This show is a multi-sensory feast.

Beyond shows, we also took Zoe and Felix to one of our favorite Vegas places, The Pinball Hall of Fame. The Pinball Hall of Fame has pinball and arcade machines from as early as the 1920's. The best part is you can actually play the games and the money that they collect is given to charity. It was funny to see the kid's reactions to the old games. I think they were curious, but also confused. Technology is such a huge part of their lives, that it's hard for them to grasp even games from our childhood.

We also love the Bass Pro Shop in Las Vegas. Bass Pro Shops are always over-the-top, but the Vegas location takes it to another level. The kids had never been to a Bass Pro Shop ( they're from Sweden and there is nothing remotely like this in Sweden )and I think it might have been the most outrageous spectacle that they witnessed in Vegas.

We didn't have time to squeeze it all in, but if you're planning a family trip to Vegas, I highly recommend venturing off the strip to Red Rock Canyon or The Valley of Fire. For older kids, The Atomic Testing Museum is part of the Smithsonian and a great place to learn about an important part of our History. Bodies: The Exhibition at Luxor is also a good pick to give your kids a physiology lesson, as long as they're not squeamish! These are just a few ideas. Although I realize that the push to make Vegas a family destination never caught on, it is still filled with plenty of kid friendly activities and it's easy to avoid those geared towards adults.

Summer 2016- Luxor

On the way to our Disney World vacation, we made a two-night stop in Las Vegas. It was so much fun, that we decided to add two more nights on the way back from Orlando. This was my first time staying at Luxor. I have to confess, that I've never been a fan of Luxor. I'm not a huge gambler, but what little I've played at Luxor, has been a straight losing streak. I also don't think much of their dining options. However, the price was right, and it seemed like a cool hotel to take the kids. I mean, who wouldn't want to sleep in a giant pyramid? The Sphinx at the entrance makes a huge impression.

The theming was a hit with the kids. They were wide-eyed as we arrived and awe-struck for the entire stay. I've stayed at a majority of the hotel in Vegas, and although Luxor isn't the fanciest, it's a hotel that I'd consider for future visits.

We had a standard room for the first visit, but on the way back we were upgraded to a room with a jacuzzi tub. Zoe and Felix loved the massive tub. It's like a private swimming pool, especially for small kids! Our room had a sitting area that was off to the side, not quite a separate room, but it was designed in a way that gave us plenty of extra space. Here are pictures of the second, larger room.

Since this was a vacation with the kids, we did zero gambling. It was fairly easy to navigate the family friendly areas of Luxor and avoid the casino. The food options were somewhat limited. We ate over-priced pizza in the food court and even more shockingly over-priced snacks at Starbucks. The prices at the Starbucks in the Vegas casinos is far higher than regular Starbucks. Every Vegas trip, we can't believe the Starbucks sticker-shock. The kids liked the buffet at Luxor, where we dined twice. This is probably my least favorite buffet in Vegas, but it had kid friendly items. It's always easiest when the whole family can pick exactly what they want to eat. No food drama.

Here are pictures of the hotel, including the lobby area. I should also mention that due to the shape of the hotel, the elevators move slightly sideways. It's a strange sensation, that was also a huge hit with the kids.

Above all, our primary reason for visiting Vegas was to have some pool time.

The pool at Luxor isn't the best in Vegas, but it's very good. It's missing a lazy river: which is the mark of a superior pool experience. What really made our pool time special, is we splurged on a cabana.

To make the most of our cabana time, we arrived when the pool opened and stayed until closing. We would never have been able to spend so much time outside in the summer heat without a cabana. We relied on having our private spot of shade with misters to keep us cool and sunburn free.

The Luxor cabanas come with four lounge chairs and a large sofa. They have storage lockers, a stocked refrigerator, and a television. We were given a small basket with snacks, like cookies and chips, but we definitely ordered plenty of food and drinks too.

The cabana rental came with a semi-private pool: a pool dedicated just to people renting cabanas. There were several other families renting cabana's and the experience on both days of our rental, were completely family friendly. We were even given access to pool toys and the grass area behind the cabanas had a giant Jenga and corn-hole set. Unlike the main pool, the cabana pool wasn't crowded at all.

Compare the cabana pool crowds to a walk-way to the main pool. The cabana certainly wasn't inexpensive, but it was a great experience.

Hands down, the best part of our cabana experience was our cabana attendant: Gina. Our family loved Gina. We loved her so much, that when we returned from Orlando, we switched to a less desirable cabana location, just to be in Gina's section. She was the best.

Definitely splurge on the cabana: it's worth every penny. Make sure to insist on Gina's section! Here are a few final pictures of Luxor as viewed from the pool complex. Luxor isn't the most luxurious hotel in Vegas, but it's certainly a solid mid-range hotel with a fun theme. It's perfect for a family trip.

Summer 2016- The Road to Las Vegas

We have turned into "those people." You know, the people who take their kids to Las Vegas for a family vacation. We didn't initially intend on taking them to Vegas, but flights from McCarron to Orlando, were cheaper than from LAX, and Vegas is a fairly easy drive from our home in Big Bear Lake. The more we thought about it, we decided that it would be easier to spend a few nights in Vegas prior to our flight to Disney World, as a way to break up the travel time. Plus, Vegas has amazing pools and all of those shows. It was actually a great place to take the kids, but more on that later. First, the three hour drive to Sin City.

It was a boiling hot day in late July, so we opted for an early start. Our first stop was Peggy Sue's 50's Diner for breakfast. This was a little over an hour into our drive.

The restaurant was almost completely empty and we had an entire section to ourselves. The kids loved the fun pop-culture decor and the pancakes. I love the kitschy dinosaur and King Kong sculptures in the back garden. Also the ducks; I always need to visit the duck pond at Peggy Sue's. They have ducks with mohawks!

My favorite picture from the entire vacation is this one of Zoe reacting to the mannequin in the women's restroom. We both jumped when we first walked in and it took us a second to realize it's a joke. Zoe makes the best funny faces.

Next stop, was Calico Ghost Town.

Dan and I had briefly visited Calico a few years ago with Dan's parents, but it was late in the day and most of the attractions were closed. This time, we intended a more leisurely visit. It was about ten am and the temperature was climbing. I normally love hot weather; the hotter the better, but even I was having a difficulty handling the heat. It was the kind of heat where you're dripping in sweat and all of your clothes are sticking to your body. Zoe and Felix are from Sweden and definitely not used to the desert heat. They were troopers though, excited to explore Calico. We purchased many bottles of ice-cold water during our short visit.

Calico hit its peak in the late 1800's as a silver mining town. We learned that there is still plenty of silver in the mines, but the cost to mine it well exceeds the profit that you'd make from the metal. In the fifties, Walter Knott ( of Knott's Berry Farm fame) purchased the town as a living history project and in the sixties it was turned into a California Historical Landmark.

The town is free to visit, but there is a small charge for each attraction. We paid thirty dollars as a family to do the Maggie Mine self-guided tour, The Mystery Shack, and to pan for gold. We also paid fourteen dollars so we could ride on the Calico Odessa Railroad.

First up was Maggie Mine. In the mine we saw luminescent rocks and a bunch of creepy miner mannequins. I think this would have been a better experience if it had been guided, rather than self-guided. We didn't learn very much, although it's always fun to walk into tunnels and dark spaces.

A panorama view of Calico.

It's been many years since The Mystery Shack was an attraction at Knott's Berry Farm. It was always one of my favorite parts of the theme park. I was thrilled to see that they have a version of The Mystery Shack at Calico. What's even better, is I couldn't detect any differences from the one at Knott's. We has a private tour of the shack and what I loved most was seeing the confusion and smiles from Zoe and Felix, as they exhibited the same wonder towards The Mystery Shack as I had at their age. It was a cool experience to share with them.

If you're unfamiliar with The Mystery Shack, it's basically a bunch of optical illusions and oddities with a guide who tells corny jokes. Very corny jokes.

By the time we got to the Calico Odessa Train ride, we were ready to leave. Our stay had been less than two hours, but it was simply too hot to be enjoyable. We were melting. The train ride is worth the money, because it gives you a view of the mines that you wouldn't be able to otherwise see. It's a short journey, about ten minutes and there is an automated narration to explain what you're seeing.

Next stop: Baker, California. We saw "The World's Tallest Thermometer" and more important, we bought cold drinks.

We don't have any photographs, but the next stop was Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino, which is located just over the Nevada/California stateline. Buffalo Bill's has a several theme park style rides and the kids were even brave enough to go on the big rollercoaster called The Desperado with Dan. The Desperado has one of the tallest drops in the country. At that point, I think it might have been the biggest coaster that they had experienced. We also grabbed ice cream cones. Never underestimate the power of rides and ice cream to make kids tolerate a long drive.

The last stop before Vegas was an art installation in the desert called, The Seven Magic Mountains. The colorful stacked rocks remind me of fruity pebbles. I think they're a fun addition to the desert landscape, definitely worth the stop for a photo opportunity.

Next stop, Luxor!