Family fun in Las Vegas

Although the ‘Sin City’ reputation of Las Vegas means it might not be the first place you think of for a family holiday, there’s nowhere else like it and it does have lots to offer! Forget gambling, and think huge pools, every conceivable restaurant, family shows , and other-worldly desert scenery. It’s a great place to add to your Californian adventure. This is exactly what we did the first time we visited, as part of an epic west coast itinerary beginning in San Francisco, through Napa Valley, and with time to relax in Monterey and Santa Barbara before driving to Las Vegas for a stay at the luxurious Wynn hotel at the far and of the Strip.

Fast forward 12 years and 3 children later and we found ourselves once again in Las Vegas. After soaking up the rather seedy descriptions of Las Vegas in ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Taart, I approached this visit with a little more in trepidation, but I needn’t have worried. We opted to stay at the opposite end of the Strip this time at the Four Seasons hotel. This is a fabulous option for families. It’s a small, calm oasis, hidden within the Mandalay Bay hotel, and a world away from the enormous hotels that characterise Vegas (which you can admire from afar instead!). Plenty of space by the pool, family rooms and suites, personal service, and truly the most amazing weekend brunch I’ve ever had! In the daytime we headed to the virtuality ride, fly-over Las Vegas – no need to visit the rest of California after such a realistic experience (complete with sea spray) we joked, although in reality it made us want to go and see so much more.

On our first visit we were fortunate to experience a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon which was a once in a lifetime experience. With kids who were keen to cool off in the pool, this time we opted for a half-day Hoover Dam tour. The dam is an impressive feat of engineering and getting out beyond the City limits is a great opportunity to appreciate the desert location. The walk on the Hoover Dam bridge will go down as the hottest walk in history with our children so we were grateful for the theatre air conditioning at the Mirage Hotel as we watched Cirque de Soleil perform ‘Love’ that evening. Chosen by our children from no less than 5 different Cirque de Soleil shows available in Las Vegas, along with music performances, magic shows and variety performances which can usually be booked at short notice.

We enjoyed the Bellagio fountains display, M&M’s World(!), admiring the Big Apple roller coaster at New York New York and seeing the replica of St Mark’s Square has inspired us to visit the real thing together. A quick 10 minute drive to the international airport and our adventure came to a close, with many memories made! California has so much to offer, from the amazing scenery of the national parks, the coastal city of San Francisco, the bright lights of Los Angeles, the wilderness of the Big Sur, and the fun of Las Vegas – the difficulty is choosing what will work best for you and that will depend on when you visit and who you are with!