Trifter

Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Entertainment Capital of the World.

Sin City.

Once contolled by mobsters, and a former home to Dean, Sammy, Ol’ Blue Eyes, and a certain flamboyant piano player.

It even had a king with big sideburns and wearing a studded jumpsuit perform there many times, so much so that it was a second home.

When one thinks of Vegas and it’s world-famous Strip, perhaps the coolest street in America, children definitely doesn’t come to mind. Indeed, the campaign to market that town as a family destination in the 1990’s failed miserably. I suppose it would be inevitable considering all the mega-casinos, the strip clubs, and the shows featuring scantily-clad women.

Did I mention the casinos?

However, having been there a number of times and enjoying it immensely, to the point that I consider that desert city a Disneyland for grown-ups, there are a number of places that parents can take their children without worrying about some drunk stammering out of the Riviera or the Sahara Hotel having lost all of their money on the slots. Or running into someone looking like Elizabeth Berkley in the movie Showgirls wearing next to nothing.

I have had the pleasure of having gone to places firsthand, so I feel that I can recommend these spots as being safe for families to enjoy.

Let’s just go over these points of interest, starting with…

Ethel M. Chocolate Factory, Henderson, NV (about 8 miles SE of the Las Vegas Strip)

If you and/or your family are into chocolate (and let’s be honest – who isn’t?), this is the place for you.

While not exactly like Willy Wonka’s factory, this is by far the next best thing.

Not only does this place give away free samples, not only do they sell candies and other delicious chocolate goodies, but it also has an educational aspect, as there is a timeline as you walk through the place describing the history of chocolate in society and how in it’s pure form, it’s actually good for the heart.

Certainly something that parents would like – what mom and dad would turn down an opportunity for their offspring to learn something?

And to top it all off, it has a nice light display on the walk to the building, that really shows itself at night.

Gameworks, Central Part of Las Vegas Blvd. (the Strip)

For those tweens who are into arcades, this is a near-paradise. And it’s right in the heart of the Strip.

Featuring all of the latest games, a 10-to-16 or 17 year old can spend a whole day here and not get bored. And parents would not have to worry about where their kids are.

Even for relatively old farts like me, the place has games like pool and supershot, where you try to make as many baskets in a minute. When I was there, that’s where I spent my time. Didn’t do as well as I hoped to do, but had a blast all the same.

Shark Reef, Mandalay Bay (Southern end of the Las Vegas Strip)

Your kids into sharks and other marine life? This place is for them!

With admission at roughly $17 to $20 (a bit less that than for the youngsters), the Shark Reef is the ultimate marine experience, one where you and your children can see hundreds of kinds of sharks and other fish in their natural habitat.

Among the highlights are getting to pet manta rays at their little pool that they keep there, learning about the different marine life all over the world, and going under a tube and watching sharks swim over you. All led by knowledgable guides who are experts in the field.

Like Ethel M., this is certainly an opportunity for the kids to learn something and get a kick out of. I certainly got a kick out it and learned quite a bit, and it’s been over twenty years since I was a kid.

Adventuredome, Circus Circus (North part of the Las Vegas Strip)

Imagine this: A real, honest-to-God amusement park in Sin City under a huge pink dome!

That describes this spot located at one of the few hotels in Vegas that caters to families more than the vast majority of the others.

Kids will no doubt go nuts for this place, particulate the elementary-aged set. What with a roller coaster going around the place, plus numerous other rides and games, how could they not?

When I stayed at Circus Circus, I was impressed by it. The one thought that came to mind as I saw Adventuredome was “I’d bring my kids here if I had any”. I believe that sums it all up.

Bonnie Springs Old Nevada Ranch, 20 miles west of the Strip.

Picture a place where it’s like stepping back through time to the Old West. Where you’ll see actual enactments of Wyatt Earp-like shootouts, take mini-train tours, and even feed and pet animals at their zoo, and you’ve described this spot.

As for getting there; yes it’s a bit of a drive, but the scenery is spectaluar, as you pass the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. That place will almost literally take your breath away, it gives a whole new meaning to the term “scenic route”.

I, for one, certainly enjoyed myself when I went there. I got to feed some goats and other animals that took me back to when I was a little boy living in the country, and had a blast at the shooting arcades.

If your kids are into animals and westerns, this place will be something that they will profusely thank you for taking them too.

While I have been to these places, they are not the only spots that young people can enjoy in Vegas. Far from it; there are roller coasters at the New York New York and Sahara Hotels, as well as one on top of the Stratosphere for those who have no fear of heights, being that the Stratosphere is the tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River.

Not to mention the fact that there are pools at every hotel resort, on and off the strip, including two man-made beaches at Mandalay Bay. Quite the Godsend for children when its 100 degrees outside on a daily basis during the summer.

I suppose the message I’m trying to convey here is that parents should not automatically rule out Las Vegas as a place that their children can enjoy. It’s all about knowing where to go.

And if one plays their cards right (no pun intended), kids can enjoy this desert vacation mecca as much as the high-rolling gamblers do.