Las Vegas with a Two-Year Old....Could it be done? SHOULD it be done?
Written: May 28 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Some attractions that even appeal to toddlers...
Cons: Big crowds, some scary experiences...Vegas can be a very "adult" city.
The Bottom Line: Viva Las Vegas...even with a kid.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Las Vegas |
Because I live in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas is an easy trip for a getaway for a few days. I’ve been there several times, and each trip has been a little bit different. We just got back in town from a three day visit, and this time, with my wife and two-year old son, has been a unique little vacation…nothing like any of our Vegas trips before this, and despite the hurdles of traveling with a toddler, we had a great time.
My wife Melissa and I like to travel. And we’re not the sort of people who think your life needs to stop when kids come along. We’ve taken several trips with and without our son in the last two years—the trips we took to New York City were without Miles. We’ve taken him on trips camping, to Phoenix, and to Yellowstone National Park. Happily, he’s a good traveler. We’re finding there are a few keys to successful travel with a toddler, all of which apply to a trip to Las Vegas. You want to have a good time yourself, and part of that is going to be making sure your child has a good time.
First, the travel itself. If you live far enough away from Las Vegas that you’d be flying into McCarran Airport, be sure you have enough snacks, books, toys, and whatever sort of blankie or stuffed animal will soothe your child. Chances are that even if you fly all the time, getting into the plane will be both exciting and scary, and your tot might be a bit more apt to misbehave. If you live in the western U.S., chances are good that you’re driving to Las Vegas, which is what we did. It’s roughly a six hour drive from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, through some of the most beautiful but desolate scenery in the country. There aren’t many places to stop; it’s key to make sure you do stop and let your pup run around a bit. They’re more likely to fall back asleep and take a little nap in the car, which is what you really want them to do. When we took trips to Vegas B.C. (before children), we’d only stop once, around Cedar City, Utah…on this trip we stopped every two hours to let Miles get out of his car seat. This added almost an hour to our trip, but made for an enjoyable drive. I expected him to be fussy for some part of the trip…but we’ve got a mellow enough boy that he didn’t cry at all the whole time. Really took me by surprise.
The whole idea of us going to Las Vegas was that my wife is about ten weeks away from having our second son, and she probably won’t want to take some sort of summer trip after this, but she wanted to get out of town. We probably won’t be traveling in the first few months after the baby is born either…so we had to take a short trip while we could manage it. Because of time constraints, our choices were fairly limited—it turns out Las Vegas has some great things for families—even with children as young as two, to do. There are also unique challenges and dangers for children in Las Vegas, which I’ll try to highlight here.
I’ll be writing more extensive reviews on some of these things; the one thing we did that I hadn’t heard of before was visit the Lied Children’s Museum in Las Vegas. I’ve been to other Children’s Museums, and they tend to be for elementary school aged children, with not much for the little guys to do or be interested in. A friend recommended we stop by and check this museum out—we ended up spending two delightful hours there with Miles…undoubtedly a highlight of our trip.
We stayed at the Stratosphere Hotel, which was a mixed bag, but it does have a really great pool on the 8th floor, for guests only, which is ideal for families with children. It’s completely enclosed, is no more than four feet deep at any point, and has a large deck for sunbathing and a gym and hot tub for workouts.
Another hotel/casino we spent some time at with Miles was Circus Circus—I hadn’t ever been there before, and enjoyed some of the features expressly for children, but I don’t think it quite lived up to its billing. Or its name. It may be a better time for families with older children, but it is a place which, like Excalibur, caters to families with younger children—something not many Las Vegas attractions do.
One thing that was different about our experience as a family visiting Las Vegas is that we didn’t want to eat out for every meal—after the first day or so of that it gets expensive and…dull. So we did some driving and found a more “normal” part of Las Vegas than what you see on the Strip…if you take Las Vegas Blvd to Charleston Avenue and follow Charleston north, you’ll end up in some of the suburbs of Las Vegas—there’s a Smith’s Grocery Store, Wal-Mart, and other stores there in case you forgot something from your trip or, like we did, you just needed some groceries for your stay. It was refreshing for all three of us.
Las Vegas is known as Sin City, and with good reason—it’s a seedy place, and you can’t help but see naked body parts at some point or another during your stay. Miles is young enough that he doesn’t ask questions about things, doesn’t remember things long, and isn’t titillated by…titillating things. This trip with him made us wonder if this would be our last with children—as we were walking with him through various venues, I kept thinking “if he were much older…I wouldn’t want him to see THAT…” There are also dozens of little people pushing flyers for exotic dancers and hookers into your hands…I noticed that when they noticed me with my pregnant wife and little boy with me they gave us a wide berth. Which was appreciated. Ugh. Filth. The other warning is that there are huge crowds of people in Las Vegas. Every day, every hour of the day. If you’re going anywhere near the Strip—which if you’re going to Vegas you should be—you’re going to be plunging through thousands upon thousands of people. Losing your child in a crowd is terrifying. We always either had Miles on a leash (first time for all of us) or on my shoulders…so if you’re traveling with a toddler, expect to do that.
Las Vegas is by no means an ideal destination for families with young children. But it is doable, and it is enjoyable—or it can be, if you plan ahead, research entertainment for young children in Vegas, and come prepared to have a very different sort of Las Vegas experience.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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JediKermit
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 in Movies, Kids & Family, Books |
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Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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