<p>All the CC talk about summer vacations leads me to throw out my request.</p>
<p>Is it crazy to visit Las Vegas in the summer? WE are also considering a family trip with our recent college graduate. DS thinks it would be fun to hit the casinos and see Vegas shows with us. All I can think about is how darn hot LV will be in JULY! He seems to think the AC and great pools will make the heat bearable. I would love a spa-type holiday. DH is very flexible but would like to make a side trip to Zion or Grand Canyon, if possible. We, too, are thinking that we won’t have too many more opportunities to vacation together, just the 3 of us. Not sure DS has the right idea, but I could probably be persuaded.</p>
<p>If you have any insight/experience regarding Las Vegas: favorite hotels, shows, casinos, etc. please share. Is one hotel more resort-like than another? Is it practical to rent a car and visit Zion or GC and return to Vegas for a couple of days before departing? Thinking of a week-long trip.</p>
<p>That’s all doable. We frequently go to Vegas irregardless of the weather since your time is mostly spent in air conditioned splendor. We have stayed in the Venetian on our last half dozen trips–we like the suite style rooms and restaurants there. And the location can not be beat. I just booked two weekend nights in March for $129 per night, so keep your eye open for special booking rates.(sign up for notification) The Palazzo side of the complex has a fabulously luxurious spa. <a href=“http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Amenities/CanyonRanchSpa/[/url]”>www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Amenities/CanyonRanchSpa/</a>
We really don’t enjoy shows, so can’t help you there. Cirque de Soleil almost has a lock on all that, we have heard good things about “LOVE”.
Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon are all fabulous, but you may just want to do one of them rather than all three. I especially love Bryce.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that if you want to visit different hotels, you will do a LOT of walking, and it will be hot. You don’t cross the strip at street level - you have to go up and over big pedestrian bridges. There is a tram, but we found that it wasn’t very convenient most of the time. Make sure to bring VERY comfortable walking shoes. I’ve gotten bad blisters each time I’ve gone to Vegas.</p>
<p>its great to visit LV in the summer, low airfare, low hotel cost. But the shows are charging the same. If you like Las Vegas style shows, you may want to visit Branson, MO, they have many LV style shows, lower cost, sens gambling.</p>
<p>We just got home from a weekend in Las Vegas with my two young adult kids. They really had a good time, as they had never been to the city. We rented a car- $77 total for the entire 3 day weekend, and it was well worth it. Most hotels have free parking.</p>
<pre><code> My son spent a few hours playing poker and Dh and Dd played blackjack and had a fun time. The highlight of the trip was seeing Penn and Teller at the Rio, although it also was the single most expensive part of the weekend. I’d do it again, though, as they really do put on a good show.
We stayed at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay because they had the most reasonable price for luxury suites, and we booked 2 rooms. Brother and sister had plenty of privacy, yet they shared a room (the rooms had a bath and a half.) We also spent an afternoon wandering around the Venetian and Palazzo and had lunch there- a lot of great shopping and Disney-like surroundings. Las Vegas has some wonderful restaurants- you’ll have a hard time choosing.
Before our trip, I visited the Las Vegas discussion boards online- you’ll get a lot of first-hand information which will give you a sense of what might work for your family. We’re normally nature-loving culture vultures, but this trip was just fun and different for DH and me, and a fun bonding experience for our kids, who hadn’t been on a family vacation since my daughter graduated college several years ago.
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<p>Two nights in Vegas was plenty for us, however, and be prepared for smoke-filled casinos. Even though the hotels and restaurants are smoke free, the casinos are not, and my eyes and nose were not happy. I think you could take a side trip to the Grand Canyon very easily, and if the kids have never been, I’d rate it as a must-see.</p>
<p>We went in June last time. While I don’t remember it being unbearably hot, within 24 hours my heels were so cracked they started bleeding. It is bone dry there. Bring some heavy duty lotion.</p>
<p>Las Vegas, unless you’re a gambler, is worthy of about 2-3 days of your time. On a whim, we rented a car and drove down to the Grand Canyon and stayed there overnight. Definitely was the best part of the whole trip. Would highly recommend it.</p>
<p>We stayed at the Mirage (very nice) and saw of one of the Cirque du Soleil shows - those are fabulous and worth the ticket price if you haven’t already seen one.</p>
<p>Also the water foundation/light display in front of the Bellagio at night is pretty cool.</p>
<p>I think it’s fine to go there in the summer. The casinos definitely go out of their way to make it comfortable for you to be in the casino so the A/C works great. It doesn’t really bother me that much to walk from one casino to the next in the heat of the day. It’s certainly hot but it’s only a short distance between casinos (but I’ve lived in the desert before).</p>
<p>A side trip to Zion and/or the Grand Canyon (and throw in Bryce Canyon as long as you’ll be at Zion) is a great idea and highly recommended. As long as you’re at Bryce then you can make a short side trip to the arch at Kodachrome Basin although it requires 10 miles or so on a dirt road. I’ve been at this huge arch before when I was the only one there.</p>
<p>We’ve vacationed in LV the last two Octobers and totally enjoyed it. I know I wouldn’t enjoy it in July as I am not a fan of intense heat.</p>
<p>We stay at Treasure Island and rented a car both times. </p>
<p>This past year we did 2 new activities: Scoot City Tours [Las</a> Vegas Tours, Red Rock Canyon Tours provided by Scoot City Tours](<a href=“http://www.scootcitytours.com/]Las”>http://www.scootcitytours.com/) You can get deals on this through Groupon. It was a lot of fun and the Red Rock Canyon was beautiful.</p>
<p>But it’s a DRY heat! musicamusica, two weekend nights at the Venetian is obscenely cheap, especially for weekend nights. I LOVE the Palazzo. A little more low-key.</p>
<p>The Palazzo is a little more low key. BUT, at the Venetian,the Bouchon bakery downstairs and across from the elevators enables me to paddle down early AM and take freshly baked croissant and lattes up to the suite. Alone, those croissants are well worth the price of admission! ;)</p>
musicamusica, two weekend nights at the Venetian is obscenely cheap, especially for weekend nights. I LOVE the Palazzo. A little more low-key.</p>