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The movie “The Hangover” weaves a story of a Las Vegas bachelor party so filled with debauchery, that the groom goes missing and his friends have no memory of the evening. It’s a hilarious movie, but plays on a stereotype of Las Vegas that has been exaggerated for comedic effect. Of course, there is plenty of gambling, booze, fast women and probably a few Chinese gangsters, and Las Vegas will always be “sin city” with plenty of debauchery to be found for those who want it.
Your trip to Vegas may be less Fear and Loathing and more Brady Bunch than you realized was possible, and on my trip this summer, I noticed a lot more families with strollers than I did strung-out journalists. Las Vegas has become a family vacation destination, and you may want to consider foregoing that bro’s weekend away and instead turn that Vegas trip into a somewhat more sedate outing with your girlfriend or wife, and even the family.
You can look like a big spender and rack up points
When I took my wife to Las Vegas this summer, we met my adult son Shanti (my first wife was obviously a hippie chick, as you can tell by the name) and his girlfriend there, and I sprang for suites at the Venetian. Because it was August, rates were cheap and direct flights were surprisingly affordable, and the cost of two very opulent suites was not that much more than your ordinary, run-of-the-mill chain motel at peak season. Because I wanted to look like a big spender while still being true to my cheapskate nature, I used a hotel comparison platform called HotelsCombined.com to see all the travel deals I could get my hands on. Of course I had an ulterior motive, and spending less on accommodations gave me more money for the gaming tables. Not that my wife lets me spend too much there – last time we were in a casino it was in Macau, and she allowed me a gambling budget of about 100 dollars – and those were Hong Kong dollars, which meant I had about $13 American to throw around the roulette table.
In the morning, Shanti and I saved a few more dollars and walked down to the Tix4Tonight booth and scored half-price tickets to the Tournament of Kings show at the Excalibur.
Casinos naturally love high-rollers, but Las Vegas was built to cater to ordinary working peoples’ secret desire for occasional extravagance. As a result, they’ve created plenty of places to indulge that need without spending a fortune. We lived like kings and queens that weekend, and I spent far less than what I did on another trip to Manhattan. When you think “family vacation on a tight budget,” Vegas isn’t the first thing that comes to mind – but it is one of the best options available.
Free attractions!
Casinos aren’t just for gambling, and every casino resort on the strip has made extra effort to provide free family-friendly attractions. Walking through the mall at the Venetian, there are strolling entertainers in period costume. And although the show is free, it’s obvious that these are not just your ordinary community college, part-time wannabe actors, these guys are professionals and they put on a great show. A few other favorites are the botanical garden and the incredible dancing fountains at the Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage, free circus acts at Circus Circus, and if you go downtown, the Fremont Street Experience is always home to free concerts.
Who needs Disneyland?
When he was little, I was a newly divorced dad, and took Shanti and some of his friends on the obligatory divorced-dad trip to Disneyland, that mystical place of long queues, expensive trinkets and eight-dollar hot dogs. But do you really want to stand in line for an hour – in the hot sun – to get a ten-minute roller coaster ride? Who needs it when you can get on the zip line on Fremont Street, go to the top of the Stratosphere resort and take the Insanity ride overlooking the Strip, or get on the outdoor roller coaster at New York New York. The lines are always shorter, and there is always an air-conditioned casino resort nearby where you can have a cool drink and recover.
Take in a show
For the uninitiated, seeing a show in Las Vegas conjures images of scantily-clad dancing girls, and yes, those shows are available in abundance. But even more readily available are shows that everyone can enjoy. I bought tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère, placing my order months ahead of time so we could get seats third row center. It’s non-stop fun, even before the show begins – look for the oddly-dressed usher with crazy hair moving around the audience as people are taking their seats. (Hint, he’s not really an usher.) It’s an incredible show, and even the bachelor party bro’s sitting in front of us had a great time, and one of them was even brought on stage to take part in the act.
A little romance
While staying at the Venetian, I noticed plenty of single people, women on a “ladies weekend” adventure, guys on a bachelor party outing, hard-core gamblers with bankrolls to lose, and college students on a last summer fling before school started. But more than anything, I saw couples on a romantic weekend holiday, a few weddings and countless honeymoons. I’ve found that there’s something about these indulgent gambling destinations that goes beyond blackjack and leads to romance, perhaps just because it gives us an opportunity to enjoy an alternate reality for a brief time, where we can sip on a “shaken, not stirred” martini, play baccarat and pretend we’re James Bond.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images