Viva Las Vegas-Family Style!

Our Uber driver arrived at 4:45A bumping Friend Do remix (clean version) as we headed to National Airport. The boys were giggling while my husband and I were giving the side-eye and low-key wondering if this was foreshadowing for the trip! I’m not sure how we went from planning a beachy spring break trip to Naples, Florida, to jetsetting with the kiddos to Vegas, but we did it, and had a BLAST!!

After a six hour flight, we landed in Vegas to sunny spring skies and temps in the low 80’s! We chose to stay at Mandalay Bay and after checking in, headed straight to the on-property beach and pool! The boys didn’t hesitate and jumped right in! After a pinky toe test, I opted to go back to my lounge chair and cheer the boys on from afar! The air temps were great, but for me, the water was way too cold! The boys lasted about 30 minutes in the water before we ordered lunch. The food was fine- nachos, chicken tenders, fries, quesadillas, but nothing special. The beach set-up was cool, though I didn’t feel like dealing with the boys tracking sand back to the room in their swimsuits and shoes. After a little nosh, we headed over to the pool scene! The water wasn’t heated so I opted to be the towel girl while the boys took a quick dip!

After a little chill time, we ventured over to the Excalibur and Luxor, the neighboring hotels. The foot bridges and overpasses allowed for vibrant views of the strip and excited the boys as to what the coming days had in store! After a quick bite, it was 8:30PM in Vegas, which meant it was nearly midnight at home! We were all starting to fade ,so we took the tram back to the hotel and folded for the night.

The next morning was my solo time! My husband treated me to a much needed treatment at The Spa at Wynn. Incredibly relaxing, my treatment allowed for full access to the gym, sauna , steam rooms, soaking tubs, quiet spaces + teas, infused water and snacks! Luxurious, relaxing, and calming, I completely understand why The Spa is continually ranked as a top Vegas spa experience!

While I relaxed at the spa, the boys headed to The Big Apple Arcade at New York New York Hotel and Casino. They had a fun time bouncing from game to game. Once they got their gaming fix, they explored a few shops on the strip with LIDS and M&M stores being among their favorites!

The evening took us to Treasure Island! We started with dinner at Guilley’s BBQ- a country themed restaurant and bar serving southern-inspired fare. I’d give the food a 6.5/10. The boys were hoping to see some line dancing and tried to persuade their dad to ride the bull, but we were apparently a little too early for those activities! After dinner we headed to Mystere- Cirque Du Soleil. The show is 90 minutes with no intermission. Impressive acrobatics, colorful costumes, imaginative sets, and great music, the show was entertaining from start to finish! Great for all ages, we gave it a two thumbs up!

The Venetian was our last stop of the night. Of course we did the gondola ride. We chose the indoor ride which was 12-15 minutes and our gondolier treated us to two Italian love songs- That’s Amore ! For 15 minutes, the experience was a bit pricey, BUT when in Vegas ! We ended the night with a sweet cookiewich at Sloan’s Ice Cream!

The next morning we headed down to the Shark Reef @ Mandalay Bay! We purchased tickets for the first time slot of the day and moved through the experience in about 50 minutes. We love aquariums and visit the zoo and/or aquarium in every city we visit. We had fun, but for Vegas, were expecting more. The reptiles looked super lethargic and it was a bit underwhelming. We gave this experience about a 5 of 10.

Circus Circus was our next stop for the day and we headed to The Adventuredome Indoor Amusement Park! The indoor amusement park features 2 roller coasters, bumper cars, a mini speedway, Twist’n Tea cups, and more! Before dropping $90 on tickets, we did a quick walk around the “park” to make sure the boys would ride. Because the boys had each other to ride with, my husband and I didn’t get tickets. The lines moved quickly, there was nice variety of rides, and a good time was had!!

Our original plan had been to head to Fremont Street for shopping and dinner , but our Uber driver suggested that with the kiddos, we rethink that plan. He suggested that the evening vibe might be a bit too eye-opening for the boys! Instead we headed to Planet Hollywood and enjoyed dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Featuring animatronic animals, indoor thunderstorms, waterfalls, and tropical themed menu options, the eatery is a wildly family-friendly experience!

After dinner we headed to Paris Paris, and the boys were instantly in awe of the atmosphere! We explored some shops, our favorite being ____ ( the autograph place) and grabbed a seat at Dominique Ansel Marche for dessert! The cronut (croissant + donut) with mango jam and tres leches ganache- c’est delicieux!!! Lu enjoyed a chocolate ice cream and Roc inhaled his nutella crepe! The chai latte ( me) and cafe mocha (husband) were the perfect decadent night cap!

Dad got his solo time that evening, and enjoyed a stogie and tested his luck at the slots and tables!

On our last day in Vegas we headed to The Las Vegas Ballpark to watch The Aviators take on the Oklahoma City Comets. It was a day game (11AM) and also school field trip day which meant it was SUPER loud and kids were everywhere! As we took our seats, a friendly attendant came over and let us in on a tip- Section 109- 113 right behind home plate and next to the home dugout, were available to guests not with the school groups. Suite and lounge level access was also available! Of course we headed straight to suite level for a spectacular view of the stadium, comfy lounge seating, a smorgasbord of ballpark favorites, and a full bar!! The buffet was very reasonably priced and available until the top of the 8th inning. Eventually we made our way down to section 109, took our seats on the first base line, and cheered the Aviators on to a solid W! At the end of the game we were able to get autographs from Brian Severn + Zack Gelof, both ballers had homerun hits!

Gorgeous field, perfect weather, tasty food options ( suite and main concourse), 20 minute Uber from the strip, energetic vibe and friendly staff added up to a HOMERUN activity, and personally my favorite experience of the trip! We look forward to returning in 2028 when the A’s join the Las Vegas sport scene!

On our last evening we headed to Ceasar’s Palace and connected with one of my husband’s grade school friends and his sons! The boys literally ran around the Forum shops before a spirited dinner at True Food Kitchen.

It was a non-stop week, and while our days were full, there were numerous activities that we hope to check-out on our next visit-- Arte, Mob Museum, Area 15 ( not to be confused with Area 51) and Hoover Damn. My last trip to Vegas was pre-marriage and mommyhood! The city has so much to offer for family fun ( but be clear, there is still adult fun) and I wouldn’t hesitate to return with the boys.

Tips

Next time we’ll stay more centrally on the strip. We spent a good amount of $$ on Uber rides and probably could have used the tram system more between various casinos.

We are snackers so I had a DoorDash delivery made to the hotel (waters, cereal bars, apple sauce packs, fresh fruit, mini-muffins and a box of chips) and that was definitely more cost effective than constant convenience store stops.

Let’s Hear it From the Boys:

“I think that Las Vegas was probably my favorite trip so far. I enjoyed walking around the city the most. Especially at night when all of the buildings were all lit up. The main places we got to go to were Paris, Caesars Palace, New York, and M&M Factor. I liked Paris the most out of all of the hotels because inside, they had a bunch of pastry shops. I liked the crepes the most.

I definitely recommend Las Vegas to other travelers.”