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Cute Tigers Arrive in Vegas, Unlikely to Cause a Sex Scandal

Where: 3400 Las Vegas Blvd S [map], 89109
August 19, 2010 at 1:30 PM | by juliab | 5 Comments

No monkeying around with cocktail girls for this pair

Now that’s magic! The National Enquirer can try and distract us all it likes this week with its sleazy sexytime Siegfried and Roy allegations, but the only S&R-things we're into this week are the two new baby tigers that have debuted in the Secret Garden at the Mirage.

There’s very little we want to add to this picture, apart from to inform you that they are white-striped tiger cubs called Mohan and Majestic (we’re not sure which is one, sorry), they’re brothers, they are seven weeks old, and they’re living in a special nursery that you can visit between 11am-3.30pm every day. Admission to the Secret Garden is $15 ($10 children).

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Are Family Reunions the New Bachelor Parties?

August 16, 2010 at 6:11 PM | by juliana | 2 Comments

What we think this relationship is: Aunt, mom and daughter.

The AP has an article out today about family reunions being held in Vegas. To us, this is sort of a genius idea. After all, Vegas has pretty much something for everyone from the grannies who like slot machines to the young bucks who want to celebrate their totally real IDs at the clubs to older couples who just want to have a good meal and see a show.

And despite the nickname Sin City, Vegas is rather kid-friendly what with the Secret Garden at The Mirage, the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay and the M&M World smack in the middle of the Strip. (Just try and steer the kiddies away from the card-snappers and remember, no strollers allowed at Wynn ever.)

Here's an example of how a Vegas family reunion could work:

Georgia resident Gary Jones organized a family reunion at Excalibur last month. About 75 members of his wife's family, including small children, stayed for four days. The group saw shows, held a banquet and took short trips around the valley. "There's a lot to do in Vegas other than gamble," Jones says. "It's very kid friendly."

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Cloud 9 Balloon Got Ripped in Vegas and Is Still Recovering

Where: 3951 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], 89119
May 25, 2010 at 8:37 PM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 2 Comments

Remember that big white orb that was floating high over the Strip earlier this year? The Cloud Nine Balloon that had been “flying” tourists above Vegas via a tethered float was grounded in March after two severe wind incidents. We were disappointed we hadn’t gotten to ride it before its collapse.

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Only The Brave Should Try A $24 Room At Circus Circus

Where: 2880 Las Vegas Blvd S [map], 89109
April 21, 2010 at 5:38 PM | by juliab | 0 Comments

Has your burning desire for a cheap hotel room not been extinguished by our experiences at Excalibur and Caesars? Then, brave souls, you may like to try hitting up Circus Circus, which has a sale on until the end of the day.

Prices aren’t bad at all – rooms start at $24, and there are plenty – nay, plenty - of dates for this price, as well as $26. Weekends start at $56 in May.

After tax and resort fee, the $24 rooms come to $29.79, but for that you do get included free WiFi, two rides at the Adventure Dome, a plate of chips and salsa at the Garden Grill, two free drinks and a pair of fitness passes. Not so bad, right?

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Five Reasons Why Kids Will Love the Palazzo

Where: 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S. [map], 89109
March 30, 2010 at 4:05 PM | by Jennifer Kester | 0 Comments

We're not keen on bringing kids with us every time we come to Vegas but if we must (and sometimes we must), we'd like to pick a place that we can enjoy just as much as our spawn. Excalibur and the Luxor might be more popular hotels with the kiddies for their themed decor, but the the castle and Egyptian shticks only go so far, especially with parents.

The Palazzo may not have the typical draws for kids—there's no "Tournament of Kings" here—but its perks make it the perfect hotel for the short set.

Find out five reasons why kids love suites at the Palazzo after the jump.

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Get High in Vegas: Cloud 9 Balloon Rides to Launch Oct. 5

Where: 3951 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], 89119
September 24, 2009 at 6:51 PM | by Erika Pope | 0 Comments

If you were across the street from Mandalay Bay last night around 9 p.m., you would have born witness to the dramatic appearance of a giant, glowing white orb. A refugee alien aircraft escaped from the infamous Area 51, perhaps? Not quite. What was really happening was the inaugural inflation of the new Cloud 9 Balloon, a two-ton, 75-foot diameter, helium-filled tethered balloon that will begin ferrying passengers 500 feet into the air on October 5.

The company, based in France, claims the balloon is the world’s largest, tethered, helium balloon ride. Its gondola can hold 25-30 passengers at a time for 10-minute rides that will offer a 360-degree vista of the Las Vegas valley.

Ticket prices are $17.50 for children 5-12 years old and $22.50 for adults from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The premium time to take in the Vegas skyline, of course, is nighttime, so prices rise to $22.50 for kids and $27.50 for adults from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. Children under 4 are free, and the balloon is wheelchair accessible.

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There Will Be a Wait But the Pictures Will be Worth it at Paris' Eiffel Tower

Where: 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], 89109
September 24, 2009 at 4:55 PM | by Erika Pope | 0 Comments

So, we always thought it was funny that Paris Las Vegas named one floor of its parking garage after the “Eiffel Tour.” “Tour,” you may know, is the Frenchified spelling of “tower,” but in France they actually call it the “Tour Eiffel.” Oh, well. Perhaps we’re just hanging on a bit too tightly to our junior high-level grasp of the French language.

Paris’ Eiffel Tower is actually a half-scale replica of the real thing, and features both an 11th-floor restaurant and a 460-foot-high observation deck reached by the “Eiffel Tower Ride.” Take this elevator trip to the top and enjoy a view of the Strip from one its most scenic, centrally located points – as well as the commentary provided by your elevator attendant.

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The Excalibur's Tournament of Kings: Forever Cheesy, Always Family-Friendly

Where: 3850 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], 89109
September 17, 2009 at 6:39 PM | by Erika Pope | 0 Comments

By all accounts, the show at the Excalibur billed as replete with “Invading armies! Dancing maidens! Jousting! Fireworks! And eating with your fingers!” offers families visiting Vegas the most memorable and age-appropriate opportunity for entertainment in town.

The Tournament of Kings dinner show is a completely safe and, all told, reasonably entertaining way to occupy a mixed-ages group looking for a way to bond while in Vegas. Sure, there are other shows that are appropriate for children: Blue Man Group advertises kids’ rates, for example, and the Cirque shows generally allow children 5 and over to attend. But you run the risk of attracting sidelong glances from unappreciative strangers if your young ones start gleefully exclaiming at the wonderment they’re witnessing (and who could blame them?).

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That Vegas Has a Wetlands Park You Can Visit?

Where: 7050 Wetlands Park Lane [map]
September 1, 2009 at 2:23 PM | by Erika Pope | 0 Comments

Take Tropicana Avenue east from the Strip all the way to its ending point, and you’ll find Wetlands Park, which is shaping up to be Las Vegas’ most interesting civic undertakings.

Las Vegas isn’t all desert, after all, but features natural wetlands that are in the process of being reclaimed and restored to create this park. Here’s a cool sidenote reported in Saturday’s LVRJ: for every acre of “environmentally sensitive” land developers disturb in Clark County, they are required to purchase an acre of land in the Wetlands Park.

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Why The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace Are So Kid-Friendly

Where: 3500 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], 89109
July 1, 2009 at 6:19 PM | by Erika Pope | 0 Comments

UPDATE: FAO SCHWARTZ HAS CLOSED.

Whether your kid’s still small enough to carry in a sling or old enough to nag you for your car keys and credit card, the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace is sure to keep the kiddies entertained. Aside from that, the Forum Shops have been named most profitable mall in America for well over a decade, which means it’s got great stores and is well trafficked. In other words: It’s a people-watching bonanza.

But back to the kids. We’ve compiled this handy list of some of the reasons why The Forum Shops is a great place to take the kids:

FAO Schwartz: ‘Nuff said. At this famous toy store, you can make like Tom Hanks in “Big” and dance on the giant floor piano. You can also effectively bribe your kids to behave on the plane ride out here by promising to take them to FAO Schwartz.

Talking Statue Shows: There are two of them, one starring Bacchus, god of the good life, and one about the brother-and-sister brats who angered their father and caused the fall of Atlantis. They both feature kind of retro, Disney-esque animatronics – not the most cutting-edge production value you’ve ever seen. Nonetheless, people of all ages line up to see them at the top of the hour.

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An Open Letter to Circus Circus

Where: 2880 Las Vegas Blvd S [map], 89109
June 16, 2009 at 5:02 PM | by jaymi | 2 Comments

Dear Circus Circus :

You have us so conflicted. Your renovated rooms are nice. Really nice. Surprisingly nice. The dark wood furniture, the plush bedding, the flat screen, the granite in the bathroom. If we didn’t know better, we’d think we were farther south down the Strip, in something with an Italian-sounding name, perhaps.

The people that work in the hotel? Very nice, friendly, and helpful too. Even the food—super cheesy pizza for dinner in the Pizzeria and a light, fluffy egg white omelet with a generous helping of fresh melon on the side the next morning at the Casino Cafe—was pretty good.

The people who stay with you, however... they are another story. We nearly lost it on a group of three men behind us during check-in who felt entitled to continually make comments about how kids shouldn't be allowed in the check-in line. Ummm, if you don't want to see kids running around, don't stay somewhere with circus in the name, let alone twice. Pony up the extra hundred-or-so bucks and go stay at the Wynn.

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M&Ms World Will Take Care of Your Chocolate Fix

Where: 3785 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], 89109
May 5, 2009 at 1:31 PM | by Erika Pope | 0 Comments

One of the most colorful attractions in Las Vegas certainly has to be M&Ms World, a four-story shrine to the popular candy-coated chocolates.

Here you will find M&Ms-themed attractions like a 3-D film, a replica of Las Vegas NASCAR driver Kyle Busch’s M&Ms branded car and a time line charting the evolution of M&Ms’ advertising over the years.

Don’t mistake this for a real museum or anything, though. It’s a merchandising extravaganza for the M&Ms/Mars folks. Here, you’ll find more M&Ms merchandise than you would have ever thought possible (or necessary), from squishy M&M-shaped pillows to – no kidding – crystal-encrusted tie clips, plus every kind of garment, candy dispenser and tchotchke in between.

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