Las Vegas Reunion Ideas
You may be thinking why have a family reunion in Las Vegas when you have to be 21 to do much of anything? Perhaps surprisingly, Las Vegas offers many attractions that appeal to kids as well as adults. (Planning a Vegas Group Getaway? Check out Aria!) The Titanic Artifact Exhibition at the Luxor features 300 artifacts plus true replicas from the ill-fated ship. The exhibit features 20 never-before-seen artifacts, including gaming chips, passenger papers and even decorative sections from Titanic’s famous Grand Staircase. During the tour, the staff will share personal stories of the passengers.
More Las Vegas reunion ideas include exploring four floors of M&M’s at M&M’s World. On the main floor customize your own ID tag and choose from any M&M souvenir you could imagine. On the second floor admire the rainbow wall featuring 22 different colors of M&Ms from hot pink to gray. On the third floor “My M&Ms” allows you to personalize the candies with your own message. You can also watch the 3-D film “I Left My M in Vegas.” Finally, on the fourth floor, take a look at the M&M’s-sponsored Toyota Camry race car and a bunch of NASCAR-themed M&M products like model cars and candy dispensers.
At Vegas Indoor Skydiving you can get over your fear of the thought of skydiving. Don’t just think about it, do it. The experience simulates the free- fall aspect of skydiving. Have your picture taken and send it to your friends.
Adventuredome Theme Park at Circus Circus, Las Vegas is a five-act theme park that includes rides such as the Canyon Blaster, Sling Shot, Chaos, Inverter, Rim Runner and Lazer Blast.
The Aquarium at the Silverton Hotel has live mermaids and more than 4,000 exotic fish to entertain your kids. The mermaids in colorful fins and bikini tops do fun stunts like flips. The kids and even adults will be intently sticking their noses up against the glass.
The MGM Grand’s Grand Pool Complex features five pools, a 1,000-foot-long lazy river pool and three Jacuzzis. Nightlife options include a Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club.
The Flamingo is a lavish family-friendly resort. Spend an afternoon working on your tan at the Beach Club Pool or Go Pool. When you tire of the sun, you can go shopping or relax at the spa or Noel Salon. Then take the kids to the Wildlife Habitat, which is home to Chilean flamingos and other birds.
At 1,149 feet, the Stratosphere Tower hotel/resort/casino is the highest freestanding observation tower in the U.S. The tower is home to the highest thrill rides and the tallest controlled free fall in the world.
Lake Mead is located about 30 minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip. Lake Mead offers year-round activities with everything from kayaking and jet skiing to swimming, hiking and wildlife viewing. Lake Mead’s Boulder Beach is a popular place to paddle boat, swim or camp out.
Hoover Dam is located on the Nevada/Arizona border in Boulder City. A 30-minute power plant and one-hour dam tour are available.
In nearby Henderson, self-guiding tours of Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge and Factory and Cactus Garden are available daily which makes gourmet chocolates. The Cactus Garden is a collection of more than 350 species of desert plants from the Southwest and other areas.
Kids Quest located in Las Vegas, Henderson and Laughlin is a great place to take your kids for fun and games. It offers creative play, a karaoke stage, Quest Cafe, a gym, dramatic play, iPad stations, wii arena and arts and crafts.
Reno/Tahoe Reunions
Truckee River Whitewater Park is located in Reno’s downtown hotel district, within walking distance of 24-hour casinos. The park has 11 pools for kayak play, as well as a kayak racing course, and it hosts the annual Reno River Festival, one of the county’s competitive kayaking events.
At Reno’s Wild Island Family Adventure & Water Park, ride go-karts, play mini golf or have a bowling night. Guests can ride a variety of slides such as the Zulu 4-lane mat racer, Black Widow or Dragon’s Tail.
Take the family to Sierra Safari Zoo in Reno and admire the more than 200 animals of 40 different species. The zoo is home to such unusual animals such as sloths, lemurs, zebras, camels, and leopards. The zoo has six kinds of monkeys and eight kinds of wild cats including lions and tigers.
Get on Your Bike and See What Reno Has to Offer (sportsplanningguide.com)
Not far from Reno are all the recreational options at Lake Tahoe, from waters sports and skiing to sightseeing cruises and hiking in the mountains. The Lake Tahoe area also has casinos.
The Nevada State Capitol in Carson City is the city’s most visible landmark and has been a symbol of Nevada’s government since its completion in 1870. The campus includes the Legislative Building, Supreme Court, and State Library and Archives.
The Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada, also in Carson City, has hands-on exhibits for the kids to see what it’s like to work in a grocery store, be a sheriff at a jail and fly a space shuttle. Teens can enjoy the Virtango Maze, a virtual, room-size marble maze game. Star Lab, a planetarium presentation, is also offered.
http://www.visitcarsoncity.com/
Laughlin Family Reunions
About an hour and 40 minutes away from Las Vegas awaits a popular family reunion activity − riverboat cruising. The Celebration and USS Riverside paddlewheelers offer narrated cruises. In addition to scheduled cruises, charters are available for groups of up to 80.
The newest Laughlin attraction, the Colorado River Heritage Greenway Park and Trails project, the project consists of nine miles of trails. Highlights include three trail loops that extend south from Davis Dam. The River walks Exploration Trail Loop, an extension of the Laughlin River walk and The Equestrian Trailhead.
The Colorado Belle is a unique resort for the whole family, a faux 600-foot-long Mississippi paddlewheel riverboat that houses a 1,100-room hotel and a casino.
Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Collection in Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino, on the third floor of the hotel’s south tower houses fully-restored T-Birds, Corvettes, Cadillacs, Packards, Rolls-Royces, Ferraris and other automobiles.
Take your family on a tour of the Historic Route 66 Museum in Kingman, Ariz. On the tour you will follow the “Mother Road” to the authentic mining camp of Oatman, Ariz.
