OK, I just had to sign in to comment on the "Vegas and Kids" fight that's going on here.

I just came back from Vegas. And I saw parents there with their children. ADULT CHILDREN WITH THEIR MUCH OLDER PARENTS.

I cannot think of seeing ONE child under 18 anywhere, except those being dragged around by their parents, bored to death. People can protest all they want, but that's the reality: Vegas is no place for kids.

[I like Vegas. In smallish doses. We spent four nights there, which in hindsight was too long. Especially when you figure my husband and I took our mothers there. That's right, we packed our bags and took a guilt trip to Sin City...!!

Loved our room at the MGM Grand, hated the cigarette smoke. End of mini-trip report.]

Oh, and as for Vegas in the dead of summer: If you're not used to extreme desert heat, the middle of a large vacation may not be the time to give it a shot. Some people get physically ill from heat and sun exposure, and it can take days to recover. I can guarantee that at least one day will have highs well beyond 40C, and unless the pool area is well-misted it will be miserable trying to get sun. Or walking on the deck (concrete gets HOT).

Given a fairly tight itinerary, I'd give Vegas a pass. But that's me.

I agree with everyone regarding giving LV a pass, especially with kids. BUT. Most foreign visitors have it on their list and feel like they are missing something if they don't go. So, if they feel like they HAVE to go, then so be it. Just be prepared for the heat and don't stay too long.

To me, if you have visited the real Paris, Bellagio or Venice, the it is just so fake.

I have three boys and took them to Vegas a few years ago , when they were 10, 8 and 5, to see the Hoover Dam and The Lion King musical. They loved Hoover Dam and would have loved it more had it not been 114*... we spent little time outside looking around because it was just too hot.

We stayed at the Monte Carlo because it had a pool that had a small lazy river that was manageable for me to watch my kids. ( I felt like other pools, like Mandalay Bay were just too expansive for my comfort level.)

Their favorite thing was taking pictures of the different casinos... but they didn't like going into them because of the cigarette smoke. ( We live in California where it is illegal to smoke inside most buildings and they just aren't used to it.)

While they loved seeing the dam and greatly enjoyed the musical... they have no desire to go back.

I am from Melbourne, Australia and went to Vegas December 2010 for 2 nights because it was something my husband wanted to see - he had watched too many movies set in Vegas and wanted to see what the fuss was about. We had our 17yr old son with us and he could not walk through the casinos.

I am going back to San Francisco on the 1st of June and my husband suggested Vegas again and I said NO.

I hated the place. I hated the smoking (we are non smokers), I hated the clicky cards for girls and i hated everyone walking around drinking as if the only thing you needed to do to have fun was drink. the hotels while interesting to look at were kind of all the same inside.

My husband's reason for going to Vegas again was only to visit the outlet Mall. Coming from Australia the prices of things was incredible compared to what we pay here. I promised to take him to another outlet in NYC instead.

I would not take a 10 year old child to Vegas. They really do not need to say any of it.

millie, actually Dec in Las Vegas weather wise is nice. I don't know about kids and casinos or how much there is for them to do, but this couple will be in Las Vegas in August. The outside temperature will be in the 110-120 degrees (43-48 degrees celsius). It is unbearable IMHO.

We drove thru Arizona, Nevada and the Calif desert one summer (our A/C in our car broke) and it was beyond miserable.

We have stayed at the Evergreen Lodge just outside of Yosemite and it is a great place to stay. They have fun kid things to do in the evenings and a nice restaurant. Have a great trip.