Las Vegas for high school graduation trip?
 

Am trying to setup a high school graduation trip for my daughter and three of her girlfriends (my husband and I will accompany). Would Las Vegas be something that would be good for that? I have never been to Las Vegas. If so, what would you recommend for say a three to four night trip? Thanks for any help.

I suggest you do a search here - something like Las Vegas + kids. You will get quite a few strong opinions on whether or not LV is appropriate for kids and/or teens. (While I admit to being neither a Las Vegas expert or fan - have only been there once - there really isn't all that much for kids)

I think you could find many places which would be more appropriate and more enjoyable for four 18-year olds plus adult chaperones than Las Vegas. From where would you be traveling?

You've gotta be kidding! Las Vegas would be one of my last choices as a destination for high school graduates.
Just for starters:
*They can't gamble legally.
*They can't drink legally.
*They're too old for the kids' amusement areas.
What would I recommend?
*A trip to a major city--New York, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Montreal, etc.
*A trip to a national park.

I would have to say no simply because the kids will be chased through the casinos by security the whole time. Las Vegas is an adult town. They can have that on their own when they are over 21:) Agree w/ Howard R's suggestions, show them something with history, culture, and such. Best wishes:)

Gambling, free drinks, and legal hookers...perfect setting for teenagers.

Agree that these kids wil be bored stiff in Vegas. they're too old for the few kds things there are - and too young to do any of the adult things. If you don;t want to do a big city for culture/history - do something like South Beach - where they at least have the beach/pool and can exercise their trendiness.

You are kidding, right? Maybe you're thinking of the old LV marketing of a few years ago that it is a "family" destination. Haven't you noticed the new campaigns???? "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"

LV has decided the "kiddie/family trade" was not profitable, so now they are back to promoting sex/sin/sleaze.

It is a great place for an adult vacation - but I can think of almost no place in the USA (except maybe a honeymoon hotel in the Poconos) that would be a worse place for a high school grad trip.

Let's see. Eating at great "grown up restaurants", seeing Mama Mia, O, Mystere, Blue Man Group, and who knows what else? Making a day trip to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. Riding that shooting ride at the top of the Stratosphere and the roller coaster at New York, New York. Going to some big water park, or just spending the day at the pool area of Mandalay Bay. Spending half a day at that huge games palace -- what do you call it? Seeing the bright lights, the Fremont experience, the fountains, the volcanoes, the Venetian gondola rides. Shopping to their hearts content in some of the best "malls" in the country. Yep. I'll bet they'll be bored silly.
Huh? Sure sounds great to me, even without the drinking and gambling.

Patrick, get real.

hey maybe they got left back a few years.....


Seriously, LV is not the place for anyone underage. If you are looking for shows, dinners, lights, culture, well then I would recommend NYC for a grad trip.

There are plenty of other great places to take underage children than LV, the entire town REVOLVES around gambling, sex, decadence...hey it's not called sin city for nothing - not the place for underage kids. It is not a place forthem...its more of a place for you.

Atlantis in the Bahamas would be beter than vegas, if you are looking for a mix of adult/teen entertainment. Ther is a tens only night club (no alcohol) great pools, beaches, a great place to explore and lots of fun for adults too (casino). The restaurants are pretty good and its just a lot of fun and perfect for a 4 day family fun trip.

I dunno, Howard, there is more to Vegas than just the gambling and drinking. My daughter just turned 21, but she's been going to Vegas since she was in high school. She went there for plenty of sports and dance competitions with school and other teen groups. And she and I have done our share of mother-daughter dinner-and-a-show weekend getaways--drinking and gambling was never a part of it. And Patrick left out shopping. From the Fashion Show to the outlets at Stateline, it is a shop-til -you -drop dream!

But, I do agree the girls would probably have more fun somwhere else. They'll be old enough to really enjoy Vegas in a few years.

Huh? What did I mention that high school grads wouldn't love? Don't forget we're not talking about sending these kids off there unchaperoned. Other than New York, I can't think of a place with more entertainment that most high school grads would love than Las Vegas. My nieces who went with their parents at high school age still rate it as their favorite vacation spot of all time. They cringe at the idea of coming to "boring" Florida.

and "here-today" I didn't leave out shopping -reread my post! There's a reason the Forum Shops have the highest retail sales of all malls in the country -- and yes that includes Mall of America! What teen doesn't love a mall? Well, Vegas has a couple of the very best!

I didn't say they couldn't and wouldn't have fun in Vegas, just from experience, I think the group would have MORE fun somewhere else.

My daughter loved going to Vegas with me when she was 18, but if she had gone with three girlfriends, I know the experience would have been much different. I think the phrases "three of her girlfriends" and "not sending them off unchaperoned" are the key here. One, even one and a friend could be happy chaperoned, but with four of them together, things start to change. If you were a mom of an 18 year old girl you might know what I mean. <insert rolling eyes and heavy sighs>

Oops--missed youshopping. But there is so much great shopping that it probably needed to be mentioned twice.

Oh dear, this sounds like one of those discussions about teaching sex in high school. If we don't talk about it, they won't do it. If we don't let them see the gambling and drinking in Las Vegas they won't know it happens and they won't be tempted to do it.
Get real, people. High school graduates will be much happier in Las Vegas with all there is to do than going to Washington, D.C. Culture and learning? They're celebrating being out of school, not trying to go into continuing education. They want to pretend to be adults, don't treat them like children.

Sorry -

I still think its' a bad idea. When I graduated from high school (16 - granted - not 18) all I wanted was a great beach, a place to dance and a bunch of cute college guys. Vegas doesn;t provide any of those.

Sorry -

I still think its' a bad idea. When I graduated from high school (16 - granted - not 18) all I wanted was a great beach, a place to dance and a bunch of cute college guys. Vegas doesn;t provide any of those.

And believe me - there was nothing I would have been less interested in than a fake volcano, game arcade or Hoover Dam.

Sorry for the double post - Fodors is sick again! I'm so sick of that blue umbrella.

nytraveler, me too. But I think maybe they take this time to delete the trolls? But it sure does get irritating.

I agree with Patrick - the girls will have a terrific time just being together in their hotel room, hanging out at the pool, stuffing themselves at the buffets, shopping, and just exploring the hotels. As long as they're supervised I don't see a problem.

I agree. A trip to Vegas, or to any big city, is a blast for teenagers.
I don't understand why people are opposed to under-21's in Las Vegas just because there is gambling in sight. They seem to have no problem sending kids on spring breaks to Florida and Cancun, where there's nothing to do but get naked and get drunk.

I'm not a Las Vegas hater....but what a sad commentary to say that Las Vegas is preferable to, say, Washington, DC, as a destination for teenagers.
Or for that matter to not even consider visiting a national park or two instead!
And, no, I'm not talking about shielding them from the evils of gambling and drinking and active sex lives!

I agree with Howard. It's not that LV is a bad choice, but there is so much better for your situation. It was not that long ago that I was a teenager. Hanging out in my hotel room with my friends is not my idea of fun....that's a sleep over. As far as rating shopping in LV, it all depends on where you live. The shopping there is the same as where I live. I can go to Roosevelt Field Mall and have the same thing as the Fashion Show Mall and the Forum shops. Also, there is no better shopping than NYC. So for me, personally, I do not shop there.

I still think that Atlantis will give the girls what you are looking for. Pools with great slides and rides, beaches- where they can get their hair braided and manicures/pedicures on the beach, look at boys their age, parasailing, meet others kids their own age, have a place of their own to hang out and dance at the teen only nightclub, shopping, dining...its a more secure place to let them go and have fun. As adults, you will have a great time as well. I don't know if you have ever been, but it is beautiful. We do not have any children, but we see families of all ages having a great time. We have been there many times for a quick get away and 4 days is just the right amount of time there.

My husband and I noticed when we were in Vegas two weeks ago that none of the kids we saw looked particularly happy. Too much walking and too much shooing-away by security guards when the kids got close to machines and tables. I'm not the morality police and will happily take my kids to Las Vegas on their 21st birthdays but until then, no way.

How about a four day cruise? We were on a cruise last June and saw bunches of kids on high school grad. trips with families and friends. Atlantis in the Bahamas would be a blast, too. My husband and I stayed at the Hollywood Renaissance in LA recently and I kept thinking how much our daughter would love Hollywood Blvd.--glitz, stars, history, shopping and beaches nearby. The whole area has really cleaned itself up the past few years and is much more family friendly than it used to be.

Guess I'd go with the cruise, though...

You'll have a tough time finding anywhere that will let 18 year olds rent hotel rooms.

I agree with Tess - a cruise would be a great idea. If fae does take her girls to Vegas, she better watch them like a hawk. My husband and I took our teen daughters (two days on a cross-country trip). One evening, we went inside a small grocery store for a minute, while the girls waited outside, watching the skyline. They came in to get us because a man had followed our car (saw the blonde heads in the backseat) and accosted them outside the store. He actually then watched them through the window, as they came in to find us. By the time we got the security guard, he was gone. Watch out - Vegas has more than its share of predators!

GoTravel, to whom was that last comment addressed? Did you miss the fact that the original poster and her husband are accompanying them? I'd supect it would be the adults signing for the hotel.

One thought occurred to me. Here we are all talking about what the kids would like or not like, but has anyone suggested asking them? Not all kids are alike. Some would like to veg out on a beach for a week, others would want entertainment. Whose idea was it originally to go to LasVegas? If it is the girls' first choice, then I say go for it. If it was selected because fae and her husband have never been there, then I think this needs to be thought out better. Aren't the girls old enough to select their own destination since it's all about them?

Thank you for pointing that out Patrick. I guess I fell asleep reading all the "don't let the kiddies go to Vegas" lectures and forgot that was in the original post. Duh.

There are a lot of things to do but just like other cities such as Key West and New Orleans, some people will tell you its a great idea and some will tell you its a bad idea to take kids there.