We will be traveling with our 12 year old grand daughter and staying two nights in Las Vegas or nearby area in May, 2008. During the one full day there we plan on visiting Hoover Dam and either M & M world or Ethel's Chocolate factory. During the evening I believe all three of us would love to see the some of the displays put on by the Hotels, such as the Mirages volcano, the Bellagio's fountains, etc. Having never been to Vegas, we would love some suggestions on which hotel might be more central for seeing the night lights or displays of the various hotels. The Mirage is booked for the nights desired, May 22 and 23. Or should we stay outside the strip and take a night tour instead? Any and all suggestions for letting the grand daughter get the most out of our two short evenings there would be appreciated. Thanks

Treasure Island has a pirates' show outside during the evening; Bellagio has the fountains, but be sure to go inside to the lobby--it's beautiful!!! Then go on towards the back to the garden area which is very pretty. The cafe there is a nice place to eat, also, or the Bellagio has a great pattisserie. We've stayed at the Venetian with our two teens (suite rooms,lots of space), but the Hilton is nice,(just make sure to get a renovated room), much less expensive, and off strip (so it's quiet), and on the monorail. The Venetian has "Phantom of the Opera" playing. My daughter was 12 years old when she saw it for the first time, and loved it. We saw it again last month when we were in Vegas. My kids loved Cirque du Soleil's "O", playing at the Bellagio. If your granddaughter likes an Egyptian theme, the Luxor's cool. The Luxor also has an IMAX theater. The roller coaster at NY NY is lots of fun. Red Rock Canyon is about a twenty minute drive west of Vegas, and a gorgeous area to walk, or just drive through. There is so much to see and do in Vegas, it will be a matter of deciding what to do in your two days there!

Some time ago, I understand that Las Vegas was trying to sell itself as a "family-friendly" destination. Well, that is no longer the case. There's a reason their ads say, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." If you have never been to Las Vegas, you may be under the impression that it would be OK to take a 12-year-old there. I strongly disagree. Yes, there are some attractions that a kid might find interesting (the Bellagio fountains, the white tigers at the Mirage, etc.) but in order to get to these places, you have to walk past the sleezy ads on the Strip and sometimes through the casinos in the hotels. (BTW, the pirate show at Treasure Island, "The Sirens of T.I.", is entirely too suggestive for a 12-year-old and I found M&M World to be just one big opportunity to spend money on overpriced M&M products.) Please enjoy the natural beauty of Nevada, but leave Las Vegas to the adults.

I've been to Vegas many times to visit family, so I've gone with and without children. The family-friendly effort didn't fully pan out, but there are still lots of very safe things for kids to do and see. Just don't pick a show blindly. There are lots of families there looking at the sites on the strip. Staying off the strip is much cheaper, but for such a quick trip and in a mild season, I'd stay central and walk around. You can always go in and out of your hotel, which you can't do so easily if you're not right there. In the past two years I've gotten good rates for Paris and Venetian and Rio (which has a carnival ride over the casino area which is fun for kids to watch--I think they can even get on and ride around {for a fee}). The Paris has a great pastry/coffee shop (not too expensive) when you want to have something sweet--the pastries are almost too pretty to eat--fun to try to pick out just one. The Rio is not far off the strip, but the room we had was very reasonable, huge and had floor to ceiling windows with a great view of the lights of the strip. Paris and Venetian are very central. Check the hotel websites for deals, also try www.vegas-promotions.com (I just booked the Venetian for $139/nite). Circus-Circus is very kid-friendly but I don't know anything about the hotel. I think "O" is breathtaking--your grandaughter is a good age for it. Expensive, but even my husband who has little patience for such shows raved about it. Red Rock Canyon is beautiful, but you'll need a car. There's a loop drive where you can get out and hike if you'd like, get some great photos, maybe see wild burros, etc. There are some afternoon shows designed for families, and some family-fun restaurants, so if you do a little research, there will be plenty of safe activities to do and things to see.

The strip at night is very crowded so I'd suggest staying at a hotel there and avoiding the night traffic. If you can get a decent rate, The Paris would be a great place, very centrally located and right across the street from the Bellagio. For a 12-year old, I'd see the Bellagio and Venetian, inside and out, and the Mirage is right across the street from the Venetian to take in the volcano at night. She'll love the Bellagio fountains, the conservatory inside, and the gondola ride at the Venetian.

The lights and hotels are amazing and your GD will love seeing it. You're in charge and can control where she goes and you can safely take her there for the night lights. Have fun!

Oh, and I'd avoid Circus Circus end of strip.

You could go to the top of the Stratoshere for lunch or dinner or just to see the lights from there. The view is incredible. The is a light show downtown every hour on the hour. Take a bus. the bellagio fountains are not to be missed. The volcano at the Mirage was a major dissapointment to me.

Get a map of the strip hotels off the internet. Find Caesar's on one side, Flamingo on the other. This is your center.

Pick a hotel in that area depending on your financial situation.

If going to M&M, don't miss the free 3D movie upstairs. Also 3D movies in the Imax at Luxor.

We seem to have narrowed it down to either New York, NY or the Paris, with a leaning towards NYNY. The grand daughters best friend is attending a dancing school in NYC this summer and while this is not the real thing, it will give her a taste of what her friend might have experienced. Thanks for all the suggestions. I believe she and we will have a ball seeing the lights of Vegas before going to Moab for three nights and back to mountains of north Georgia. Thanks again.