Posts Tagged ‘Botanical Park’

Wildlife is something that big and little kids from all over the world find fascinating. Whether the wildlife is marine, mamma, reptilian, or bird in nature-even insects, kids find intriguing and love to explore. In Las Vegas there are many casinos that not only offer shows that center around animals but also offer shows where animals are the stars. This is one of the few cities in the world that will offer quite the variety of fun, adventure, activity, and fantasy to its visitors. It’s a good idea to sit back and enjoy as much of that as floats your boat while you’re here.

Some of the great animal offerings you can explore and enjoy while visiting Las Vegas include the Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park. This zoo makes up in quality what it lacks in size. This is a relatively small zoo but offers some rare offerings that make this zoo very much worth visiting. Among the rarities at this particular zoo is one of the last families of Barbary apes in the U.S. In addition to these creatures, enjoy watching wallabies, flamingos, chimps, emus, and exotic reptiles.

Zoos aren’t the only businesses in the business of housing animals. It seems that many museums are cashing in on this act as well. Even if some of the shows are offered free the casinos are definitely cashing in on the big rewards that hosting these animal acts offers. The Mirage is home to quite a selection of animals among the offerings here is a White Tiger Habitat at the Mirage. These magnificent creatures are extinct in the wild. Visitors to this free exhibit are fortunate to be able to view them in their snow-white surroundings (this allows them some degree of security and the ability to ‘blend in’ with their environment).

In addition to the White Tiger Habitat, the Mirage is also home to the Mirage Aquarium. This aquarium is home to more than 1000 animals (60 species) that ordinarily would call coral reefs their home. The coral reef within the aquarium is one hundred percent artificial and there is no actual coral reef in this aquarium at all.

The Mirage is also home to the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. I guess you could say that really do love their animals over there. The goal of this project is not only to provide a safe environment for dolphins but also to educate visitors on the important roll in the ecosystem that these wonderful animals have. The admission to the Secret Garden is $15 for adults. For $500 you can become a trainer for the day if you are over the age of 13. This is a wonderful experience for those that are willing to pay the price.

Mandalay Baby Shark Reef offers glimpses of some rare and not so rare marine life. There are free aquarium experiences around the city but none of them actually quite compare to the scope of the Shark Reef, which is one of the largest exhibits of its kind in North America. The Shark Bay is open daily from 10 am until 11 pm and adult tickets are $15.95 while children’s tickets are $10.95 (4 and under may enter free). This is probably one of the best things to do and see in Las Vegas and well worth the price of admission.

This is only a small taste of the wonderful animal centered activities and events that take place in Vegas each and every day. Animal lovers beware, there is much to see and do here.

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If you are looking for some fun things to do in Las Vegas with or without the family, this should keep you busy for the better part of your travels. Keep in mind that Vegas is a city about lights and action most of the attractions will have on or other if not both of these elements. Enjoy the bright lights of this big city and have as much fun as you can possibly muster during your stay.

The High Roller at the Stratosphere Hotel is a roller coaster, which at 909 feet above ground is the world’s highest (keep in mind that competition is fierce among coaster makers and that is subject to change). This roller coaster consists of more than 800 feet of track and offers some sharply banking turns at around 32 miles an hour for your coaster fun and enjoyment. The cost for one trip on this coaster is $5 and passes may be purchased for the day (height restrictions apply).

The Nevada Zoological and Botanical Park is another great way to spend the day. While this is by no means the world’s largest zoo it is a nice place to take your kids and visit the wildlife (well some wildlife that isn’t located on the strip at any rate) of Las Vegas. Some of the animals you might see include chimpanzees (usually a hit with the little ones), emus, ostriches, wallabies, and flamingos. You can also choose to take a full or half day eco tour of the desert. These tours give you the opportunity to learn to the view the desert a little bit differently and are a great educational experience disguised as fun for your children.

What would a stay at the Venetian Hotel and Casino be without a gondola ride? You do not however have to stay at the Venetian in order to experience this pleasure, nor do you have to venture a transatlantic flight. For an authentic gondola experience you only need to travel as far as the Venetian Hotel and Casino. You will float under bridges as your gondolier serenades you with the sounds of Venice. You can choose and outdoor gondola ride when the weather permits. The outdoor rides are only marginally less expensive and are still quite nice (they might even be preferable on a chilly desert night). Children 12 and under are very inexpensive passengers and if you are traveling with your partner you can opt for a romantic 2 passenger gondola for an added fee. Reservations must be made in person and can only be made the same day beginning at 9 a.m. for the indoor gondola ride and 10 a.m. for the outdoor ride.

If you’re old enough to remember the commercials that asked if it was live or it was Memorex then you will understand that reference when it comes to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. Where else can you play a round of golf with Tiger, sail the seas with Captain Jack Sparrow, marry George Clooney, become a playboy bunny, and sing along side The King? You will see some of Hollywood’s brightest stars both living and living memories at Madame Tussauds have fun meeting your favorites. This is a must see stop on your trip to Vegas and will have the entire family rolling with laughter, be sure to bring the camera along for this one.

Vegas might have been a little slow to see the light, but this city is really working to make this a fun place to be for the entire family and it is slowly building a nice selection of activities that don’t directly involve gambling or the casinos. The casinos, recognizing good business sense when they see it have been the pioneers of many of these family oriented activities in hopes of encouraging more guests to come back to the city. Be sure to check out all the wonderfully fun things there are to do with the family during your Vegas stay.

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Have you ever though about cheap holidays to Las Vegas? You may think Las Vegas is no place to spend a family holiday, but what you might not know is it has many things for families to do and see. There are museums, roller coasters and theme parks as well as the famous laser sky show in the old city of Las Vegas. You will find activities for the kids, free attractions and rides for all ages. The best thing about cheap holidays in Las Vegas is the Las Vegas power pass that allows you access to twenty popular attractions in Vegas that includes a tour of Hoover Dam.

At the Flamingo, you can visit the wildlife habitat. If there are little cubs at the time, you can even have your picture taken with the little ones climbing on you. This is something so exciting for everyone. The Imperial Palace has a huge collection of cars from all years, makes and models. You might also enjoy the motion rides at the Excalibur. These rides are spectacular and you feel like everything is so real. If you think that sound fun, the aquarium and fountain shows at Caesars Palace and Silverton are something for everyone to see.

The conservatory and fountain show at the Bellagio are extraordinary while the Stratosphere has that well-known roller coaster. If you visit the MGM Grand, you will see the lions and their cubs if they are around. These are all on the strip, if you venture off the strip, you can see seven different museums, Botanical Park, ice arena, chocolate factory and the rock-climbing center. You will also want to see the Richard Petty driving experience. That is a thrilling ride. If you need more adventures to keep you busy, venture outside of Las Vegas.

Not only is there Hoover Dam, but you might find yourself headed towards Death valley National Park or Bonnie Springs by Old Nevada. Grapevine Canyon is extraordinary to see by Laughlin and if the time is right, you might take the family to Las Vegas Ski resort for some snowboarding and skiing. On particular place that is a site to see is Lake Mead. Many people forget about all the things outside Las Vegas that are close by. Not all of your cheap holidays have to center around Las Vegas when you know where the other hot spots are located.

One might think that cheap holidays, Las Vegas and family vacations do not come in the same package, but they do. You can find packages that have hotel accommodations, airfare and some passes to the attractions in the area. If you plan your trip accordingly, you might even see some holiday spectaculars. Whether you are on the strip or off the strip, you are going to have fun. Explore a city that has more to offer than just the casinos and gambling. You will have a great time with the family and no one will believe you did not spend the entire time in the casinos, so take plenty of pictures to show what you found in Las Vegas.

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