Tag Archives: Family Travel

The Beach at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas

07 Monday May 2012

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Places to rock in Vegas, with or without your little entourage.©

One of the most talked about pools in Las Vegas is The Beach at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas. If you make it past the room key check (every person in your group has to have a key in order to be admitted), then you become one of the lucky ones to experience this crazy summer time adventure.

What the kids will love…as long as they are the required height of 48″ and can swim without a flotation device, kids will love the lazy river and wave pool. The lazy river does allow inner-tube style floats that allow for a space for swimmers to pop their heads up to avoid a blockade. There is even a little wading pool that graduates from roughly 6″ to 2′ off to the side for the younger ones to enjoy. If they don’t meet the 48″ to enter the wave pool, they can still wade off to the side and enjoy the after-shocks. There is also beach like entrances and sand areas for digging and playing. Lots to keep them entertained.

Mandalay Beach Las Vegas IT

What the over 21 crowd will love...the Moorea Beach Club offers a full-service bar and a casino. Yes, Vegas has thought of everything. You can still gamble while enjoying poolside festivities! Also, check the website when visiting during the summer months for the Beach Concert Series as the Mandalay Bay Beach is home to a pretty rocking outdoor stage where, as Zac Brown says it best,you can have your toes in the water, butt in the sand (keeping it kid-friendly here), not a worry in the world, a cold (insert cocktail here) in your hand…while listening to some pretty cool live music. Zac even performed there himself not long ago.

Mandalay Beach Las Vegas

What the moms will love…cabana. I’ll say it again. Get a cabana. That is all.

Mandalay Beach Las Vegas Sand

RSMLV Tips:

Don’t mess around. If you didn’t get the cabana like I told you to, then make sure you are up before the sun in order to secure a prime location at the Beach. I’m not kidding. It will make or break your whole experience. Especially if you have little ones.

Don’t mess around with the room key check. The gate keepers are like the secret service. If you don’t have a key, you don’t get in. That goes for every person in your group.

If you can bring snacks and drinks for your kids, then do. Honestly, I can’t remember the policy on this, and it’s not on their website. I do know that I brought in snacks for the twins and drinks for the big kids without a problem. I’m sure coolers are not allowed, but definitely bring snacky stuff with you like pretzels, granola bars, fruit. Kids get hungry fast at the pool and the food is served in large portions at large portion prices, plus, it could take awhile to get your meal. Definitely helps to have a few snacks on hand to keep the little piranhas at bay.

Don’t forget water, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen! It’s Vegas; it’s hot! You can also bring your own float as long as it’s the inner tube style I mentioned above. Bring sand toys, too!

Have you been to the Mandalay Beach? What do you love about it?

The Neon Museum

27 Friday Apr 2012

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Places to rock in Las Vegas with or without your little entourage.©

Take a stroll back in time, like way back in time, when Las Vegas wasn’t even a tiny pin prick on a Nevada state map, let alone the gaming and entertainment mecca of the world. Remember those days when people used to talk about “Cruising the Strip” so they could check out all the lights? I do. Growing up, that was one of my favorite family memories. The Strip just isn’t the same of flashing lights like it used to be, but you can go back in time and re-experience what that was like back then. Sort of.

las vegas neon museum

The Neon Museum, or Boneyard as some call it, is located in an enclosed dirt lot not too far from Las Vegas Boulevard. You begin your tour in a shaded, gated area (which will then become your last chance for shade) where a tour guide will greet you with a waiver and a bottle of water, go over a few rules and give you a rundown of what to expect.

neon museum las vegas

This is one of my favorite museums, yes, there are plenty of museums in Las Vegas, you just have to know where to find them. The grounds itself are segmented into several eras of neon and fluorescent lighting, dating back to the late 1800s, and some of the very first signs ever used in the city of Las Vegas. The tour guide leads you through the early signs of business in Las Vegas, all the way through when Bugsy Seagal and the mob ran the place, the Casino days, the Family Fun Town time and present day Vegas ala Steve Wynn and the Wall Street re-design of the Las Vegas Strip.

If you are a history buff, you will especially enjoy the interjections the guides offer of the historical over view of how the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas grew and changed hands and how fads and trends came and went, yet simple marketing gestures remained through the decades. It really is a fascinating trip down memory lane, and serves an educational purpose for those interested in learning more.

Tips:

Though younger children are permitted, this tour really is geared more towards those at a 4th or 5th grade level. I made the mistake of bringing my 5- year old daughter and 7-year old son. My son was somewhat intrigued while my daughter complained the whole time.

If you are planning on booking this tour in the summer, make sure to go as early as possible. There is very little shade and lots of direct sun. It’s Vegas; it’s hot. Bring a hat, water and wear sunscreen.

There are no bathrooms at the Boneyard, so make sure to do all potty stops before hand. The tour itself is just about an hour, and you won’t want to miss a thing!

Book your tour prior by visiting the Neon Museum website. It is a non-profit organization, and a $15 donation fee for ages 12 and up. You can bring cameras, but there is not commercial video or photography allowed without permission. This is a super cool place to photograph, so make sure you have lots of battery life and room on your memory card.

Do you remember the old lit up and neon signs? Which was your favorite Las Vegas neon sign?