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Stefanie Van Aken

~ RSMLVTravel- Luxury Travel Design

Stefanie Van Aken

Tag Archives: Vegas Tours

Family Friendly Cirque du Soleil Shows

09 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Travel Inspiration

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Family Events in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Lifestyle, Vegas Tours

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

When my oldest son was born, I was gifted the Beatles lulla-byes CD, which I played incessantly while just cradling him and rocking him in our glider. I would sing to him over and over again while putting him down for a nap. I had lots of time back then, he was my only child! I especially loved singing him, “Here Comes the Sun,” which to this day, whenever I hear it, fills my heart with joy, and brings tears to my eyes at the same time.

My mother is one of the biggest Beatles fans I know, most particularly, a Paul Mc Cartney fan. I grew up listening to the records and 8-tracks and thumbing through the album jackets looking at the timeless photos of what is was like to be apart of the 60’s and 70’s. Just like most Americans, my brother, sister and I knew every Beatles song by heart. When The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil, opened at the Mirage, my whole family couldn’t wait to go. My husband took me when it first opened as a birthday present, and I had not been back since. As soon as we sat down in the theater, and the show started, I was reminded right away why I loved this show. It is, hands down, my absolute favorite Cirque du Soleil show.

Everything about The Beatles music comes to life in this spectacular display of color, imagery, and sound. The scenes remind me of the album covers I remembered staring out for hours…Abbey Road and Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band stood out the most. Of course, the Cirque performers make their jobs look so easy, as their amazingly strong, yet graceful bodies glide through the air and flip and jump at extraordinary heights. I never wanted the show to end.

Of course, we brought our kids, and I was a bit concerned the symbolism and the politics would be lost on them. What I was hoping they would gain would be an appreciation for the music and the colors and the humor the Beatles injected into my life. My daughter fell fast asleep, while my son was mesmerized. I made sure to engage him in the different acts, and explain who the Beatles were. When “Here Comes the Sun,” came on, we swayed together to the music while I tried my hardest not to have an emotional breakdown, and just enjoy the moment with him. He loved Love! He was so enthralled with England and Ringo Starr and the music. We talked about the Beatles for weeks after the show. He has asked me to download their songs into his iTouch. He wants a book about Ringo Starr (my son also likes to play the drums). The Beatles have a new fan, and at 8 years old, it’s very telling of their music. As we already know, the Beatles will live on forever through the generations.

The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil was a great show for a family with older children. Here is a breakdown of all the Cirque du Soleil shows on the Strip and my thoughts about whether I would bring kids and at what age. For more  detailed information about Family Friendly Cirque du Soleil Shows, also visit my post on Traveling Moms.

Recommendations for Ages 5 and up:

Mystere at the TI

Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour*

Recommendations for Ages 8 and up:

The Beatles  Love at the Mirage

Ka at the MGM Grand

Recommendations for Ages 10 and up:

“O” at the Bellagio

Recommended for Adults Only:

Criss Angel Believe at Luxor

Zumanity at New York New York

*Michael Jackson is currently a touring show happening in 2012 throughout the U.S. Check their website to see if there is a show coming to your city.

Update: Mandalay Bay, an MGM International property, recently announced the addition of Michael Jackson One, as a resident show coming soon in 2013. 

Anderson Dairy

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

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Tags

Anderson Dairy, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Local, Vegas Tours

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

Did you know there is a dairy located smack dab in the middle of Downtown Las Vegas?  That’s right, and it’s been there since the early 1900s.  The word “Las Vegas” actually means, “The Meadows”.  Not necessarily what you think of when you consider the city itself is located in the middle of a basin, surrounded by mountains and reaches temps of over 100 degrees in the summer.  But back in the serious day, a man named Harry Anderson, saw an opportunity to provide fresh milk to the families living in the growing little railroad town, and took it.  Over 100 years later, his dairy products are the most well known and purchased in Southern Nevada.

The dairy, which is actually a processing plant, (the real dairy is now located in Southern Utah just a few hundred miles outside of Las Vegas) offers tours to the public and field trips to the Clark County School District.  I had the opportunity to attend with my daughter’s class this year.  (See my video on the Travelling Moms site).  Growing up in Vegas, there are several field trips we took…a tour of Siegfried and Roy’s home, the Omni-Max theater at Caeser’s Palace, the Las Vegas Zoo, and the Anderson Diary.  That was growing up in Vegas.  I also attended Siegfried and Roy’s Magic show back when they headlined at the Frontier Hotel (now the Trump Towers).  All the private schools at the time were invited.   When people ask what it was like growing up here, that is one of my favorite things to tell them.   Lots of things have changed since then, now the kids actually get to experience some real educational stuff, like the Springs Preserve, but the Anderson Dairy remains a constant in the field tripping arena.

Anderson Dairy CCSD Field Trips

It was also her first ride on the yellow bus!

I don’t remember much from my first time, I was my daughter’s age then. Now it’s all fancied up with talking, mechanical animal characters like Calcie-Yum the Cow, Mr. Bright Eyes the Owl, Chicky the Chicken and Rudy the Rooster.  There is also a brief tour where they take you down two long hallways to show you the processing plant and how it works.  One side demonstrates how they carton the ice cream, and the other shows the freezer storage area.  I had thought I remembered walking into the actual freezer when I went as a kid (maybe I’m confusing that with a Mc Donald’s field trip?), but of course, the most memorable part for both her class and mine, was the ice cream handed out in the end.  Now that is one thing that has not changed.

After they passed out the ice cream to  the over excited crowd, I was able to catch up with our tour guide. I had a few questions, as a discerning parent and a long time resident of Las Vegas…where does this milk come from.  Ever since I can remember, Anderson Dairy has always been in the refrigerator of both my mother and grandmother.  Pretty much, if you grew up here, you were raised on Anderson Dairy.  But as society has begun to turn to a  healthier lifestyle and asking more questions about where their food is coming from, I can’t help but wonder the same.  There has been rumors about the quality of  their milk, and how the cows were being raised, and I couldn’t leave there without learning the truth, at least, learning their side of the story.  Were their cows really fed on pastures laden with nuclear waste?  How were they remaining a presence in the market with all this talk of natural and organic products?

The young woman I spoke with, also happened to be the great-great grand-daughter of Kenny Searles.  Her great-great grandfather purchased the dairy from Harry Anderson in the 1920’s, and it has been in the Searle’s family ever since.  She responded without hesitation that the dairy cows are treated humanely, and they are fed all natural, organic grass.  They are not injected with hormones or antibiotics, but the government makes it very difficult and expensive to get that Organic Certified seal, so they are currently in the process of changing all of their packaging to relay that information.  She also felt confident that because the cows are raised on a private dairy farm, they had more control over how they were handled, treated and fed.

I felt somewhat satisfied that Anderson Dairy is working to keep up with the organic food trend.  I, personally, only buy organic dairy products, and will purchase non-rBGH if no other option. Being a staunch supporter of my community and buying local, I would love to buy from Anderson Dairy again, so I hope they do follow through on their word.

I asked my daughter what her favorite part of the tour was, of course, she responded with, “The Ice Cream!!”.  When my son went a few years ago, he actually enjoyed the talking animals and learning about the history of the diary, that’s no surprise.  That was my favorite part, too.  If you are visiting Las Vegas, or looking for something to do with your little entourage over the summer, the Anderson Dairy is worth looking into.  They have some really neat pictures of Las Vegas being developed, a great short-film about the history of Las Vegas and the dairy, and some of the vintage neon signs.   If you are a history buff, this is a great spot to learn a little something rather than being schooled at the 21 table.

Anderson Dairy is located at

801 Searles Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89101

©RockStarMomLV All rights reserved.

Ice Skating at Lake Las Vegas

27 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

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Tags

Floating Rink, Ice Skating, Ice Skating on the Lake, lake las vegas, Ravella at Lake Las Vegas, Vegas Tours

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

It might not be the Rockefeller Center rink as we so often associate with ice skating in the city, but when you are in Las Vegas, it’s the next best thing.

My kids have been begging my husband and I to take them ice skating all winter long.  With school being out for break, and my husband having a rare Monday with the kids, we decided to go for it the day after Christmas.  We weren’t totally sure where to go as none of us are pros, and my kids had never been on a rink before.  After a quick call to the Info Desk at the Monte Lago Village Resort, where the rink is actually affiliated with, I felt confident we could do this.  We bundelled up in our cutest ice skating clothes, and away we went.

Traffic getting out to Lake Las Vegas was a breeze.  It took us tops 20 minutes from our house to the valet at the Ravella Resort at Lake Las Vegas.  We like to park here because we are familiar with the grounds, but the Monte Lago Village Resort also offers convenient parking.  The economy has not missed the Lake Las Vegas Resort, which is so sad.  The beautiful green golf course that once greeted visitors entering the master planned community, is now dead and brown, though still well kept.  Houses are still beautiful, and the Village is just as before…windy cobble stone roads and Italian stuccoed buildings that beacon much more lively times.  There were a few shops still open available for hot chocolate, gelato, and coffee.  And, it appeared as though some of the retail shops were open as well.

We headed on down to the Floating Rink.  At the ticket and rental station, you get a pair of skates and a wrist band allowing you all day access.  Adults skate for $15 and children for $12.  The rink itself does float, but contrary to what I thought, it’s actually attached to the dock, so there is no boat ride out to the middle of the lake.  Which is convenient, although, that might be a cool idea! It is also made from real ice, so it is thick and your skates can actually dig in.  Because it is located right above the water, there is some condensation created and the rink experiences melted ice from time to time.  Especially with the weather not being actual “ice skating” temperatures, there tends to be some slush and water on the rink.  This was a bit challenging as my kids were having a great time on the ice, but of course, as I’m yelling, “Stay away from the water,” they, my son especially, are skating right through it, falling down and getting their clothes soaking wet.  It doesn’t seem either that they are doing regular Zamboni circuits on the ice, the rink is rather small, but the surface seemed to be just enough for everyone to enjoy their skating for the day.

 

I have to admit, I haven’t skated in years.  I put on a pair of roller skates the other day and almost broke my neck, so I was a little nervous about putting skates with blades on the bottom and gliding over ice.  My kids were excited, but nervous as well.  they had never skated before.  The nice thing is that the rink is small, so you feel like you are in a more controlled environment.  There are also large traffic cones on the ice, which is great for the kids.  My son grabbed one and though he could hardly keep his ankles up and feet paralleled, he managed to still race around the rink for an hour and have a great time.  My daughter, on the other hand, absolutely refused the cone.  She was going to do this on her own, and by golly, she did.  Spunky, little headstrong creature who refused to have any help.  By the time we were ready to go, she was already working on her figure 8s and trying to skate as fast as she could.  She kept telling me, “I got this,” every time I would offer her a cone to hold on to.  I even had a good time.  It was a great release from all the stress and bustle of the Holidays to just go out with the kids, get some fresh air, a little movement and just have fun.  Brought me back to being a teenager ice skating with my friends, and I had a blast watching my kids have a great time on the rink.

I was barely able to pull them away by offering to buy them a chocolate from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, with promises of bringing them back again before the rink closes at the end of January.  My daughter didn’t want to leave…I think we may have found her talent.  I wish their was an ice skating rink closer to Henderson because I would take her all the time.

The Famous Floating Rink at Lake Las Vegas is open through January 29th.  Bring extra clothes for kiddos who may fall a lot and get wet, and don’t forget your camera!  We brought gloves and hats and heavy sweatshirts and the kids did just fine.  In fact, once they warmed up, they started to take off the hat and gloves.

Get outside with your family (or with friends or a date!) and enjoy the Ice Skating on the Lake.  And, support the beautifully master planned Lake Las Vegas.

More information on Ice Skating on the Lake can be found on their website:

RATES (includes skate rental and full day pass to the rink):
$15 per adult
$12 per child
$8 per person for groups of 20 or more
$125 per season pass

HOURS: 

Monday through Friday – 3 pm to 9 pm
Saturday, Sunday, school vacations and holidays – 12 Noon to 9 pm.

 

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