NEVADA

YEAR VISITED: 2007, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

FAVORITE CITIES AND EXPERIENCES: Las Vegas has proven to be a vacation family favorite. However, our first time visiting Las Vegas was in 2007 and ironically neither Jill nor I were very impressed. Looking back on it, we feel like we have identified the problem; there is so much to do, we didn’t really know where or even how to start. The strip has grown so much I would definitely suggest doing your research and having a plan before arriving. Otherwise you risk spending time sitting in traffic or walking through huge crowds. We have typically stayed just off the strip at a WorldMark Resort located off Las Vegas Boulevard.

On the flight home from that first trip in 2007 I remember saying to Jill something to the effect of, “everyone else goes to Vegas and they seem to have the time of their life… what’s our problem?” After that first visit, we were fine if we never returned. That all changed in the summer of 2011. Towards the conclusion of that school year my Principal informed me that I had been tabbed to teach AP Government the following school year. As a result I would need to attend Advanced Placement training that summer. I protested, he insisted, and we compromised on the location of the training – Southern California. I was hoping that the change in scenery would make it feel like a vacation, at least in the evenings, and therefore the training would be that much more palatable. To this day I still have a very bittersweet memory of walking in that first day. While I felt like I was surrounded by the biggest collection of nerds I had ever been around, it was also then that I scanned the room hoping to find “my people” and saw a dude in the back wearing a CWS baseball shirt. Needless to say I sat next to him, introduced myself, and first met Jerome Streets or “Vegas” as I nicknamed him since he lived and taught in Las Vegas. Over the course of that week I discovered ‘Vegas’ and I had many similar interests besides just history; sports, family, kids roughly the same age, and we loved to travel. As a result of that conference, Streets and I have not only stayed in touch but our families have vacationed together and spent time at each others homes.

Now every time we travel to Las Vegas we feel like we have our own tour guides. Consequently, other then our first visit in 2007, we have had an absolute blast exploring Sin City. Below is what we have experienced on the Las Vegas Strip. We have toured the M&M Store, the Coca-Cola Store, and went up the Eifel Tower, which is located at the Venetian hotel. The stores on the strip are fun to browse but bring your walking shoes – I am still blown away with just how large one city block is. The Eifel Tower was also fun but keep in mind nothing is cheap on the strip. Plan accordingly.

We have also been to the top of the Stratosphere multiple times. The views are second to none and ‘The Strat’ is definitely worth doing. However, I don’t love heights and was subsequently uncomfortable peering over the edge and had extremely sweaty palms.

Making matters worse for me, Jill, and on our second trip Bailey, rode the Big Shot and the Insanity rides located on the outside of the observation deck. The rather simple amusement style rides take on an additional level of danger when you see the ride dangle off the side of the tallest tower in the United States (just over 1,100 feet tall).

I am sure you can understand my apprehension and sweaty palms. As if that isn’t enough, also located on the Stratosphere is the largest decelerator in the world. A “decelerator” is similar to bungee jumping. The ride is known as SkyJump and of course my oldest daughter wanted to do it for years. So in 2024 she proudly jumped off the Strat, which advertises nearly 900 feet of freefall. While my heart was twisted in knots, she absolutely loved it.

Our favorite place to visit is the Bellagio Hotel and we have made a point to view their awe inspiring fountain display nearly every trip to Las Vegas.

In 2024 we happened to be outside the Bellagio at the same time they were taping an episode/scene of the TV show, Queer Eye (used to be known as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy).

Another hotel on the Strip we have visited on multiple occasions is the New York, New York. I believe the girls stayed there for one of my youngest daughters Volleyball tournaments.

As a family we have explored inside and out of the hotel and taken a ride on their unique roller coaster. In fact this was Bailey’s first upside down roller coaster experience and we believe it was responsible for launching her love for roller coasters.

The High Roller, a Ferris Wheel that takes 30 minutes to travel all the way around and provides great views of the strip, was built in 2014. At the time of it’s completion it was hailed as the tallest Ferris Wheel (550 feet) in the world. In my opinion, dusk or evening is the best time to go so as to see the city all lit up.

Sprinkles Cupcake is in the vicinity of the High Roller and we are always intrigued with the Cupcake ATM. Similar to a real ATM machine, you select which cupcake you want, pay, and then the machine serves you your cupcake selection.

As I alluded to earlier Bailey has developed a love for roller coasters. As a result she seems to have turned into a daredevil and talked Jill into doing the Voodoo Zip Line. The ride is located at the Rio Hotel and is a zip line from the top of one tower to another. While I was proud and encouraged Bailey’s sense of adventure, Maddie and I wanted no part of this lunacy. However, we did enjoy the views of the strip.

When traveling to Las Vegas we would highly recommend attending at least one show. There is truly something for everyone and the performances are almost always world class. Below are the shows we have watched while in Las Vegas. Our very first Vegas show was the Blue Man Group performed at the Venetian. It was a great night and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

We then attended the Terry Fator Show located at the Mirage. Fator won “America’s Got Talent” with his ventriloquist act and we laughed at his puppets all night long. In fact our cheeks hurt we laughed so much.

We have also been in attendance for Carrot Top at the Luxor, one of the longest standing shows in Las Vegas. We sat in the front row and at the conclusion of his act Carrot Top himself poured us each a shot!

In 2019 we attended a Boyz II Men concert at the Mirage. The concert was great and we all enjoyed a walk down memory lane as many of their hits came during our high school years.

Jill and Nikki especially had a good time. At the conclusion of the concert they rushed the stage in hopes of receiving one of a handful of roses handed out by the band. In a hilarious twist of fate, in the pandemonium that ensued, Nikki received the top half of a long stem rose and Jill received just the stem. We now joke that together they were given a rose by Boyz II Men.

Another concert we attended in Las Vegas was Miranda Lambert, which was at Planet Hollywood. She put on a solid show and while we liked her music we were most impressed with the light show that came with the concert.

The most recent show we attended is Criss Angel-Mindfreak, which was also at Planet Hollywood. Criss Angel has been performing in Las Vegas since 2006 and is one of the best illusionist in the world. This is one of our favorite shows that we have seen in Las Vegas.

In addition to exploring the Strip and attending a show or two there are many other locations in and around Las Vegas we would recommend. Here is a list of other fun filled locations to check out. The Hoover Dam is extremely impressive and Jill and I have taken the tour twice. It is the tallest concrete dam in the United States and is responsible for Lake Mead, which extends over 100 miles. While you don’t go to Vegas for a tour of a dam, it was very informative and a first class tour.

In 2018 our family completed a 28-day roadtrip. The last couple of days was spent with our friends the Streets in Las Vegas. As always we had a blast and one particular night we decided to go out without the kids. Our first stop was to Top Golf, Jill’s and my first time, where we shanked golf balls and enjoyed dinner and drinks.

From there we headed to the Neon Museum. This outdoor museum is a collection of original Las Vegas neon signs that used to be proudly displayed around downtown Las Vegas. Each of these signs has a story and few, if any, cities in America have a more fascinating story than Las Vegas. A few of my favorite signs were Binion’s, Golden Nugget, and The Stardust.

This was one of the most unique museums I have ever experienced, not to mention a perfect ending to a great evening. We highly recommend a visit.

Speaking of unique locations that we would highly recommend, the Mob Museum is a must visit when in Las Vegas.

Besides learning the ins and outs of America’s crime families, the museum store had a great selection of fun items, and the tour concluded with a stop in a replica Speakeasy. Not only is this an interesting and exciting place to tour but it is a fun outing for the whole family.

One of the newest additions to the Las Vegas skyline is The Sphere.

This one of a kind structure was built in 2019 and is truly unlike anything ever built anywhere in the world. First, the structure is a circle and stands over 350 feet tall. Second the outside is completely covered in LED lights, a feature the marketing department takes advantage of.

The inside of the Sphere serves as a 17,000 seat concert hall equipped with one of the largest LED movie screens as well as one of the most advanced sound systems found anywhere in the world. We attended the “Postcard from Earth” IMAX style show in 2024.

The technology was on full display and watching and feeling the show was exciting. I only hope I someday have the opportunity to attend a concert in the Sphere.

I believe statements such as “variety is the spice of life” and “it takes all kinds” were made with Fremont Street in mind. Never have I seen a place with more interesting people. We value exposing our kids to people from all walks of life, at least in small doses, and Fremont is the perfect place to do just that. This is far and away my favorite place to visit in the city.

Besides people watching, we love the canopy of lights above the street, and we have all done Slot Zilla (zip line from one end of the street to the other). We have visited Fremont Street every time we have been in Vegas.

While Vegas has a well earned reputation for gambling and nightlife, we have found a number of fun adventures with kids. In 2018 we discovered the Pinball Hall of Fame. Your admission allows you to explore and play antique pinball machines. We spent a couple hours playing a variety of games.

The girls have also enjoyed trips to the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay.

Additionally they have visited the Wet and Wild Water Park on multiple occasions. The kids love water parks so they had an absolute blast here.

When touring the desert in the summer you have to come up with indoor activities that involve air conditioning. With temperatures routinely soaring above 100 degrees, this must be a factor when planning your day. As a result we have taken the kids to Kiss Mini Golf located at the Rio and Twilight Zone Mini Golf at Bally’s. The girls love putt putt and the courses were extremely entertaining.

We are so lucky to have Team Streets in our life. Back in 2011 who could have imagined the lifelong friendship, family adventures, and outright good times that were destined to spring from a chance meeting at an AP Conference in Southern California? One of Jill’s favorite memories is traveling to Las Vegas with friend Laura so they could attend Nikki’s 40th birthday party. The party theme was 80’s roller skating and it was held at the Crystal Palace Skate Center in Las Vegas. Sometimes you just need to have some fun and act like no one is watching.

The last night of our 28 day roadtrip in July 2018 we stayed one night at Harrah’s hotel and casino in Reno. While we walked around downtown, visited the famous “The biggest little city in the world” sign, and ate at a buffet in the hotel we really didn’t explore much of the city. Our hotel felt worn and in need of a facelift, but the city had a small town charm for a city of 250,000 people.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: Due to a close proximity to gambling, there used to be a separation between professional & collegiate sports performing in the State of Nevada. However that is no longer the case. In fact Las Vegas is quickly becoming a hot bed for professional and collegiate athletics. The first professional sports team to come to town was the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights in 2017.

They play in the first class T-Mobile Arena and while I have never been a huge hockey fan, I attended a game in 2024 and had a blast. It was St Patrick’s Day, everyone seemed to be dressed in green jerseys, many were drinking green beverages, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric.

The Knights handily defeated the New Jersey Devils. On that same trip in 2024 multiple NCAA conference tournament basketball games were also being held in Las Vegas. The Pac-12 Tournament was held at T-Mobile Arena where I attended the very last Pac-12 basketball game between the University of Oregon and Colorado.

The Mountain West Tournament was held at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. There I saw the semi-final game between San Diego State and Southern Utah.

In December 2019 I attended a college football bowl game. I flew to Las Vegas, connected with Streets, and we went to the Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. The University of Washington, in what turned out to be Coach Chris Peterson’s final game at UW, played and defeated Boise State 38-7. It was my first bowl game.

On that same trip, in fact on the same day, Streets and I watched the Running Rebels of UNLV take on the Robert Morris Colonials. The game wasn’t very well attended but it was really cool being in the Thomas and Mack Center (A common home for USA Olympic Basketball) and walking around the campus.

Also in 2019 (July), the 1st year of the new baseball stadium, we traveled to Summerlin to see the newly created Las Vegas Aviators play.

They are the AAA team of the Athletics and the stadium is a great place to see a game.

Way back in 2007 during our first trip to Las Vegas, Jill and I attended a Las Vegas 51’s game (AAA team of the Los Angeles Dodgers ) at Cashman Field.

ADVENTURE(S): In 2015, while staying with our friends, we had a rare evening with no plans. Feeling a little silly I asked Jerry to drive me to Area 51, an alleged top secret military base in the Nevada desert.

He agreed and we left mid afternoon. I can honestly say I have never been anywhere else more desolate.

We arrived in Rachel and stopped at the Little A’Lee Inn for an Alien Cheesburger for dinner.

After looking around and taking a handful of entertaining pictures, we left Rachel at dusk for the two hour drive back to Las Vegas. I have never seen darkness like that return trip through the desert. The eeriest thing was seeing all the eyes of various animals on the horizon.

I remember feeling that the desert was alive. That was the feeling I had when a jackelope ran onto the road directly into our vehicle. While I of course felt bad for the jackelope, I also felt bad for Jerry’s car bumper that was held together by a bungee cord for many years following the collision.

Over the years I have made a point to drive Nevada-375 when road tripping. Besides stopping once again in Rachel and the Little A’Lee Inn, we found the gravel road leading to the alleged Area 51 military base, and stopped at the Alien Research Center (an alien tourist store).

Besides the clerk we were the only people in the store. While Jill and I were browsing the shelves on the backwall Maddie raced up and insisted we follow her to the front of the store to see a fake scorpion. Considering we were in an alien store, Jill and I both felt like it was very conceivable that it was indeed a fake scorpion. However, when we arrived and prodded it with a few toe taps from our shoe we quickly discovered it was not fake. Needless to say we were lucky we didn’t get stung and left the store in a hurry.

While Jill and I are not big gamblers, I do enjoy placing a sports bet or two. Therefore the old saying “when in Rome do as the Romans do” definitely applies to me when visiting Las Vegas. The main two Sportsbooks I have visited are the Westgate and the Circa.

Both are over the top large, provide extra comfortable seats, access to food, and of course easy access to placing bets. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with either location.

RESTAURANTS & BARS: While people come to Las Vegas for many different reasons, the most consistent question I get asked is, “where is a good place to eat?” Here are the restaurants we have eaten at in Las Vegas. First, when visiting Sin City you have to try a buffet. One of the best is at Main Street Station located adjacent to Fremont Street. Besides a smorgasbord of goodies, there are sections of the Berlin Wall in the male restroom and outside you have a clear view of the Plaza Hotel (Biff’s Hotel from Back to the Future II). We have also eaten buffets at the Golden Nugget, Palms, and the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmo. After re-reading this paragraph, we evidently enjoy a good buffet.

While there is no doubt Las Vegas has hundred’s of first rate restaurants, our favorite vintage Vegas restaurant is the Peppermill.

We have enjoyed a night cap in the velvet lounge as well as a superb breakfast (different outings) in the restaurant. Another fun dinner outing, located just a couple miles off the strip, is Capos Restaurant & Speakeasy.

The restaurant is styled in a Chicago-Mob theme. Everything from how the waiters are dressed, to the live music, and even the secret entrance is right on the mark. Second when visiting Sin City I would suggest visiting a steakhouse as Las Vegas is home to some of the best in the world. Delmonico’s Steakhouse, one of Emeril’s collection of restaurants, located in the Venetian provides a fantastic meal. So does Buddy V’s (best known from TLC’s TV Show-Cake Boss) which is also located at the Venetian. Both restaurants we visited with friends and both nights were spectacular.

If you can only go to one restaurant and you like steak, Oscar’s Steakhouse is the clear choice. The restaurant looks out over the canopy on Fremont Street.

Inside the ambiance and food are as good as it gets. I consider my ribeye the best steak I have ever eaten. Oscar Goodman, the restaurant’s namesake, was the Mayor of Las Vegas from 1999-2011 and played a role in the telling of the Hollywood movie, Casino. Directly below the restaurant is the Carousel Bar, a unique and fun place to get an adult beverage.

The only other establishment near Fremont that I have eaten at is Evel Pie.

This pizzeria is named after legendary daredevil, Evel Knievel and their motto is, “Live hard, ride fast, eat pizza.” A majority of the restaurant is decorated in memorabilia related to Knievel and or his stunts.

Last, Las Vegas is home to some of the best collection of bars, cocktail lounges, saloons, watering holes, or simple dive bars anywhere in the world. Here are a few of my favorites along Fremont Street. Atomic Liquors opened in 1952 and quickly became a crowd favorite. Celebrities such as the Rat Pack, Barbara Streisand, Clint Eastwood, and Burt Reynolds (to name a few) have all visited the bar. Movies such as The Hangover, Casino, and the Twilight Zone have also filmed a segment here. If that isn’t enough history to perk your interest, they also used to sell rooftop seats so patrons could view the far off atomic testing in the desert. I enjoy visiting for the history of the location and the stiff drinks.

Another favorite establishment on Fremont is The Griffin. This watering hole is brick, dimly lit, and equipped with multiple fireplaces and candles. Their velvet clad benches are a perfect place to enjoy a cocktail. The Laundry Room is located on the same block and features a prohibition style speakeasy. Make sure you get a reservation as it is extremely popular. It is hands down one of the coolest vintage bars in all of Las Vegas.

The Arts District is another section of Las Vegas that is fun to visit when you are looking for a more down to earth experience than the over the top Strip.

ReBar is a laid back ecliptic establishment with a great indoor or outdoor establishment. I enjoyed sitting at the bar and chatting with the bartender almost as much as I enjoyed their bumper sticker slogan.

Nevada Brew Works is located a couple of blocks away from ReBar, and is a good place to enjoy a pint. Their establishment is a fun place to post up (inside or outside) I was there on St Patrick’s Day where they had a DJ blaring tunes and the crowd was lively.

Four Kegs is a dive bar type establishment that is off the beaten path. Their claim to fame is the stromboli (which is excellent). Guy Fieri’s TV Show, Diners, Drive In’s, and Dives featured them on an episode.

I enjoyed a bloody mary and their stromboli – if in the area it is worth checking out. I purposefully saved my favorite dive bar for last, The Double Down Saloon. It is located in the vicinity of the campus of UNLV (off Paradise Road), opened in 1992, and is billed as the “Anti-Las Vegas”. It is dark, dingy, and at least so far I haven’t found another bar like it.

Above the main entry door is a sign that reads “The Happiest Place on Earth” and their slogan inside the bar reads “Shut up and Drink.” I ordered their signature drink, Ass Juice, and then sat back and enjoyed the punk rock ambiance.

Cleaver Butchered Meats is one of the best steakhouses I’ve been too. The statement on their webpage pretty much sums up my experience, “we are a celebration of all things Vegas, without any of the pretension.

Oversize portraits of celebrities hang on the wall, the cocktail list was listed by decade or era, and the food was amazing. A definite must visit when in Las Vegas.

The Hash-House, which is now a chain, serves oversized platters of all your traditional breakfast foods.

I ordered the World Famous Fried Chicken Waffle Tower as well as a Bloody Mary. Both were excellent. After a night out in Las Vegas, I strongly recommend beginning the following day at a Hash-House.

NOTABLE DESTINATIONS: Located roughly 30 minutes outside of the city is Seven Magic Mountains. It is located directly off the I-15 freeway (connecting Las Vegas to Los Angeles). The best way to explain this stop comes from the 7 Magic Mountain webpage when it states that it features, “seven thirty to thirty five foot high day glow totems comprised of painted, locally sourced boulders.” It is free, a great place to explore, and definitely something different to experience.