So here's the story...Just back from a very long weekend in Vegas (3 nights to be exact) and instead of doing all the usual boring bloggy stuff about what we did etc, I thought I would turn this into a "Foreigners guide to Vegas" kinda deal.

If you've been to Vegas before, there are certain things that you probably just take for granted that can end up costing you a bunch of cash. And most of the time, it's probably because you don't know any different and if you're on vacation, you probably dont really care anyway. The place also has some crazy rules regarding kids. We dont normally take the kiddies to Vegas because, despite the state trying a "Kid friendly" marketing campaign, everyone knows that it's not a good place for the young 'uns. Anyway, here's some tips, info and blarb about our experiences:

Driving to Vegas
As mentioned below, we drive to Vegas. From sunny Santa Monica, it's about a 4 and a half hour journey if you dont stop. We tend to stop at Barstow, which is roughly half way there so our journey time is about 5 hours. If you do drive there are a couple of things to watch out for:

• Police traps - They encorce the speed limit, especially in the desert. The roads are so straight that its tempting to step on it but watch out. I'm in no way advocating speeding and they will throw the book at you for going even 10 MPH over. Especially if you have non Nevada license plates.
  
• Road works/traffic jams - Going to Vegas, you want to avoid the Friday afternoon/evening and early on Saturday. As you can imagine, weekenders set off after work or early on Saturday. coming back from Vegas, Anytime on the weekend can be bad..especially Sunday. 
  
• Where to stop?
  Going to Vegas - Barstow marks the last place before hitting the desert. The next decent place to stop after Barstow is Primm, which is the other side of the Desert. If you need to gas up, do it in Barstow.  Also, make sure your car's colling system is in good order. There are a few points where the altitude increases and that puts stress on the car.

How to get around Vegas 1 - Monorail
The main strip is big....impressivly so...and coupled with the fact it can get damn hot, there are a bunch of alternative ways to see the different hotel. For $12.50 a day, you can buy a monorail pass. There is a monorail station at hotels along the strip and its a great way to save shoe leather and beat the blazing heat. Coupled with the fact that many hotels have walkways linking them, it is possible to hop from one to the other without ever having to go outside.

How to get around Vegas 2 - Taxi V's Driving
Because of where we live, we were lucky enough to drive to Vegas from Santa Monica. This is great because once you get there, you can save a bunch on Taxi fares which, obviously depending on where you are going, can add up to a pretty penny. Going from one end of the strip to the other can cost up to $15 each way. If you have your own car, all of the hotels have parking. You can either self park or Valet park. There is no fee for the valet parking but the rule is to slip the attendant a few dollars once they bring the car back to you.  Finding the parking lots from the main strip is really easily because the hotel sign posts are all clear and consise. I managed it and my sense of direction is, to say the least, Pants! The only downside to self parking is that you may have a bit of a walk to the actual hotel entrance. Valet parking is the way to go!

Also, if you have your own car then you can stay off the strip and get away from the constant casino type aptmosphere...which can get to you after a while.

Kiddies info:
There is nothing to say that Kiddies aren't allowed in Vegas and the powers at be actually tried to advertise it as a fun place for the kids. The plain fact is that it's an adult playground but thats not to say kids cant enjoy it either. We have a 10 year old and a 3 year old and we managed to keep them suitably entertained. We stayed at the MGM and spent alot of time in the kiddies arcade. Most of the hotels have kids related stuff but the one thing I found missing are creche facilities, so you can say goodbye to the Vegas nightlife.

Another good thing about the MGM is the amount of pool space they have. I think there's 7 in all including a new river rapid type pool. The kids loved it and although you;re not allowed to take in any pool toys, I'm sure they could've stayed there for hours. Word of warning though.....we only went to the pool between before 10:00am then after 5:00pm. Sun burned children are a bad thing! 

The one weird thing are the ambigious rules re. kids in the casinos. They can be in there (they have to be because you always have to walk thourgh casinos) but they cant be standing still around the machines. We had a few interesting run ins with hotel security when my 10 year old stopped to tie his shoe lace. Having said that, security know how ambigious the ruels are and dont really say to much, they just ask you to make sure the kiddies are moving. At that point, my 10 year old started jogging up and down on the spot.

Alrighty, well, I think thats all I have to say on the matter. If anyone has any questions about taking kids to Vegas, driving to Vegas or anything in general. Let me know.

Cheers!
Stoafer.