Las Vegas Named One of America’s Best Family Destinations

Many years ago, you probably wouldn't have thought of Las Vegas as being a great family vacation spot. But, in a new article about all that Las Vegas has to offer, the experts at CNN say Vegas is in a new era of being a "Family-Friendly Vegas 2.0."

CNN notes that Las Vegas is filled with family-friendly attractions which they say appeals to younger people. They say what is very apparent in all of these Vegas attractions is technology.

"This is on full display at the ARTE Museum, where QR codes, pre-prepared 3D models and a process called UV mapping enable animals in the Live Sketchbook to come to life," CNN notes. "Guests choose from coloring pages with outlines of deer, giraffes and other animals, and use crayons to personalize their creatures however they see fit." They even call it a "modern-day 'Harold and the Purple Crayon."

The Family Vacation Hub agrees, writing that Las Vegas is an easy place to go for a vacation with kids. "Although the city is mainly geared toward adults, Las Vegas still offers up plenty for those visiting with their kids in tow," they note. "We have put together a guide of family friendly attractions, restaurants, hotels, shows, hotel pools as well as some family travel tips to help you plan that perfect Las Vegas family vacation."

If you're traveling to Vegas with kids, Visit Las Vegas suggests going to the area's Downtown Container Park. "Grab a bite at one of the many eateries, while the big kids can get an adult beverage at Oak & Ivy. Treat the whole fam with a gelato sensation at Waffelato, and then let the kids burn off the sugar high in The Treehouse playground and 33-foot slide."

Finally, AFAR Media suggest visiting the Circus Circus Hotel Resort. "The best resort pool for kids in all of Vegas, though, may be the Splash Zone at Circus Circus Hotel Resort; it features a water park with highlights like a 50-foot tower with three different slides, a water-feature playground with sprinklers and dump buckets, and a mobile food truck that serves poolside snacks," they note. "The Circus Circus pool is nothing fancy, but for families with young kids, it’s high on the wow factor, which really is all that matters here."

So, there you have it. Las Vegas isn't just for adults anymore. Bring the kiddies for some fun adventures.

Summer always brings a bevy of vacation options, some more exotic than others. But, you don't have to travel far or do something major to have a great vacation. There are many fun and affordable staycation ideas that can give you a memorable vacation memory by just staying close to home.

So, what exactly is the definition of a staycation? It's pretty self-explanatory, but according to the Oxford Dictionary, it's "a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. Similarly, Merriam-Webster says it's, "a vacation spent at home or nearby." I think it's a stretch to call any vacation that's spent in your home country a staycation. That would mean that someone living in Michigan who travels to California for a vacation is really having a "staycation." It makes much more sense to define a staycation as a vacation where you literally stay at home or do something fun in your local area. Thankfully, there are a plethora of great staycation ideas out there.

Plenty of cities have "be a tourist in your own town" activities promoted by their local city tourist bureaus, which are perfect for a staycation. Really, staycations have been around forever, but they increased in popularity during the pandemic, when people actually weren't allowed to travel abroad. Still, even after the pandemic, the staycation is going strong. According to an international study by tourism and hospitality experts in the U.S. and China, the "staycation phenomenon" that started during the pandemic is still very popular and likely to stay as a new normal. The study, dubbed "Customer Preferences for Staycation Package Attributes," is published online in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. It researched the local staycation preferences of Chinese tourists, as well as staycation information from the U.S., Netherlands and Indonesia.

I love a good staycation. It can be stressful to plan a huge trip to squeeze into your time off. By the time you get everything packed, do all the flight stuff and get to your hotel, you might just feel like resting for the short while that you're at your destination. What's more, you can often find so many great places close to home that you've never experienced before. I've had so many great staycations where I ventured to a part of town or the state that I had never been before, and those are among my favorite vacation memories. In that spirit, here are some fun and affordable staycation ideas. Send me your ideas, too.

Have a vacation in your living room or bedroom. Make it a movie-watching marathon. Watch a string of your favorite guilty-pleasure movies or binge-watch a brand new series. Either way, it'll be cozy and comfy.

If you have a state or national park nearby, use your vacation time to go adventuring. Being at a local park can offer some breathtaking scenery, especially in the summer. Have a picnic out there, too. If you don't have a state or national park close by, try a local park.

Nearly every town has a local museum or art gallery. Perhaps you've never really had the time to visit your local museum or art spot. Use your vacation time to explore those local spots, and you might find a new favorite place.

If you've driven by that new hotel for a while and wondered what it's like inside, why not book it for a night? You don't have to be traveling to say at a hotel, Airbnb or local bed-and-breakfast. It can make for an exciting adventure right in your backyard.

Using vacation time to plan a big party for friends is a good use of that time. Instead of traveling around the world, bring to world to you. Invite lots of your good friends, and spend some of the cash you would have on a vacation for your party. It'll be the party of the year. Make that decade.

Pamper yourself. Maybe you think having a spa day is too much of a luxury, but if you're saving money by not taking a big trip, why not use that money for a spa day? It's not just for ladies, either. Guys can book a spa day for a variety of services. It'll make for a day of bliss.