Vegas for Homeschoolers

When we told people we were going to Vegas with our children for Thanksgiving, we received several sideways glances and a few snide comments. But, neither my husband nor I have ever shied away from criticism, so off we went. 

First, it was a very short trip so there were MANY things we just could not do. Second, we did only the free stuff. third, we confined our visit to The Strip. Thus, I'm calling this the "Vegas Snapshot" trip. We do plan to return as the kids enjoyed every minute (even the endless walking) and they haven't stopped talking about it all week. 

I asked my 10-year-old if he thought Vegas was a good destination for home school kids (or any kid, really) and his answer was: "Heck ya! Where else can you see they pyramid, the Eiffel Tower and the Venice canal all on the same day?" 

It's kind of hard to argue with him on that point. That said, here's what we did while we were there (besides eat). 

Observed replicas of famous landmarks

• The Luxor pyramid is a glass pyramid standing 36 stories tall. The Pyramid of Giza is 455 feet tall (about 46 stories). This fall we've studied both Ancient Eygpt and most recently ratio and scale. We calculated that Luxor to Giza ratio is 360 to 455, meaning the Las Vegas replica is approximately 3/4 scale of the ancient pyramid in Egypt. 
• The Statue of Liberty at New York, New York casino is 1/2 scale of the original in the New York Harbor. Here we discussed that the real SOL also has a duplicate in France and was a gift from France in the late 19th century. We also saw a jelly bean replica and a solid chocolate replica of Lady Liberty as well as a model of the Empire State Building made entirely of Hershey bars.
• The Eiffel Tower at Paris casino is also about 1/2 the size of the real thing in France. But like its real counterpart, the Vegas tower also has an enclosed observation deck and a glass elevator. The first time I was in Paris, there was so much smog that you could barely see the Eiffel tower, so I actually like this one better.
• The Rialto Bridge at The Venetian is perhaps my favorite faux landmark. That could be because the real Rialto Bridge is also one of my favorite landmarks. Of course the real thing doesn't have a moving walkway inside, so maybe this one is better. Also at The Venetian, one can see a replica of St. Mark's Campanile and a much cleaner Piazzo San Marco. Speaking of much cleaner, the Vegas version of the Grand Canal is much cleaner than the real thing, however the gondolas are the real deal. 

Saw things that sparked our fancy

• The MGM looks a lot like an imaginary Emerald City which is a great visual as we read through The Wizard of Oz.
• The Excalibur is basically a castle. That was enough for Gracey. But for Adam, it was the perfect backdrop to discuss King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. 
• The volcano at the Mirage may not be realistic but it gives you a good idea of the heat and fury of a real eruption.
• The Fountains at The Bellagio with their dancing waters were so intriguing to the kids, we actually watched it twice.
• The Treasure Island no longer has pirate shows, but the ships are still there and to a 10-year-old boy, that's pretty cool. 
• Adam is really into Greek mythology and Roman history, so he really loved Caesar's Palace and he explained each of the statues to us as we passed them.
• We met Elsa, Olaf, Bumblebee the Transformer, Hello Kitty, Optimus Prime and countless other larger than life characters along the strip. 
• We saw a wheelchair-bound man levitate and a five-year-old boy impersonate Michael Jackson. C'mon, where can you see that?!

​Did things we can't do at home

• Until this trip, our kids had never been in a building taller than 19 floors. Our room was on the 44th. 
• Rode "rapid" elevators that skipped 30 floors before stopping
• Ate prawns and calamari on Thanksgiving
• Rode a monorail between hotels
• Watched it rain inside. 
• Visited an indoor theme park (though, I'd skip Circus Circus if I were you)
• Crossed the street via pedestrian bridge
• Shopped at The ABC Store which is actually a favorite from Hawaii. In fact, we shopped at 3 different ABCs.
• Shopped at Ross Dress for Less which is a favorite from California.
• Posed for pictures with bizarre statues and art
• Ate gelato while watching an opera

I realize that Vegas is a hot spot for all kinds of crime and despicable activity. But, honestly, we witnessed none of that. In fact, we saw many, many families visiting The Strip. 

It was a whirlwind, two-day trip but we had so much fun. And, we will definitely go back again. Just as soon as our feet recover from all the walking!