Thanks everyone so much for your advice! I'll let ya know what we come up with!

Ah.. no worries Lilith.. you can return the favor when all of us make our trip to Florida :) Mine is only a few months away... will have to do a similar thread then :)

Have fun! THere are a lot of options. :)

We've made many, many trips to vegas. And to be quite honest in the beginning, 20 years ago we always stayed at the newest hotels, paying as much as $225 a night. But about 10 years ago we decided that we only spend a few hours a night actually in our hotel rooms, so since then we usually go for the cheaper hotels, ie Circus Circus, about $35 a night, or one of the other smaller hotels just off the strip for just under $50. We spend the extra money on more shows, or other entertainment.

Even though we are staying in the cheaper hotels we can still take advantage of the free/paid shows in the bigger casinos. We also usually take a taxi ride when we first arrive, and ask the driver where the best party places are, and where the best local gambling is. They can usually surprise us with an off the beaten path fun spot.

Remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas... You can experience anything you want there, just be careful not to get yourself in a place where you can't get away from if the need arises, as there are a lot of people there that will take advantage of you.

Ok well we booked our trip. First real vacation in 17 years:D

We just could not afford the super nice places like the Venetian but the Aladdin has low rates the week we want to go and the rooms are deluxe vs. standards. Something else we noticed was that if you avoided Friday and Saturday nights, the cost for a room was only 1/4 to 1/3 the cost of the weekend. We will just go Sun-Fri:D

Now I need info on the "must see" things there. Where do we need to eat? What shows should we not miss? Which casinos are the best and why? Is the Hoover Dam really something I want to see?

I don't want to put you off Lil - but I'll be in Vegas soon for business and was wondering whether it's a suitable place for the Kids?

Or should we stay somewhere else and let me pop over to Vegas for the work?

What suggestions can you give? Thanks.

I hear that it's a great place for a family vacation! Here's an article from a FamilyFun magazine

http://familyfun.go.com/travel/plac...y0800vegas.html

Thanks Lil. That's great, and I see why you posted - there are just so many hotels!!?? I definitely want to see the Grand Canyon before I get boxed up.

I think that it will take as long as the holiday itself to find out and plan all the things to do. Ironically though I'm not a gambler, but temptation is powerful mistress.

I think there are good day-trips to Hoover Dam as well.

IAKG was right on the mark. Check out Paris too. Really nice!

Will do. We have another couple going with us now. Funny I took one of them on my honeymoon too:p We are more adventurous in a group. Lastnight I proposed that we hit a strip club too while we are there. Neither of us have them near where we live. Anybody got any ideas on which one to go to???

Lilith - I personally experienced the Hoover Dam on a day trip and I really wouldn't recommend it. It was extremely hot, and the tour that took about 3 hours started to get really boring. I was excited to see the dam, because it is a good educational thing to see, but the tour was just a little much. We went into the boiler rooms, through tunnels, spent lots of time under the desert sun, and then made several stops on the way back to see some "overlooks". All I wanted to do was get back to the casino and have a cool drink! I would recommend seeing the dam, but maybe try a smaller trip, or rent a car and drive yourself. I wouldn't waste an entire day at the damn dam!! LOL!

You gotta see the fountains at Bellagio - that is an absolute must!! And the roller coaster at New York, NY is great, if you don't mind paying $10 for a ride. I enjoyed the Venetian shops also, and try to make it by Ceasar's those are both a must see. At night, the Ghost Bar in the Palms is so cool! Drinks are pricey but well worth it considering the atmosphere.

HAVE FUN!!

thanks for the great tips going in aug.