This past weekend, I took a quick jaunt to Vegas for a little family get-together. “A family get-together?”, you ask. Yes, apparently families go to Vegas. I am willing to bet you haven’t seen a whole lot of Vegas trip photo albums for various reasons (probably a tie for either being too deep in the Vegas mindset to even take any and/or a Hangover-esque line up of shots that should not be shared among public internet-goers).

But guess what? If you go to Vegas with your family, you can have a great deal of fun while admiring the intricacy and opulence of the whole place. The key is to look up. Far above the 5-liter adult sippy cups of frozen cocktails, above the row of perms seated at the penny slots, and way up beyond the extreme breakfast buffets (although those things are all pretty awesome in their own right). Yes, look up; there is a lot of beauty to be found above the 20 ft mark in Vegas.

Opulent lobby details @ The Venetian Hotel

Pretty things to put you in a shopping mood @ The Palazzo Hotel

Even Gondoliers need a break @ The Venetian Hotel

Architectural intricacy to rival the real Venice @ The Venetian Hotel

Une petite snack @ The Paris Hotel

A rare empty moment @ the grand Caesar’s Palace pools (that’s my sis)

A monorail jet-set to the north end of the strip @ New York New York Hotel

High tea with the Mint-Sprinkliest dish ware @ The Bellagio Hotel

Winner, winner chicken dinner. Your move, Vegas.

There are also a surprising amount of ways to keep yourself entertained, those that involve early nights, staying hydrated and not losing your rent money – how novel!

STAY @ The Venetian or Palazzo Hotels + The Wynn or Encore Hotels

SHOP @ The Shops at Crystals, Fashion Show, Premium Outlets, Caesar’s Palace Forum Shops

EAT @ Tao, Mesa Grill, Sushi Roku, Cut, Milos, Petrossian Bar Tea @ The Bellagio Hotel

SEE the dancing fountains @ The Bellagio, Cirque du Soleil, V the Ultimate Variety Show (bang for your buck!)

OTHER fun family stuff (mostly in summer months) include: hiking, golf (and mini golf), Grand Canyon tours and exploring downtown Las Vegas.

xo Ali