Memorable Family Vacations

[This is a long post, sorry.]

I just returned from Las Vegas, where my family spent two nights at the MGM Grand. The temperature averaged 110 degrees during the day, and probably something like 89 degrees at night. Needless to say, it was very hot outside. We tried to stay indoors for most of our time there, but traveling from place to place inevitably requires walking outdoors (a LOT of walking). I enjoyed spending time with my family, and an especially good time watching the Phantom of the Opera, which is now playing at the Venetian.

On Saturday night, my family saw Mystere, a production by Cirque du Soleil, which I can only describe as a glorified circus: displays of insane and amazing human feats, with elaborate sets, costumes, music, etc. I started describing all of the acts, but I decided to link you out to the website instead. The two most interesting acts? The hand-to-hand and the bungees. The hand-to-hand was pretty much the most homoerotic thing I've ever experienced, though, and the bungees were performed by men in thongs, suspended about 40 feet above our heads... so you can imagine the view from below. I enjoyed the show, but I think I enjoy all shows featuring gymnastics and acrobatics because I am a former pseudo-gymnast and performer. But is it worth $100? My personal opinion is: probably not.

That's the thing about Vegas: is any of it worth it? I'm a big proponent of abandoning frugality on family vacations, because the costs lead to the greater benefit of good experience and fun. Say I'm 40 and I take my kids to New York. I will of course buy tickets to the Central Park Zoo, rent one of those mechanical boats to set out on that pond in the Park, see a musical like Beauty and the Beast or something appropriately kid-friendly, indulge in some silly street-stand souvenirs, and eat as many vendor hot dogs or roasted nuts that we can manage to pack in. It's all in the name of the greater good of Quality Family Fun. But the Memorable Family Vacation in New York won't be memorable only because of the semi-costly attractions: they'll be interspersed between the fun memories of walking amidst the huge buildings, hearing the subway performers, seeing the giant Toys'R'Us in Times Square, etc. But the Memorable Family Vacation in Las Vegas would be memorable only because of the shows and the food and the arcade games. Walking around in desert heat and bumping into drunk men and nearly naked women in smokey crowded areas? Not so fun and memorable.

My personal favorite Memorable Family Vacation was Yosemite, CA. I was five, and I think we stayed in a glorified tent that was called a "cabin". We cooked our own food and ran around in some lake. I think we rented bikes once. But that was it. No elaborate circus, no arcade, just my family, some big trees, a tent, and me.

So I guess what I'm getting to is that I had a good time in Vegas because it was family time. But if I was to create my own family fun, I would probably have done it differently.

Find me in 20 years and ask me where I last vacationed--we may share a good laugh when my reply is, "Las Vegas".