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Editor's Choice Hotel |
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Las Vegas |
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Las Vegas Family Attractions |
Published On: Jul 31, 2006
Wondering where to take the family on your trip to Vegas? There's so much more to Vegas than casinos and gambling. Here are a few attractions that are great for good 'ole fashioned family fun.
Las Vegas Zoo - Southern Nevada Botanical Park
1775 N. Rancho Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89106
Open daily: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Las Vegas Zoo features over 150 species of apes, chimps, reptiles, birds, tigers, mongoose, fossas, venomous snakes and plants, along with a selection of action-packed eco tours. Meet a family of Barbary Apes. Native to the Rock of Gibraltar, these unique apes are tailless, and usually have yellowish-grey to grayish-brown fur, and guess what? They're actually monkeys, not apes. Also featured at the zoo is a group of Bali mynahs. These rare birds, indigenous to the island of Bali, have a distinctive blue mask around their eyes, and are near extinction with an estimated 400-600 left in the entire world. Additionally, those looking for a more adventurous excursion can embark on a desert eco-tour. Tours explore old mining towns, deserted ghosts towns and the mysterious Area 51.
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Open daily: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Last tickets sold at 10 p.m.
Embark on a rare aquatic adventure at Shark Reef as you encounter a barrage of fascinating fish, snidely sharks and raging reptiles. Each exhibit takes you deeper into the ocean. Start your journey in the marshlands and peruse white crocodiles, water monitors (similar to komodo dragons) and the rare and virtually extinct golden crocodiles. (Only twelve are presumed to exist in the wild.) Further along the Amazon features an assortment of jungle-lurking predators. For instance, the ever-intriguing monkey fish can leap out of the water to capture and devour small birds! Then there's the most ferocious and relentless species of fish on the planet - piranhas. Up next are the hands-on exhibits. Kids will jump at the opportunity to pet a variety of marine life. Easily the most fascinating portion of Shark Reef is up next. Enter a gargantuan tunnel that surrounds you on all sides with a vast assortment of fish, giant rays, sea turtles and spookily lurking sharks. It certainly is a humbling experience to stroll through a plethora of ominous sharks and sea life.
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