Many people take advantage of the host city for the Potato Expo as an excuse for a family vacation. (With the extra workload everyone has, who doesn't need an excuse nowadays?) We know there's plenty to do in Sin City, but we know a vast majority of you want to leave the "Sin" part out of it. That's why we've compiled a list of fun, family-friendly things to do while you and the family are in Vegas at Caesars Palace-outside of attending the Potato Expo, of course. There's a lot more to do in Vegas than just gamble and watch show girls. What goes on in Vegas doesn't need to stay there.
Visit one of the sweetest retail-entertainment attractions found on the Vegas Strip. This 28,000-square-foot, four-level monument to the colorful fun of M&M's Brand candies is simply M'azing. Create your very own personalized M&M's at the one-of-a-kind Personalized Printer machine! Feeling the need for speed? Race over to the full-sized #18 NASCAR and pick up the hottest M&M's Racing merchandise featuring Las Vegas' own, Kyle Busch. They even have a free 3-D movie, "I Lost My `M' in Vegas," starring Red and Yellow that shows daily. Open every day from 9 a.m. to midnight.
Where: 3785 Las Vegas Blvd S
Contact: (702) 740-2504
This spirited and spooky ghost tour will take you to the haunting grounds of Bugsy Siegel, Liberace, Redd Foxx and Elvis. Haunted Vegas Tours now makes it possible to visit such eerie sites by offering a guided tour and show, featuring Sin City's Darkest Ghostly Secrets.
According to paranormal historians, there are more than 21 places where paranormal activity has been documented in Las Vegas.
The tour covers such sites as the "Motel of Death," where numerous celebrity deaths have occurred and the former home of a Las Vegas legend where his ghost continues to haunt despite numerous attempts to exorcise it.
Where: Royal Resort, 99 Convention Center Drive, Las Vegas Strip
Contact: (702) 339-8744
The 25,000-square-foot exhibit features numerous items from the Titanic, including luggage, the ship's whistles, floor tiles from the first-class smoking room, a window frame from the Verandah Cafe and an unopened bottle of champagne with a 1900 vintage. In addition, the exhibit features a piece of Titanic's hull, a full-scale re-creation of the Grand Staircase as well as a newly expanded outer Promenade Deck, complete with the frigid temperatures felt on that fateful April night.
These actual artifacts, recovered from two-and-one-half miles below the surface of the North Atlantic, tell the story behind the legendary Titanic's short journey from construction and destruction to eventual recovery. Walk her decks, peer into her cabins and meet her passengers and crew.
Described as a floating palace, the incomparable Titanic was deemed "practically unsinkable" by the White Star Line and its builders. However, on a calm April night in 1912, the massive luxury liner struck an iceberg and slowly sank into the North Atlantic. Since then, many items from the wreckage have been recovered and added to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.
Where: 3900 Las Vegas Blvd S
Contact: (702) 262-4000
Mandalay Bay
The Shark Reef transports visitors to an undersea ocean of sights, sounds and encounters. The Shark Reef contains more than 2,000 animals representing 100 different species in 1.6 million gallons of water. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission.
Where: 3950 Las Vegas Blvd S
Contact: (702) 632-7777
The volcano at the Mirage erupts every top of each hour from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., spewing smoke and fire 100 feet above the water. Known the world over for its iconic Strip-front feature, The Mirage has joined forces with legendary Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, Indian tabla sensation Zakir Hussain and Fountains of Bellagio design firm WET to create an all-new audio/visual spectacle.
Where: 3400 Las Vegas Blvd S
Contact: (702) 791-7111
Adventuredome Theme Park has mountains of thrills under the dome, including the Canyon Blaster, Sling Shot, Chaos, Inverter, Rim Runner and Lazer Blast. World-renowned live circus acts free every day. Performances are daily from 11 a.m. to midnight every 30 minutes.
Where: 2880 Las Vegas Blvd S
Contact: (702) 794-3939 [theme park],
(702) 734-0410 [Circus Acts]
Don't miss this chance to race a Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8, 2012 Aston Martin Vantage S, and/or Nissan GT-R. Get behind the wheel and feel the adrenaline rush as you tear up the 1.1-mile, 9-turn track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (driving experience); add 1 hour for Ride-Along;
Cost: Exotic Car Driving $299 each; Exotic Car Driving + Ride-Along $398 each
Location: The Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7000 Las Vegas Blvd. N)
To Book: www.expedia.com and click on "Things to Do" tab and search for "Las Vegas."
Fly from South Las Vegas Valley to the Grand Canyon and back again on this unique tour. The accompanying desert landscape affords many picturesque views from the sky, including Fortification Hill, an extinct volcano. Pass over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead as you make your way to a canyon picnic. Travel 3,500 feet (1,067 meters) inside the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to enjoy cool beverages, a light snack and a champagne toast for the adults 300 feet (91 meters) above the Colorado River. Take a journey through Black Canyon on your way back to the South Las Vegas Valley.
Duration: About 4 hours
Cost: From $383.99 each
To Book: www.expedia.com and click on "Things to Do" tab and search for "Las Vegas."
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Enjoy a scenic desert bus ride before spending a couple hours exploring the feat of modern engineering that is the Hoover Dam and discovering why it is considered a wonder of the industrial world.
Come experience firsthand the physical and historic majesty of the Hoover Dam, standing at 726 feet (222 m) and weighing more than 6.6 million tons (nearly 6 million metric tons). Set amid Black Canyon and Lake Mead, the structure itself and the surrounding terrain provide plenty of exploration opportunities during your two-hour visit to the area. Take the National Park Service's Power Plant Tour to learn more about the dam's history, and be sure to check out Oscar J.W. Hansen's sculptures commemorating the remarkable construction of the dam.
Duration: About 5 hours 30 minutes
Cost: $55 each
To Book: www.expedia.com and click on "Things to Do" tab and search for "Las Vegas."