At one time Las Vegas was little more than a tiny town in the desert, then came the boom time of the big casinos and the reputation of being a fun place to visit began to grow.  Today, many of those original big casinos that once boasted performers such as Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr, have been torn down and in their place stand entertainment complexes that are part hotel, and part theme park. 

Today the Las Vegas strip is a strange place by day; an imposing array of awkward looking high storey hotels on either side of the road.  But as the ugly ducking transformed into a swan, these buildings transform into a magical land of colored lights and fancy special effects once darkness falls.  Each of the main hotels has it’s own signature and often these are programmed to run at set times every night, so check with your hotel concierge if they have a list of the times – or visit the websites for each hotel prior to starting your vacation.

As the best time to see the strip is after dark, keep the daylight for taking part in the various other activities such as shopping, museums (such as Liberace’s), and even taking a peek in one of the famous wedding chapels, but make sure you save most of your energy for once the sun goes down and Vegas really comes to life.

Gambling at Vegas is almost mandatory – not by the establishments, but by human nature!  To make sure you get home in one piece, set a limit to how much you can afford to lose in any one night, and don’t go over that amount.  Pace your budget by taking in a dinner show at one of the hotels – check the local listings to see who’s appearing where during your vacation, then ask your hotel reception if they can get you tickets.

Las Vegas is more than just casinos, but if you enjoy bright lights, cabaret and the sound of poker chips being restacked, then there’s no better place to spend your vacation.

Located near Keystone, South Dakota, is the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.  Originally commissioned as a way of encouraging more visitors to an area where the local economy needs tourists, the 18m sculpture was started in 1927 and completed in 1947.  The memorial depicts facial likenesses of past Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, and is responsible for bringing around 2 million visitors to the Dakota area each year. 

Although there doesn’t outwardly appear to be much to keep visitors at the area for a day,  be prepared to spend a while there as Mount Rushmore is more than just a historical carving in the face of a mountain.  During the day, take advantage of the beautiful area to do some hiking or biking.  There’s plenty of wildlife in the Black Hills area to provide photograph opportunities and excite younger members of the family.  If it’s a hot day, cool off a little in the Lincoln Borglum Museum which shows a 13 minute movie about Mount Rushmore.  Afterwards take a stroll along the Presidential Trail which begins at the Grandview Terrace (above the theatre), which is one of the best viewing areas of the memorial, and ends at the Sculptor’s Studio.  Here you can learn more about the process involved with creating a memorial on such a huge scale.  If you have children in your party, there’s also a children’s program led by a ranger which lasts about a half an hour, but they must be accompanied by parents.

Once dusk falls the rangers lead a evening lighting ceremony.  This is held in the amphitheatre and is more information about how the sculpture was created.  Immediately following the presentation, Mount Rushmore is illuminated and remains lit for two hours. 

If you only have a few hours to spend, then try to organize your visit so that you not only enjoy the memorial in sunlight, but also can experience the magic of seeing the huge sculpture illuminated against the dark evening sky.

Denver, Colorado, is one of America’s most beautiful cities.  It’s also a city where within minutes you aren’t just out in the suburbs, you are out in the mountains in the middle of nowhere!  This city of strong contrasts is a great place to spend a vacation as it has something to offer everyone from the very young to the not so young. 

The fact that gold is the foundation on which Denver was built is very much in evidence around the city with various landmarks being the product of the gold boom era – from the house in which Molly Brown lived (now a museum that recounts her rags to riches story through narration and artifacts), to the cathedral that she helped finance with the money made from the gold her husband discovered in his mine.

The capitol building is a beautiful piece of architecture but if you have enough energy to walk up to the top of it’s dome, you’ll be rewarded by being able to stand on the spot where Denver’s “mile high” city nickname originates – you’ll be standing one mile above sea level.  The view from the top is well worth the climb!

Most cities have malls; Denver takes it that one step further.  The 16^th Street Mall is a mile long, and even has its own shuttle bus to transport you up and down as you shop.  The mall isn’t closed in as most malls are, and with cafes and fountains it’s a great place to sit outside and people watch in the afternoon.

Home to the Denver mint (no samples given), Denver museum has a dinosaur skeleton as one of it’s major exhibits and if the weather isn’t playing nice, the Children’s Museum of Denver is a fun place to take the kids until the sun comes out again.   When the weather changes, the Denver zoo and Six Flags Amusement Park will help keep boredom at bay!

Whether you’re interested in architecture, history, thrills or the natural environment, you’ll be sure to find it in Denver.

Nestled, on the eastern edge of South Carolina, lie the beautiful sand of Myrtle Beach.  Here you’ll be sure to have a vacation that will suit the entire family.  Whether you prefer to camp or stay in a resort type hotel, there’s accommodation to suit everyone and activities that will ensure that everyone has something to do that they love.

For the kids, the beach is the place to be.  Here they’ll enjoy clean beaches that reach down into the Atlantic Ocean, some of the beaches have entertainment so it’s just a matter of finding the one that fits your kids the best, then you can settle down to relax whilst they play.   Once they’ve had enough sand and sea for the day, you can take them into the shopping areas.  Myrtle Beach is home to a number of retail outlet malls offering bargains to take home as your vacation souvenirs.

Apart from the sand, Myrtle Beach has something else in abundance – golf courses!  It’s difficult to go anywhere in the Myrtle Beach area without driving past a golfing green.  There are golf courses to suit every kind of player from beginner to tournament standard, so whatever your handicap, you’re sure to find a game somewhere. 

Once the sun goes down, tourists in Myrtle Beach can turn their attention to the nightlife of the area.  As with many tourist dominated locations, there are a number of dinner shows that are sure to leave a lasting memory with the whole family – whether it’s a musical extravaganze at the Carolina Opry, or the Alabama Theatre, or a four course feast and floor show at the Dixie Stampede, you’re bound to return to your accommodation with some familiar tunes in your head. 

Myrtle Beach is a great old fashioned holiday for the entire family, so if you haven’t decided where to go on your next family vacation, this could be the perfect choice.

In a city where there’s so much to see, you need to plan your visit carefully to make the most of the time you have available.  If you have any interest in flight and/or space travel, then one of the must do items on your Washington DC itinerary is a visit to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.  Even those with little more than a passing interest will find themselves caught up in the magic of space travel when they come face to face with aircraft that have actually been into space or are able to touch a rock that once belonged on the moon. 

Many of the exhibits at this museum, which has no obligatory entry fee, are either the real artefacts that went into the air or space, or are the back-up ones which would have went on the missions had the first equipment failed.  There are two main areas to the museum, the National Mall Building, and the newer  Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 

In the National Mall Building you can find exhibits as historically diverse as “The Spirit of St Louis” in which Charles Lindbergh made the first transatlantic solo flight, and the Apollo 11 Command module.  The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is home to items such as the Enola Gay, and the space shuttle “Enterprise” (you can find the original filming model of the starship USS Enterprise in the lower level of the museum gift store!). 

With hands on teaching exhibits on such subjects as planetary science, as well as the artefacts, the National Air and Museum is not only interesting to adults who have lived through many of the flight achievement firsts noted at the museum, but it’s also educational and fun for kids, making it a perfect family destination.