Las Vegas, NV

Stratosphere Thrill Rides
DESCRIPTION: Beginning at 1,100 feet elevation, the High Roller Coaster will rattle you, another ride will hold you over the edge and Big Shot will sling you 160 feet further up and back; two people illegally base-jumped from its peak for thrils; fortunately, their parachutes opened or they would have been scrambled eggs on The Strip; for those preferring more sanguine delights, take photos of The Strip from the tallest observation deck in the US atop of Stratosphere

ADMISSION: begins at $13 for adults and varies by rides

DAYS & HOURS: daily, privided wind conditions are safe

ADDRESS: Stratoshere at 2000 Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-380-7777 or 800-998-6937

WEBSITE: http://www.stratospherehotel.com/thrills

Adventuredome Theme Park
DESCRIPTION: The kids will love Canyon Blaster, a double loop roller coaster and an indoor flume ride

ADMISSION: free

DAYS & HOURS: Fri-Sun 10a-Midnight, Mon-Thu 11a-6p

ADDRESS: Circus-Circus at 2880  Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-794-3939

WEBSITE: http://www.adventuredome.com

Siegfried & Roy Dolphin Habitat & Secret Garden
DESCRIPTION: Others may copy them, but this is the best White Tiger and Dolphin Habitat in Las Vegas; there are members of the Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums; you might even get lucky and see Siegfried & Roy trolling the grounds on a given day; you can order a VIP tour with an expert guide at 11a, 1p or 3p daily

ADMISSION: $15 adults, $10 ages 4-12, age 3 and under free

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 11a-5:30p, Sat-Sun  10a-5:30p

ADDRESS: Mirage at 3400 Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-791-7188

WEBSITE: http://www.miragehabitat.com

Speed-The Ride
DESCRIPTION: Las Vegas' fastest roller coaster at 70 mph and 3G forces highlights fin activities that include a state-of-the-art arcade, and Cyber Speedway virtual reality racing simulators; for racing fans there's also a NASCAR Café and Gift Shop in the casino

ADMISSION: roller coaster for $10; addtional fees for other attractions

DAYS & HOURS: daily; coaster depends on weather conditions

ADDRESS: Sahara at 2535 Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-737-2887

WEBSITE: http://www.saharavegas.com/content/NASCAR/SPEED-facts

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas
DESCRIPTION: Once you enter, curiosity takes over as you see the likenesses of Barack Obama, Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Snoop Dogg, Martin Luther King, JFK, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Will Smith, Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Hefner, George Clooney, Brad Piit, Angelina Jolie and others; in case you didn't know Madame Tussaud's is the gold stadard for creating lifelike wax figures, look in the eyes of Johnny Depp and Beyonce' who appear to be in the room posing; the intricate detail of each wax figure ranges from very good (when the representing historical figures for whom photos were the only basis available) to astounding (when the persons modeled for wax museum staff and enabling them to capture over 200 personal measurements); a new wax figure these days costs over $300,000
ADMISSION: Adult $25, Age 60+ and age 13-18 $18, age 7-12 $15, age 6 and under enter Free
DAYS & HOURS: Sun-Thu 10a-9p,
ADDRESS: 3377 Las Vegas Blvd, South at The Venetian  MAP
TRANSIT: Las Vegas Monorail Harrahs Station
PHONE: 702-862-7800
WEBSITE: http://www.madametussauds.com/LasVegas

STAR TREK: The Experience
DESCRIPTION: A fan favorate, this attraction lets you interact with live actors in re-creation of U.S.S. Enterprise, battle aliens in motion simulator through space

ADMISSION: $43 adults, $36 seniors, ages 12 and under

DAYS & HOURS: daily Noon-8:30p

ADDRESS: Las Vegas Hilton at 3000 Paradise Road  MAP

PHONE: 702-697-8700

WEBSITE: http://www.lvhilton.com/entertainment/startrek.shtml

Las Vegas GameWorks
DESCRIPTION: If your teenagers are getting antsy for the latest video games, bring them to this incredible high-tech entertainment and restaurant experience in a casual decor; a cool, high-energy bar serving signature martinis and specialty cocktails; and the most entertaining and interactive games and attractions in the world

ADMISSION: free, but only age 21 and over admitted after 9p

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Thu 10a–12p, Fri-Sat 10a-1a, Sun 10a-12p

ADDRESS: 3785 Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-432-4263

WEBSITE: http://www.gameworks.com/?tId=1&sId=8

The Roller Coaster
DESCRIPTION: Roller coaster that twists, loops and dives around the New York-New York resort perimeter

ADMISSION: modest fee

DAYS & HOURS: Sun-Thu 11a-11p, Fri-Sat 10:30a-12a

ADDRESS: New York-New York at 3790 Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-740-6969

WEBSITE: http://www.nynyhotelcasino.com/entertainment

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
DESCRIPTION: Viewed by over 20 million people worldwide, this Las Vegas venue has spared no no expense hosting one of the most popular historical exhibitions in history;  this 25,000-square foot Titanic venue hosts passenger luggage, the ship's whistles, artifacts from the first-class smoking room, a window frame from the Verandah Cafe, an unopened bottle of champagne, a large piece of the hull, a full-scale re-creation of the Grand Staircase and large outer Promenade Deck, complete with the frigid temperatures felt on that fateful night of 14 April 1912; the gift shop is a collector's dream 

ADMISSION: $27 adults, $25 age 65+, $20 ages 5-12, ages 4 and under FREE

DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-10p

ADDRESS: 3900 Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-262-4400

WEBSITE: http://www.luxor.com/attractions/attractions_titanic.aspx

Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
DESCRIPTION: One of Vegas newest attractions, its home to 16 different species of sharks, and a 1000 more tropical and fresh water fish, reptiles, marine invertebrates and ray, Shark Reef begins as a wildlife exhibit then transforms into a reef filled with reef sharks, nurse sharks, sand tiger sharks, zebra sharks, bamboo sharks, and lemon sharks among others; several species of angelfish, puffer fish and venomous lionfish and golden crocodiles also populate this exciting $49 million aquarium; includes a self-guided audio tour and for an extra fee you can even Dive with the Sharks

ADMISSION: $15 adults, $10 ages 5-12, ages 4 and under free

DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-11p

ADDRESS: 3950 Las Vegas Blvd, South  MAP

PHONE: 702-632-7777

WEBSITE: http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/shark_reef.aspx

Adventure Studios
DESCRIPTION: This family attractions park offers many special events and has catered to black families with the ABA's Las Vegas Rattlers and various games; attractions at the center include Slugger Stadium batting cages, Challenger go-cart tracks, three paintball fields, Blasters Arcade with DDR Dance Revolution Extreme machines, billiards, indoor soccer and dodgeball

ADMISSION: modest fee

DAYS & HOURS: daily 11a - until

ADRRESS: 2240 Corporate Circle  MAP

PHONE: 702-933-1009‎

WEBSITE: http://www.adventurestudios.com/attractions

Henderson, NV

Ethel M Chocolates Factory & Botanical Cactus Garden
DESCRIPTION: Self-guided tour of chocolate factory, botanical cactus garden and complimentary chocolate samples

ADMISSION: free

DAYS & HOURS: Sun-Sat 8:30a-7p

ADDRESS: 2 Cactus Garden Drive  MAP

PHONE: 888-627-0990

WEBSITE: http://www.ethelschocolate.com

Lake Mead, NV

Lake Mead and Hoover Dam
DESCRIPTION: Lake Mead National recreation Area provides 500 miles of shoreline for swimming, boating, fishing, picnicking; the highlight for most first-timers is the viewing stations and the drive across the awe-inspiring Hoover Dam

ADMISSION: free

DAYS & HOURS: daily

ADDRESS: US Route 93 at the Nevada and Arizona border  MAP

PHONE: 702-565-9111

WEBSITE: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam