Las Vegas, Nevada

The Bellagio's choreographed water fountain show in the lake fronting the hotel runs every 30 minutes in the afternoon and every 15 minutes in the evening — it's free, it's spectacular, and kids of all ages are genuinely dazzled by the 240-foot water jets synchronized to music. Best viewed from the Strip sidewalk across the street or from the Bellagio terrace. The show runs 12 minutes and worth timing a walk around.

Pace

Flexible pace with natural break points.

Nap plan

Works between naps if travel time stays short.

Getting there

Mostly on foot; check stroller terrain, shade, and the easiest drop-off point.

Weather

Heat, shade, and rain can change the experience; keep a nearby indoor fallback.

A 35-mile drive from the Strip, Hoover Dam is one of America's most impressive engineering achievements — a 726-foot curved concrete arch spanning the Colorado River that created Lake Mead and powered the development of the entire Southwest. The Visitor Center is well-designed with exhibits accessible to children ages 8 and up, and the guided powerhouse tour goes inside the dam itself through service tunnels. The scale of the structure is hard to communicate until you're standing next to it.

Pace

Flexible pace with natural break points.

Nap plan

Protect the nap in transit or schedule a quiet reset halfway through the day.

Getting there

Check parking or transfer time before choosing a ticket slot.

Weather

Heat, shade, and rain can change the experience; keep a nearby indoor fallback.

Twenty miles west of the Strip, Red Rock Canyon offers dramatically colored red sandstone cliffs, desert tortoise habitat, and some of the most scenic hiking in the Mojave Desert. The 13-mile scenic drive loop is accessible with any vehicle and provides excellent views without hiking. The Calico Hills area has scrambling rocks for older kids and easy 1-mile loop trails for families with toddlers. Bring water — the desert is real.

Pace

Flexible pace with natural break points.

Nap plan

Works between naps if travel time stays short.

Getting there

Check parking or transfer time before choosing a ticket slot.

Weather

Heat, shade, and rain can change the experience; keep a nearby indoor fallback.

At 550 feet, the High Roller at the LINQ Promenade is the world's tallest observation wheel and provides the best elevated view of the Las Vegas Valley available. Each glass pod holds 40 people for a 30-minute rotation. Daytime rides show the surrounding desert mountains clearly; nighttime rides show the Strip in full neon glory. Best for kids age 6 and up — some younger children are nervous in the glass cabin.

Pace

Flexible pace with natural break points.

Nap plan

Works between naps if travel time stays short.

Getting there

Check parking or transfer time before choosing a ticket slot.

Weather

Heat, shade, and rain can change the experience; keep a nearby indoor fallback.

Sixty miles northeast of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire is one of the most visually spectacular state parks in America — ancient Aztec sandstone formations eroded into fiery orange-red sculptures, ancient petroglyphs left by the Ancestral Puebloan people, and petrified logs from 225-million-year-old trees. The short Mouse's Tank trail (0.9 miles) is accessible for families with young children and passes dozens of petroglyphs. Stop at the excellent Visitor Center before the drive.

Pace

Flexible pace with natural break points.

Nap plan

Works between naps if travel time stays short.

Getting there

Check parking or transfer time before choosing a ticket slot.

Weather

Heat, shade, and rain can change the experience; keep a nearby indoor fallback.