For our last vacation as a family of three, we decided to go somewhere warm and relaxing. So, we went to Las Vegas.

I know what you’re thinking, Las Vegas is not a relaxing destination. It’s a party hardy kind of town. Well, when you’re staying off the strip at a resort that looks as tropical as anything in the Caribbean, it can definitely be a relaxing trip. Well, as relaxing as a trip can be with a three-year-old.

Over the years, I always imagined that my husband and I would have our babymoon (a last hoorah before the baby) on a beach in the Caribbean. But with Zika being what it is, it just didn’t seem worth it. I wanted to find a warm place where Zika wouldn’t pop up between booking my holiday and getting there.

Las Vegas seemed like the perfect place. It’s warm, but its dry environment makes it uninhabitable to mosquitos, let alone Zika mosquitos. And so, the trip planning began.

All along, I knew that I wanted to bring my daughter. This was a special time. It was our last time together, without any interruptions, as a family of three. We decided to visit Tahiti Village. It’s just off the strip, about a 10-minute drive, and it is a wonderful place to visit with the family. It has two swimming pools, one with a beach entrance and the other is a lazy river. I could spend all day floating in that lazy river.

We had so much fun playing in the pools and just relaxing around the resort. Some days, we just hung out around the resort. Even if we visited the strip or Red Rock Canyon, we always made time to relax, play, and have fun.

Overall, we were really happy with our stay at Tahiti Village. Aside from the pools, I also loved the products. The shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soaps all smelled amazing. The combination of lime and coconut smelled exotic and it even left my hair soft and thick. I seriously loved it!

The rooms were also great. (Sorry, there are no pictures). We stayed in a one bedroom suite, which had a full kitchen. My daughter slept on a pullout couch in the living area. She loved reminding us that she had the biggest room and it even had a kitchen in it.

The only downside was that there were not enough restaurants on the premises. They had one restaurant, 17 Degrees South, which surprisingly had no kids menu. You’d think a resort that advertises itself as a family friendly resort would have a restaurant with a kids menu. There’s also Denny’s nearby, so close that it is almost in the resort.  I would have liked if there were a couple of restaurants, with kids menus, and even room service.

Enough about the negatives or could be better, one amazing service that the resort offers is shuttle service. There are free trips to the grocery store, the Las Vegas Strip, and a nominal fee to visit Red Rock Canyon.

Red Rock Canyon is a perfect stop on a family vacation to Las Vegas. We visited the canyon on our first full day. Luckily the trip is only a half day tour, it gets seriously hot there.

I have never seen anything like Red Rock before. With shades of red, brown, white, and beige painted across the rocks, it is truly remarkable. The pictures don’t do it justice.

We also visited an area where you can go hiking. At first, I thought I’d brave it. I was up for an adventure. But then I remembered that I’m pregnant. My balance is not what it usually is. This growing belly makes hiking a little challenging. So, I walked until I found a smooth, bench-like rock, and I sent my family to continue on without me.

We finished off our Red Rock visit with some time in the shade of this big tree (in the picture below). Our tour guide told us it is a good luck tree. Apparently, you rub a branch and make a wish. Of course, we all obliged. How could we not add a little luck to our life?

Whether it really brings luck or not, this tree is amazing. Surrounded by the desert landscape, this large, lush tree seems to grow out of nowhere. It is really something to see!

On some of our other days, we visited the Las Vegas Strip. So many of the hotels are linked together, it is a perfect way to avoid the heat during those peak times of the day. My daughter enjoyed seeing how different each hotel was, eating some yummy meals, and of course, she loved cruising around in her stroller. What’s not to love?!?

Las Vegas was such a wonderful family getaway. My daughter has been telling all of her family and friends, “You have to go to Las Vegas!”

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