VEGAS WITH KIDS-VEGAS TIDBITS

The following list is complied from the Las Vegas Review Journals Best Of Vegas 2006 List...

Thought it would be fun to list some things people might not think of, while in Las Vegas!

Best Coffee/Cappuccino -- Reader's Pick


Starbuck's Multiple Locations Las Vegas , NV There's a Starbucks on nearly every corner, which is no doubt why the winner in this category took a huge amount of votes this year. But we think Starbucks' appeal also stems from its variety of coffees and various related drinks in so many permutations that even noncoffee drinkers can find something to like. The less-ubiquitous Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brews up a distant second-place finish.

7-Eleven Multiple Locations Las Vegas , NV OK, quit laughing. Have you been to 7-Eleven for coffee lately? Some of our staffers scoffed at the suggestion, but that was before they stopped in to discover several blends of fresh-brewed coffee, steamed milk, various syrups and sprinkles and even hot chocolate, so you can tailor your coffee or mocha or latte just like the big boys do -- and at a fraction of the price.

Starbucks multiple locations Las Vegas , NV Location, location, location -- which is probably one reason why voters choose it. But the coffee has to be worth it and it must be satisfying the taste buds of a lot of coffee drinkers. Add in the specialty drinks and a few pastries and you've got yourself a dedicated customer base.

Best Lunch Deal -- Reader's Pick


Olive Garden Multiple Locations Las Vegas , NV Unlimited refills of soup and salad and breadsticks, no wonder readers pick the Olive Garden in this category year after year. It's $5.95 every day until 4 p.m., and besides the rich, hearty minestrone, readers can choose the classic pasta e fagioli, with its beans and pasta and little baby meatballs. This is a lot of nosh for a little price. Jason's Deli wraps up second place.

Broadway Pizzeria 840 S. Rancho Drive Las Vegas , NV That most of the lunch specials include a whole rope's worth of garlic knots at Anthony & Mario's Broadway Pizzeria is just part of the appeal. We also have an appreciation that the specials change from day to day, and include such things as pasta salad or grilled chicken salad. There also are pizza and sandwich specials. And we never go away hungry.

Best Picnic Spot -- Reader's Pick


Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area aproximately 16 miles west of Las Vegas Las Vegas , NV R-J readers feel there's no better way to enjoy nature's untouched natural bounty than by unwrapping a bologna sandwich and Twinkie beneath the sheer cliffs here. Seriously, Red Rock offers convenient tables at the visitor center and various trail heads, as well as endless flat rock to spread your blanket. Mount Charleston failed to peak, coming in second.

Bruce Trent Park V1600 N. Rampart Blvd. Las Vegas , NV Who was Bruce Trent? Who cares? We don't come here to think, just to unpack our baskets under the big shady trees, watch the kiddies and doggies play, and admire one of the last oases of space in the slowly cramming Summerlin.

Best Place to View the City -- Reader's Pick


The Stratosphere 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas , NV Other than from an airplane window, the only way to see all of Las Vegas is from the nation's highest (1,149 feet tall) free-standing observation tower. High dining also is available at the rotating Top of the World Restaurant. But don't eat before visiting the world's three tallest thrill rides (Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity) or high puking may result. The VooDoo Lounge at the Rio places second.

Mix The Hotel, Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas , NV At 400 feet above the Strip, the view from Mix may not be as spectacular. But we prefer the scene. This impressively designed $18 million venue serves as both a hipster bar and restaurant featuring contemporary and classic French and American dishes from famed chef Alain Ducasse.

Stratosphere Tower 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas , NV There is no doubt that the views from the tallest building west of the Mississippi are out of sight. Visitors to the tower can enjoy spectacular views fronm the observation decks, restaurants and the thrill rides at the top of the tower.

Best Place to Spot Celebrities -- Reader's Pick


The Palms 4321 Flamingo Road Las Vegas , NV Between Britney Spears dancing at Rain, Eminem serving drinks at ghostbar, and the TV stars anteing up during tapings of "Celebrity Poker Showdown," the Palms is more popular than a planetarium for stargazing. You spotted less than a quarter as many celebs at your second choice, the Hard Rock Hotel.

Tao Nightclub The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas , NV Tao's guest list is the barometer of MTV-demo hip. Drop these names: Keanu Reeves, Gwen Stefani, Kanye West, Kevin Federline, Kelly Osbourne. If you can't get in, though, don't feel bad; in two years, the aforementioned celebs may have the same problem.

The Palms 4321 Flamingo Road Las Vegas , NV If you are hoping for a glimpse of a gambling rock star or a hot socialite, The Palms is the place to be. With the ongoing additions of its Fantasy Suites, the hotel-casino is guaranteed to attract even more celebs who are looking for a unique place to stay while in Vegas. It doesn't hurt that the owner of the hotel also owns a basketball team and its players can often been seen roaming the hotel-casinos floors and hotspots.

Best Park -- Reader's Pick


Sunset Park 2601 E. Sunset Road Las Vegas , NV Once again, this park reigns supreme -- no doubt for its sheer size and diversity of sports. Its 350 acres include courts for basketball, tennis, volleyball and horseshoes, plus baseball diamonds, playgrounds, picnic areas and a lake. Earth Day, the annual Craft Fair and Rib Burn-off, the Renaissance Festival and the Gift of Lights holiday display are all featured here. Desert Breeze parks itself in second place.

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park West of Las Vegas off Charleston Boulevard Las Vegas , NV There's no better place than these 520 gorgeous acres, nestled beneath Mount Wilson, to forget we live in the desert. Once a working ranch, the property's history is as colorful as its scenery. Among its occupants were the Paiute Indians, radio star Chet Lauck and some dude named Howard Hughes.

Sunset Park 2601 E. Sunset Road Las Vegas , NV Even though Las Vegas seems to be adding new parks at a fairly good rate, one of the oldest in the city remains the favorite with voters. The 300 plus acre park offers lots of room for a variety of activities and is home to events such as the annual renaissance festival. There is a large lake at the south end and a good sized doggie park.

Best Visitor Photo Opportunity -- Reader's Pick


Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign Las Vegas Boulevard South near Sunset Road Las Vegas , NV Viva the Las Vegas sign, victor in both this category and Best Landmark. Go ahead, take more photos here. The sign is actually Las Vegas' most-copied icon, appearing in tens of thousands of photos and souvenirs. (Designer Betty Willis wanted it that way. She refused to copyright the image.) The Bellagio Conservatory finishes a distant second.

Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas , NV Where else can shutterbugs find Michael Jackson and James Brown in the same place? (Besides court, we mean.) This London-based franchise allows tourists to pose alongside its statues -- which have been updated to include Simon Cowell and Paris Hilton. (P.S.: We hear the Paris Hilton replica is a better conversationalist than the original.)

"Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign Las Vegas , NV The Las Vegas Sign sits at the south end of the Strip and is often one of the first things that visitors see when they enter Las Vegas. The sign was installed in 1959 and designed by Betty Willis. Although many people do stop and take their picture with the sign, it sits in the middle of a median and isn't exactly the safest spot to be lingering. Fortunately, plenty of photo booths in Vegas can superimpose your photo in front of the sign so that visitors can claim they were able to have their picture taken in front of the world-famous sign.

Best Place to Eat When You're on a Diet -- Reader's Pick


Sweet Tomatoes: The Salad Buffet Restaurant 2080 N. Rainbow Blvd. and 375 N. Stephanie St. Las Vegas , NV Diet means healthy and low-cal, and for most people that means salad, so it makes sense that readers would choose the same spot they chose in the salad category. Sweet Tomatoes has plenty of salads to choose from -- including the make-your-own option that means you can control exactly what's in it -- and some low-fat soup selections to boot. Subway and its 6 Under 6 squeezes into second place.

Applebee's Multiple Locations Las Vegas , NV When we think of diet we think of low-cal, too, and of plans such as Weight Watchers, which have shown us that low-cal doesn't have to mean low-flavor. Applebee's offers several Weight Watchers dishes -- where portion control also comes into play -- and, in a bit of diet ecumenicalism, also works with guests on low-carb and other options.

Best Salads -- Reader's Pick


Sweet Tomatoes: The Salad Buffet Restaurant 2080 N. Rainbow Blvd. and 375 N. Stephanie St. Las Vegas , NV Variety is the spice of life and variety's the order of the day at Sweet Tomatoes, which has tossed salads and mixed salads and even a few composed salads, which vary by the day. And of course they have all of those salad fixins, so readers can pick and choose and create a salad that's to their own liking. Souper Salad tosses in a second-place finish.

The Grill on Charleston Holsum Lofts, 241 W. Charleston Blvd. Las Vegas , NV One thing we like about The Grill at Charleston is that the salads aren't just a bowl of iceberg lettuce topped with some bottled dressing. There's the arugula salad (arugula!) with its radicchio (radicchio!) and mushrooms and peppers and scallions and walnuts, for example, and there are even salads named after sandwiches, such as the BLT and Turkey Club, in case we're feeling like something more substantial. A new Greek salad rounds things out nicely. Opa!

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