Of all the cities in the U.S., Las Vegas was the last one I ever wanted to visit. Maybe it’s because growing up, I lost every bet to an older, wiser brother. Maybe it’s because I’m past the age when I want to do something wild on the weekends. Maybe it’s because I didn’t believe people when they told me there’s plenty to do in Vegas besides gamble. Whatever the reason, a business trip forced me to visit Sin City during the harshest winter of my life and I’m glad it did.

Even before the slot machines greeted me at the Vegas airport, I’d decided to never leave my hotel. That’s one of the great things about Vegas hotels—they have everything you need at your disposal: restaurants, salons, nightly shows and even a magic shop where I picked up a great box of tricks for my 8-year-old daughter.

             After watching CSI re-runs with the new perspective of “Hey, I’ve been there,” my gaze landed on the Las Vegas magazine on my bureau. On the cover stood a woman in an elegant black gown with matching silk gloves and a caption that made my heart skip a beat: Titanic. The traveling exhibit had caught my attention months earlier, but I hadn’t been able to see it. Within minutes, I stepped out into the sunshine, hailed a taxi and headed for the Luxor. The exhibit eerily re-created the luxury ship so well, I vacillated between longing for such opulence and shuddering at the tragic end to so many lives. My boarding pass held the name of a real passenger, Thomas Drake Martinez Cardeza, a man returning from an African safari whose suite featured two bedrooms, a sitting room and a private fifty-foot promenade. At first, I thought, “Well, I’ll survive since I’m first class.”

I walked along a frigid wooden deck in a dark room to find individual stories interspersed between porcelain dishes, alligator pocketbooks, and spectacles recovered from the ocean floor. I read about a man’s possessions that went down with the ship, whose life was only spared because he’d been shanghaied before the Titanic disembarked. How lucky, I thought ironically. I read about a family that could’ve afforded first class cabins, but to save money, chose to stay in second class. I hope that decision didn’t cost them their lives, I thought. I read about a woman who felt her life was ruined because she lost her husband when the ship sank. I’d forgotten about the captain’s cry for “women and children first.” Maybe Thomas Drake Martinez Cardeza didn’t survive, after all. I shivered.

            I definitely studied the list of those who died closely before I exited the exhibit.

            After surviving one of the greatest shipwrecks of all time, I became bold enough to explore more of the city. I took in the impressive trapeze act at Circus, Circus and the Bellagio fountains, which danced to classical music. I walked along the strip, enjoying the spectacle of colored lights, pillars and roller coasters, which I’d only ever seen in pictures. An hour whizzed by and I was happy I’d dared to leave my hotel.          

            What surprised me the most about Vegas was how friendly the people were. Maria, the housekeeper at the Riviera, gave me a full-sized container of conditioner from her own locker because I’d forgotten mine at home (and wouldn’t let me pay her for it). An Ethiopian taxi driver insisted I take his bottled water when my sinus infection caused me to break into a coughing fit. The cashier at the 7-11, who sold me a postage stamp, made me laugh when he told me his tech-savvy little brother asked him how to address an envelope. Then the boy said, “Never mind. I’ll just Google it.”

            So, thank you, Nevada’s City of Lights, for showing me there’s more to you than meets the eye. A few days later, when I returned to the piles of snow and freezing temperatures of Indiana, I missed the warmth of Vegas—in more ways than one.

Visit www.lasvegas.com to learn more about things to do on your Vegas vacation and visit www.RMSTitanic.net to see where you can experience history for yourself.

If you need a good book to read on the flight, check out www.karensnovels.com for “Happy Endings with a Twist.” Karen Lenfestey’s novel, A Sister’s Promise, has been called “intriguing, sometimes humorous, and heart-warming” and has sold over 40,000 copies at Amazon.

What comes to mind when you think of Niagara Falls? Daredevils? Newlyweds? Well, add to those ideas butterflies and kids because Niagara Falls provides an amazing family vacation.

            If you visit the Canadian side of the falls, you’ll be delighted to find that the Niagara Parks Department offers a stress-free experience. Just purchase their Adventure Pass which provides transportation on a “People Mover” bus, admission to four wonderful activities along the Niagara River and discounts on many others. There’s no need to worry about navigating a strange city or searching for parking.

            Our family of three enjoyed two days of fun for $139 ($100 less than the “VIP” package our hotel offered for pretty much the same thing.) So, don’t listen when they tell you about the long lines and hassle of doing this on your own. Go directly to the park’s Welcome Center right next to Horseshoe Falls to buy your pass. If your hotel isn’t within walking distance of the falls, there’s a Park and Ride lot, which offers the People Mover bus to the falls, too. If you simply want to take in the breathtaking views, you’ll be happy to know you can do that for free.

            At the Welcome Center, you can experience a 4-D movie about the formation of the falls told by a cartoon beaver, which the kids seemed to enjoy. (Plan on getting wet!) I recommend you try an English toffee coffee at the center’s Tim Hortons or dine at the Elements Restaurant that overlooks the falls. (The restaurant service was weak, but the bison steak and views were delicious.) Then walk the “Journey Behind the Falls” tunnels to get up-close to the mist.

            Hop on the People Mover when you’re ready to hike the “White Water Walk” along the rapids or ride the famous Maid of the Mist boat. Whenever you want to move on, there’s never more than an eleven minute wait for the next bus to stop.

            The Butterfly Conservatory is a must-see along the route. Over 2,000 butterflies in every color imaginable flutter around you. My seven-year-old declared it “amazing” and didn’t want to leave after one and a half hours because she hoped more butterflies would land on her. Another fun activity is riding the Whirlpool Aero Car on suspension cables across the gorge.

            As we drove away from the park, I told my daughter to take one more look because it might be the last time she ever sees Niagara Falls. Her eyes lit up and she said, “It won’t be the last time. Some day I’ll come back. . .and bring my kids!”

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Remember, you need a passport to cross the border, so plan ahead. Pay for tickets, hotels and meals with Visa and you won’t need to exchange any currency. For more information, visit www.niagaraparks.com

Award-winning author, Karen Lenfestey, writes about families and friends in her novels, “A Sister’s Promise” and “What Happiness Looks Like”, which are available at amazon.com. To read an excerpt, click below:

We’re planning a family vacation and I must confess, I’m a little scared. Even the research shows that happiness surges most when anticipating a trip rather than during it. I suspect that’s especially true if you’re bringing along the munchkins.

 Until now we’ve only ventured a few hours from home with our little one. We took the South Shore railroad (how cool is that?!?) to Chicago. On day three, our toddler had a tearful meltdown in Shedd Aquarium because she was so tired. (All right, I might have had a meltdown, too, but it was because I had an untreated sinus infection.) We stayed home the next summer. 

              But inevitably, the vacation bug bit us again. Recently we visited Jack Hanna’s zoo in Columbus on a day the forecasters marveled would be sunny and in the seventies. Instead, it was in the fifties and during lunch, thunder and lightening forced us to bolt for the parking lot where we searched in the pouring rain for our vehicle. On the ride home, our daughter choked on a sip of water and threw up in our brand new car. (My husband had a meltdown that time.)

            So yes, I’m afraid. But I’m excited too. Today we ordered our seven-year-old her first passport. (I didn’t get mine until I went on my honeymoon!) I’m tickled at the opportunities we are providing for her. She’s going to see Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. She’s going to mine for “diamonds” and visit the chocolate-scented town of Hershey. What could possibly go wrong?

            No--please don’t tell me. It’ll ruin the surprise.

What was your most memorable vacation? 
When did you get your first passport?

If you enjoyed this blog, please click “tweet” or “like” below. If you’re looking for a book to read on your vacation, check out novels by the author Glo Magazine said is "a charming writer. . .with a gift for storytelling”: A Sister’s Promise or What Happiness Looks Like.