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Established in 1961, this was the scene of champion Tiger Woods’ first PGA (Professional Golf Association) victory in the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational. Soft spikes are preferred (some Las Vegas courses prohibit spikes of any kind).

Highlights include the international wildlife room and a live shark exhibit. The children’s hands-on exploration room is excellent, but the roars of the animated dinosaurs may elicit equally loud cries from frightened toddlers.

Completed in 1996, the 107,000-seat Las Vegas Speedway was the first new super-speedway to be built in the southwest USA in more than two decades. The 1,500-acre facility has 24 different race tracks, food courts, a wedding chapel with racing-related stained glass windows, three levels of open-air grandstand viewing, a VIP party room, and luxury skybox suites. Important races staged here include the Winston West. A museum in the grounds is devoted to racing driver Carroll Shelby and his beautiful cars.

The Indian Country Tour begins with a flight over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, and continues to the Grand Canyon. Participants then take a bus tour along the canyon’s rim. A barbecue lunch is included.

The establishments lining Laughlin’s South Casino Drive may not be as dazzling as those along the Las Vegas Strip, but they offer extremely good value. Getting around is easier than in Las Vegas: a riverside promenade connects most of the casinos, or you can take a bus or shuttle boat. Tours of the Colorado are also available.

The Parisian-style theater only opened in 1999, but in its short life has already played host to a some big names, including Dennis Miller, Bobby Vinton, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and the Moody Blues.