July Fourth At Lake Las Vegas

Here is everything you need to know about how to celebrate July Fourth at Lake Las Vegas, NV – from the fireworks, to dining, and having a great time over the Independence Day break. I have spent the 4th at the Westin Resort in Lake Las Vegas, and found out all the inside scoop. The Westin itself was a family vacation at the resort on the lake and I went with my parents. All in all Lake Las Vegas can be a great getaway for a July 4th holiday, and here are some of the highlights.

If you don’t know, Lake Las Vegas is like Las Vegas in the country. You are 20 miles away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip or Downtown resorts in Las Vegas. And, it is like a different world. Gone are the neon lights and casinos. That’s right, no casinos, just world class resorts on a lake.

Here is what we did:

Day 1

Arriving at Lake Las Vegas

We arrived at the Westin Resort on the shores of Lake Las Vegas around 4pm. My room was nice, and had a really spectacular view of the lake, and the Westin’s private beach.

Exploring the Hotel

After unpacking a bit what is there to do? Well, go exploring of course. So, I decided to walk around for a bit and took some pictures. The hotel looked so modern and elegant, and was huge. My only complaint is that it felt crowded (a lot of other people have the idea to go to the Lake for July Fourth), and there was a very long line at the check in desk

Dinner

For dinner we went to a restaurant called Tokyo Social House. It is a Japanese restaurant in a Tuscan-styled shopping center called the MonteLago Village. The MoteLago Village is on the opposite side of the lake from the Westin, and is down a hill from the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort. I picked out this restaurant and was really looking forward to it because I love sushi and Japanese food. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. The staff was friendly and helpful, but the main courses disappointed. We all thought the dishes were like standard mall food, rather than authentic Japanese. Mine was like the orange chicken from Panda Express. The bright spot was dessert. The home-made mochi ice cream was great. If you would like to visit Tokyo Social House here it the address:

Tokyo Social House
15 Via Bel Canto
Henderson, NV 89011
(702) 565-5522

Day 2 – July 4

Starbucks Breakfast

For breakfast we went to the Starbucks at the Westin. The menu was limited, and lacked the food and drink options you normally could find at a Starbucks.  It was good though. My favorite thing was the peanut butter M&M scone.

Kayaking

If you are at a lake resort, of course you want to try out some of the watersports, and we did that.  At the Westin, you can rent kayaks and canoes right at the hotel, and so my dad and I went for a 2-person kayak.  At the Westin, you just walk over to their little private beach and a helpful attendant slides it in the water, and holds it from floating away while you hop in. This was my first time kayaking, and it was a lot of fun and easier than I thought. We paddled away from the Westin’s private beach and out into the huge lake itself. The views were spectacular and it was so relaxing being out on  the water and enjoying the scenery. I have to say, this was one of my favorite things to do in Lake Las Vegas, and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a little athletic activity.

Water Slide

The Westin had a very long water slide attached to the pool. What you do is walk up some stairs and then wait in a line (for about 10 minutes) until it is your turn to slide down. When it finally was my turn, I started sliding down and then it makes a sharp curve … and … stop. Yes, I got stuck momentarily, but nothing that could be cured by a little skootching. I was wondering if I did it wrong, but then my Dad went after me, and the same thing happened.

Rick’s Café

Although the Westin was packed with people, only one of their two restaurants was open. This was very strange since they had to have known their resort would be full. So there was just one dining option if you wanted to eat inside the hotel – Rick’s Café. We went there for lunch and dinner on the 4th. For lunch I got the mac and cheese. It was too small of a portion though. For dinner I shared a few things with Christy. My favorite was the cheddar mashed potatoes. Again, the staff was very nice, but they were overwhelmed with the number of people.

Pool Bar

I got a peach drink with whisky in it. It was really refreshing and super tropical. It was also not super strong which I liked.

Fireworks

The fireworks  were a bit hard to find. We thought the fireworks were at the hotel. However, the people at the hotel were saying that the fireworks would be at the golf course club house. So, we drove the half mile over the the golf course club house, but the staff there said that the fireworks were over the Lake, at the hotel, not at their facility, where they were having a private party. So we drove back to the hotel. And it turns out, the fireworks were right at the hotel, over the lake. I have to say it was bizarre that the Westin’s staff repeatedly was giving out incorrect information about the location of the fireworks, and that is my major criticism of the Westin Lake Las Vegas (except for the overcrowding). Or course, once we settled in at a nice viewing spot on the resort property, we had an amazing view of the fireworks.

Day 3

Breakfast Buffet

I had to leave on Tuesday morning to go to my job, but I wanted to try the breakfast buffet before we left. Unfortunately, I did not like it. There were few options at the buffet. Hopefully they’ll see this feedback and make some changes. I liked Starbucks more.

Overall, you can have a great time at Lake Las Vegas for the Fourth of July and the fireworks. The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort provides a fun family getaway for the 4th or any time. If you would like to visit the hotel here is the address:

Westin Lake Las Vegas
101 Montelago Blvd.
Henderson, NV 89011