Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Henderson, a top spring break destination? Website says yes

Henderson spring break

Leila Navidi

The cactus gardens at Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Henderson are shown in this 2011 image. The gardens were among the attractions cited by the editors of livability.com in listing Henderson as the No. 2 family spring break destination in the U.S.

Sunny and warm, check.

Pools and swimsuits, check again.

But is Henderson really the second-best spring break destination in the nation?

And for families, no less?

It is, according to livability.com, a Tennessee-based website that rates quality of life in U.S. cities based on statistics and surveys.

Despite the existence of casinos, escort card-slappers, strip joints and so forth in the Las Vegas Valley, the site has ranked Henderson behind only Sarasota, Fla., as a spring break family destination. A release from livability.com said the site’s editors consulted with members of the Society of American Travel Writers in creating the list.

Henderson’s “family friendly activities and attractions, combined with the close proximity to Las Vegas, make the city a great spring break vacation base,” the release said.

As for attractions, the site lists the carousel and stores at The District shopping center, and the Lake Mead National Recreation area — “where 1.5 million acres of camping, kayaking, biking and fishing opportunities are available.”

“Hungry? Visit the Ethel M. Chocolates factory and enjoy a complimentary sweet treat and a self-guided tour; once you’ve had your fill, check out the Ethel M. Botanical Cactus Garden, which features one of the Nevada’s largest collections of cacti.”

Hmm, and what about the card-slappers, strip joints and so on?

Stay tuned. The Sun has placed a call to the site, but has yet to hear back.

In the meantime, here’s the rest of the list, beginning at No. 3: Charleston, S.C., Lafayette, La., Harbor Springs, Mich., Hot Springs, Ark., Gainsville, Ga., Las Cruces, N.M., Ogden, Utah and Del Rio, Texas.

For more, see the complete rankings.

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