Janice Cooke Newman's latest "Have Kids, Will Travel" column in the San Francisco Chronicle makes a solid case for why Las Vegas is a great place to bring young teens. She says the town is chock-a-block with attractions that pack the wow factor. Here's her shortlist of must-see attractions:

The Coney Island Emporium Arcade: "Las Vegas is full of arcades, but in my opinion, the best one is at New York-New York. It's cleaner than the real thing, and not every game involves shooting at something."

Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat: "This attraction, located in the Mirage, is especially worth visiting if you spring for the VIP Guided Tour. It's pricey ($100 per person). But how often does a dolphin leap out of the water to pose for a photograph with you?"

The Atomic Testing Museum: "In the 1950s, going to see an above-ground atomic bomb test was a major Vegas tourist attraction. City fathers boasted that 'The desert is blooming with atoms!' Reminders of this time, as well as the scientific and political history of the atom bomb, are the attractions in this fascinating museum."

The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay: "Like the Dolphin Habitat, it's worth splurging on the behind-the-scenes tour at this attraction. Only on the tour, which literally takes you behind the shark-filled tanks, will you hear how the facility created a 1.3 million-gallon ocean in the middle of the desert, touch a chain-mail diving suit (for swimming with the man-eaters), and learn what the "ampules of Lorenzini" are."

KA: "This dazzling Cirque du Soleil show is as much action movie as art. It's got fireworks, fighting with sticks and a villain with fabulous hair. What's not to like?"

Blue Man Group: "What kid isn't going to love watching three guys with blue faces eat Cap'n Crunch with their mouths open? This interactive performance is full of excellent gross-out material involving Jello and Twinkies. And for a finale, they fill the theater with toilet paper. It's pretty much kid heaven."