A water park in the middle of the desert? This should hardly surprise anyone. If they can bring New York, ancient Egypt and ancient Rome to Las Vegas, what's a little water.

Wet'n'Wild is a 26-acre water park that is located just south of Sahara Ave. on the Strip, (Las Vegas Blvd). It has some innovative rides along with water park classics. Some of the featured rides are: Der Stuka, the world's fastest and highest water chute, Royal Flush, a ride that washes you down a chute into a pool at 45 mph and Blue Niagara, a six-story slide that has intertwined chutes. There's also a 500,000-gallon wave pool and Raging Rapids, a white-water adventure on a 500-foot long river. One of our favorite rides was Banzai Banzai, a ride where you sit on a plastic sled, shoot down a 150-foot slide and then skip across a pool like stone. (hopefully you won't sink like one too)

There's also a smaller water playground for children, a sunbathing area, and a video arcade. There are numerous snack opportunities and the Pepsi Pavilion, a nice picnic area under a tent. If you forgot your swimsuit, you can go to the Beach Trends Shop to pick up a suit especially priced for you.

Admission is $21.95 for adults, $15.95 for children under 10 and free for kids under 3. Half price for seniors over 55. Call (702) 878-7811 for information, seasons, hours and prices vary.