Exploring in and Around Las Vegas

June 5th, 2009 in Event, Personal, Travel & Exploration | 0 Comments | Leave a response

Day 1 – arrival

Get a hotel. Rent a car. Get familiar with the strip. This is when you want to have comfortable shoes. Later if you plan to go out you can change into something snazzy.

Day 2 – explore the national park

Wake up early. Whatever that might mean to you. On the way out of the city stop by a supermarket and get LOTS of water and some picnic food.

The day trip can be made into a loop so you don’t have to backtrack the same way you came. Take Lake Mead Rd. out of the city and follow that along the lake. The entire trip is a scenic route but there will be road signs pointing out the perfect spots to take pictures and do some exploring, if you are into that. Eventually the road will lead you through the valley of fire. (note: $6/vehicle). You will probably want to save some strength for this. Here you will be surrounded by red rock formations formed by (wind or water?).

Day 3 – Shopping

It’s time to take a break and rest yourself before another visit to the scorching hot desert. If you are like me, then you will be relaxing in a park while your friends enjoy the Vegas premium Outlets. There are lots of high-end shops to visit but no gadget stores. Nothing to keep a geek like myself occupied.

Next place to lay back and relax is the boulder beach. It’s not as nice as you would imagine when looking at the blue water from the distance but still worth taking a dip.

The last stop before going back into the city should be the Lake Mead Desert Hiking trails. The most interesting of the trails is the Wetlands Trail. This trail follows the banks of a flowing creek. The water provides the nourishment needed for vegetation to grow and provide a small oasis that runs parallel to the river. Oasis is an over statement, but any water in this desert is a sight for sore eyes.

Day 4 – The canyon

Take your time getting to the canyon and on the way stop at the Hoover dam. Park ($7) and take the cheapest tour of the hydroelectric plant ($11). This will take just over an hour and will give you the most for your money. The more expensive tours are for seniors with too much money. There isn’t much else to see here so continue towards the canyon.

This drive will take you over 2 hours and most of the time is spent driving on a dirt road. It’s a slow but beautiful drive. Once you get to the canyon you will be faced with lots of ways to waste your money. You will have to pay for the bus that will take you to two different spots on the canyon. This will set you back $47 but it’s your only affordable choice.

Avoid the skywalk, it is a shameless cash grab. That is unless you are a yuppie tourist then I recommend you get all the options including the meal, the audio guide, the dvd and the foot massage. There are no cameras allowed on skywalk. The official photo is $35 and their recommended option is the $100 package with photos on a USB stick.

Day 5 – Valley of Fire

The most enjoyable place to hike and run around like a mountain goat. The best time of year to visit this park is spring or fall. However, if you like being extreme you can fill your need for adventure and survival by spending a couple of hours hiking through the trails. Take lots of water.

Day 6 – Try your luck at a casino

For most of us, gambling is a sure way to lose money. However, you shouldn’t leave Vegas without giving it a try. Take a few dollars and try your luck. Both Slav and I played a single game at the $1 slot machines. I won $15 and bought us ice cream and even had some money for gas.

Day 7 – Aquarium

Published in Event, Personal, Travel & Exploration

Tags: canyon, desert, travel, vegas