The 20 Vacation Worlds of Las Vegas

My wife enjoys the great outdoors, but she can only put up with the sand and dirt for a few days. After roughing it (in the RV:), she needs a nice hotel and a little luxury. So when she's had enough and, after many great desert adventures, we have used Las Vegas as a resting and cleanup spot. Within an hours travel from Las Vegas there are many places to go fishing, boating, camping, flying, and western horseback riding. The desert is also a photographer's dream that changes shapes and colors with each area and the time of day. Sometimes after a little rest, we return to the desert for another adventure.

If you are from back east or another country, you should know that even though the desert is beautiful it is still a desert and you need to know where you are going by using a good map and have plenty of water and make sure your rental car has a spare and is full of gas. Get a good GPS device and practice with it. We have used ours to find things we saw on a map.

My wife always arranged for discount flights and hotel reservations ahead of time. One time we arrived from the river all dirty and starving so, we headed straight for the buffet line. They were nice to us and did not seem to notice how messy we were.

Only an hour or so away is the Valley of Fire State Park. It is fifty miles to the north and has been described as breathtaking. The best seasons for camping or hiking the sandy trails are spring and fall. They also have shaded picnic tables.

If your interested in off road adventures (if not do it anyway) get in touch with a company called off road adventure guide in Logandale Nevada. They have a website that provides an Off Road Adventure Guide and information on ATV rentals and tours on the Logandale Trail System near the Valley Of Fire. Also, there is the Vegas Dunes Recreation Area for a slightly different sort of ATV Riding in soft sand dunes. It takes special tires on the ATV and you will find this area is a lot of fun.

Red Rock Canyon is a beautiful Desert state park that is not to be missed. It is located only about half an hour away and is gorgeous with many kinds of hiking and walking trails. It has a nice visitor center surrounded with desert hills and beautiful canyons to hike and explore.

Most people know about Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, but are not aware of the many campgrounds and marinas in the area. It is called the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and the huge lake offers a wealth of things to do, and places to go. The Mojave, the Great Basin, and the Sonoran Deserts come together in this area and this coming together is like where the day meets night or the desert meets the forest. This edge of things is what makes for great beauty and great photography.

There are all kinds of great tours for everyone. They have a variety of Helicopter, Plane and Bus tours to the Grand Canyon and to rafting adventures on the Colorado River. There is a tour by luxury van and even a tour of the Grand Canyon in a Hummer. There is the Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour and the Ranch adventure Helicopter Tour that lands at a working ranch in the canyon and they serve you a great lunch there.

Horseback riding in cowboy country can include lunch on the trail or a BBQ at the end. The tour people will even drive you there and pick the perfect horse for you, no experience necessary. There is nothing like a dinner over an open campfire. After writing this, I must go back because it is just too much fun. Be sure to look at the gift packs in your hotel room for discounts and travel guides.

If you have the time and do not mind the drive then all kinds of adventures open up to you. Within a three hour, drive is Zion National Park and they have everything there including hotels. If you are an artist or photographer then you must go.

If Zion is a little too far for now then try what southern Californians call "the river". What they mean is the Colorado River at Lake Mohave. Lake Mohave Resort at Katherine Landing Lake Mohave is located within the boundaries of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and offers year round recreation for Nevada, Arizona and southern California.

Boats and waverunners can be rented at Katherine's Landing. Public campgrounds are available at both locations providing tent and trailer camping, R.V.s with hookups and restaurants, lodging, docking facilities, boat and fishing tackle equipment, and fishing licenses.

So did I miss anything? You bet, I missed a lot, like the secret spot that only my wife know about where we buried the gold, but you get the idea. Oh, and some interesting places where they filmed some famous movies. There are many adventures for you and your family waiting near the Lights of Las Vegas.

P.S. Did you know the Indians are building a glass bridge over the Grand Canyon?