Las Vegas: Off the Strip!
Good Morning!! Today I am going to write about all of the fun stuff that Las Vegas and the surrounding area has to offer, that is off of the strip. Not a lot of people know this but you could visit Las Vegas and never set foot on the strip because the surrounding area is so beautiful and has lots of wonderful things to do. I am going to highlight some of my favorites for you so you have a great idea of all Las Vegas has to offer. Note: when I started to think about it there are so many, so this may be a long post.
1) Red Rock Canyon - Red Rock Canyon is located west of Las Vegas, and is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. When I first moved out here my best friend lived with me and once she found that Red Rock Canyon was only 3-4 miles from our apartment we were there almost everyday. The Canyon has a one way 13 mile driving loop and from the loop there are multiple trails ranging in mileage and difficulty. I have done most of them and they are all beautiful and the wildlife that you see on them is phenomenal. Definitely a must add to any trip to Las Vegas.
2) Bonnie Springs Ranch - If you continue down the road that Red Rock Canyon is on you will come across Bonnie Springs Ranch. (That is how I found it, simply exploring) This is a sort of ghost town, most of it was built in the 1960's but it has a lot of history and is very fun to explore, they also have Horse Back Riding.
3) Jean/Primm, NV - These two towns are the first two that you will come across when you leave Las Vegas on I-15 heading south to Los Angeles. They both have casinos and Primm has a fantastic outlet mall. There are many outlets in the Las Vegas areas, but what sets Primm apart is they have outlet stores that you don't see everywhere and you can get amazing deals on some of your favorite products. In addition to outlets, the casino in Primm has the car that Bonnie and Clyde were shot and killed in. Creepy but cool! The reason that I mentioned Jean is right now they have a car collection on display with many cars from Fast and the Furious 7, the Mystery Machine, and the 1960's Batmobile. I was in awe that I actually got to see it, yes I am a major nerd.
4) Mt. Charleston - Mt. Charleston is the 8th highest mountain in the United States and the highest in Clark County, NV. What is nice about Mt. Charleston is they have so much to offer. You can hike, take a scenic drive, mountain bike, horseback ride, and in the winter you can ski or snowshoe.
5) Fremont Street - I know this one is a lot like the strip but it has to be mentioned. Fremont Street is what you would think of as old Las Vegas, it has been revitalized but it maintains the Las Vegas feel. The casinos all open out onto the street and you can walk freely to each casino much easier than on the Las Vegas strip. Also, the Golden Nugget casino on Fremont Street is home to one of the top 10 pools in the world. This pool has a clear glass shark tank in the middle with a waterslide going through, so you get to "swim with the sharks". It is a lot of fun and a really cool thing to add to your Las Vegas trip.
6) Hoover Dam - This one is an obvious and I hesitated even mentioning it as of course you will want to visit the one of the most iconic dams in the country. It really is an amazing sight and it is located over 2 states. My key piece of advice on the dam is to go into the bathroom that is located on the dam and look out the window, I feel that is one of the best views from the dam.
7) Valley of Fire - Valley of Fire is located 58 miles north of Las Vegas and is the oldest state park in Nevada. The name Valley of Fire is taken from the Red Sandstone that is located throughout the park. Many movies and commercials have been made here, occasionally being used to look like another planet. What is amazing about the Valley of Fire is you can start hiking and the possibilities of what you can climb on and see is endless. When my best friend and I used to hike here frequently we saw beautiful sandstone arches and many petroglyphs.
8) Supai Falls (Havasu Falls) - This is located approximately 3-4 hours (driving) from Las Vegas. There are only two ways to get to the Falls: 1) Helicopter, 2) Hike. Near Supai/Havasu Falls is the town of Supai, AZ, this is a Native American town and for the people who live there those are the only two ways for them to leave. I have met many people from Supai and most of them use the helicopter that goes in and out multiple times a week. You need a permit to do the hike and I did the hike over 8 years ago. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. To get to the falls you hike down 10 miles into a branch of the Grand Canyon, you can camp out near the falls in a designated camping area, then to get out you have to hike 10 miles (mostly uphill). We decided to do this hike in a 2 day stretch, we hiked in one afternoon and hiked out the next morning. I have never felt so much pain in my life as I did on the last mile hiking straight up hill, (and I was a cross country runner for over 10 years!) The pain was definitely worth it as it is one of the most beautiful sights in the country.
Note: This is not my picture, as of course I forgot my camera.
9) Los Angeles, Laughlin, Lake Havasu City, Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Death Valley - One of my favorite aspects of Las Vegas is that it is centrally located. You can reach all of these destinations in less than 300 miles, and Salt Lake City in a little over 400. All of these are doable and I have traveled to several times, some I have even made as day trips. I really enjoy being out here and being able to visit some of the most scenic places, along with some of the most populated places all within a day or two.
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of things that I am leaving out; The Las Vegas Neon Museum, Lake Las Vegas, Lake Mead, etc; but I wanted to get the highlights of some of my favorites.
1) Red Rock Canyon - Red Rock Canyon is located west of Las Vegas, and is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. When I first moved out here my best friend lived with me and once she found that Red Rock Canyon was only 3-4 miles from our apartment we were there almost everyday. The Canyon has a one way 13 mile driving loop and from the loop there are multiple trails ranging in mileage and difficulty. I have done most of them and they are all beautiful and the wildlife that you see on them is phenomenal. Definitely a must add to any trip to Las Vegas.
2) Bonnie Springs Ranch - If you continue down the road that Red Rock Canyon is on you will come across Bonnie Springs Ranch. (That is how I found it, simply exploring) This is a sort of ghost town, most of it was built in the 1960's but it has a lot of history and is very fun to explore, they also have Horse Back Riding.
3) Jean/Primm, NV - These two towns are the first two that you will come across when you leave Las Vegas on I-15 heading south to Los Angeles. They both have casinos and Primm has a fantastic outlet mall. There are many outlets in the Las Vegas areas, but what sets Primm apart is they have outlet stores that you don't see everywhere and you can get amazing deals on some of your favorite products. In addition to outlets, the casino in Primm has the car that Bonnie and Clyde were shot and killed in. Creepy but cool! The reason that I mentioned Jean is right now they have a car collection on display with many cars from Fast and the Furious 7, the Mystery Machine, and the 1960's Batmobile. I was in awe that I actually got to see it, yes I am a major nerd.
4) Mt. Charleston - Mt. Charleston is the 8th highest mountain in the United States and the highest in Clark County, NV. What is nice about Mt. Charleston is they have so much to offer. You can hike, take a scenic drive, mountain bike, horseback ride, and in the winter you can ski or snowshoe.
5) Fremont Street - I know this one is a lot like the strip but it has to be mentioned. Fremont Street is what you would think of as old Las Vegas, it has been revitalized but it maintains the Las Vegas feel. The casinos all open out onto the street and you can walk freely to each casino much easier than on the Las Vegas strip. Also, the Golden Nugget casino on Fremont Street is home to one of the top 10 pools in the world. This pool has a clear glass shark tank in the middle with a waterslide going through, so you get to "swim with the sharks". It is a lot of fun and a really cool thing to add to your Las Vegas trip.
6) Hoover Dam - This one is an obvious and I hesitated even mentioning it as of course you will want to visit the one of the most iconic dams in the country. It really is an amazing sight and it is located over 2 states. My key piece of advice on the dam is to go into the bathroom that is located on the dam and look out the window, I feel that is one of the best views from the dam.
7) Valley of Fire - Valley of Fire is located 58 miles north of Las Vegas and is the oldest state park in Nevada. The name Valley of Fire is taken from the Red Sandstone that is located throughout the park. Many movies and commercials have been made here, occasionally being used to look like another planet. What is amazing about the Valley of Fire is you can start hiking and the possibilities of what you can climb on and see is endless. When my best friend and I used to hike here frequently we saw beautiful sandstone arches and many petroglyphs.
8) Supai Falls (Havasu Falls) - This is located approximately 3-4 hours (driving) from Las Vegas. There are only two ways to get to the Falls: 1) Helicopter, 2) Hike. Near Supai/Havasu Falls is the town of Supai, AZ, this is a Native American town and for the people who live there those are the only two ways for them to leave. I have met many people from Supai and most of them use the helicopter that goes in and out multiple times a week. You need a permit to do the hike and I did the hike over 8 years ago. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. To get to the falls you hike down 10 miles into a branch of the Grand Canyon, you can camp out near the falls in a designated camping area, then to get out you have to hike 10 miles (mostly uphill). We decided to do this hike in a 2 day stretch, we hiked in one afternoon and hiked out the next morning. I have never felt so much pain in my life as I did on the last mile hiking straight up hill, (and I was a cross country runner for over 10 years!) The pain was definitely worth it as it is one of the most beautiful sights in the country.
Note: This is not my picture, as of course I forgot my camera.
9) Los Angeles, Laughlin, Lake Havasu City, Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Death Valley - One of my favorite aspects of Las Vegas is that it is centrally located. You can reach all of these destinations in less than 300 miles, and Salt Lake City in a little over 400. All of these are doable and I have traveled to several times, some I have even made as day trips. I really enjoy being out here and being able to visit some of the most scenic places, along with some of the most populated places all within a day or two.
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of things that I am leaving out; The Las Vegas Neon Museum, Lake Las Vegas, Lake Mead, etc; but I wanted to get the highlights of some of my favorites.
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