First, this was to be a cheap trip. Airline miles covered airfare, the selected hotel was to be very cheap based upon an offer extended to my wife's frequent card.
Imperial Palace was selected as it was to offer a rate of $94, for four nights, all taxes included. Well, it did not turn out that way. Since it was my wife's card, they would not honor my stay against it despite my trying aggressively. Total cost for what is basically a dumpy hotel: $320. Bad form Harrahs. Enough of the bad. We will devote this write up not on the typical Las Vegas, but some of the different things to do or see that is not gambling, excessive drinking, or others.....
Red Rocks. When it is 115 in central Las Vegas, head out west about 15 miles to Red Rocks park.. The elevation here is somewhere around 3-4K, and the temps are always about 15 degrees cooler. There is a long loop that leads through the foothills, with several parking areas that are trail heads with a variety of hiking trial difficulty. Bring a picnic lunch, feed the chipmunks, and enjoy a really relaxing time. Entry fee $5.
Bonnie Springs. Kids may like this as it is a old western town replica with a petting zoo. Not much interest for me, but then I know some have kiddies, and this would be decent place to take them. It is just beyond Red Rocks park. They have some kind of stage reenactment as well on schedule during weekends. Cheesy. Again, not for me, but someone may like it. It is not loosing your money in a slot machine.
Blue Diamond. This little post mining town is yet further west on the same road as Red Rocks. Population about 350, it is a little green oasis in the middle of dry. Wild Burros are this towns claim to fame, and they are usually feasting on the well manicured baseball diamond. They love to come up and stick their nose in your open window looking for a hand out. We always stop at the general store there. A Diet Mt Dew, and a few stories by the owner, and you are off. Each Saturday they gather around the store parking lot for a impromptu blues jam. I think its more on the weedy wacky side, if you know what I mean.
Lake Mead. In the other direction (that would be east for you geo challenged monkeys) is Lake Mead. A huge but disappearing body of water that is surrounded by what looks like the surface of the moon. Little vegetation. Go all the way down under Boulder City to a beach area, right around the corner from the Hoover Dam. There you can back your car up to the water's edge and enjoy the relatively clean, but really warm water. Usually a few strange sights here as well, like the time some chick in a bikini got her golf clubs out and analyzed her swing on the beach in the bikini...sorry, no pics, forgot my camera.
Hoover Dam. All I will say here is expect an 45 minute queue on Sat and Sun. During the week, go, you can get there without too much wait. great marvel. But now, it is joined by another marvel we found nearly as interesting...a bypass highway is being completed to relieve the weekend traffic jam. The bridge is high above Hoover damn, and a frigin engineering marvel...This is worth seeing if you have not been to Hoover in a while.
Mount Charleston. This is northwest. This is basically a village of vacation homes about 8000 feet high above the valley. Here the temps are 25 degrees less than the valley. There is hiking and picnic areas. There is also a restaurant on the way to the ski area (yes, I said ski area) that has a beautiful balcony to lunch and drink at. OK. I knew you were missing the drinking thing. Food is good here, service, not so much. But it is a great place to call your Mt Charleston destination among which the village is basically a mecca of stunning log vacation home scattered in the hillsides. Stop for lunch, or hike then hang out and watch the humming birds do battle over the feeder...but, they are pretty tame up there, so they will buzz you.
