Things to do / Travel Guide
The Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip sparkles like no other place on earth. A heavily-trafficked boulevard open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this four-mile long strip of road features some of the most luminescent man-made scenery ever built. The Strip showcases an eclectic mix of scenic beauty, mainly in the form of eye-popping and imposing resorts. With so much visual stimulation, the Las Vegas Strip offers a fascinating driving experience both during the day and at night that should leave you enchanted. It's best to choose a time when traffic is lighter on the Strip, but expect the drive to take you anywhere from half an hour up to two hours on weekends and holidays.
Red Rock Canyon Road
Just outside Las Vegas, you can take a ride on State Route 159, which winds around the 197,000-acre Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Located in the shadow of the majestic Spring Mountains, the area is a magnificent sampling of the Mojave Desert. Stunning rock formations present themselves in shades of burgundy and cream-colored sandstone. If you're lucky, you can perhaps catch sight of some unique flora and animals like bobcats, desert bighorn sheep, wild burros, and gray foxes. After the occasional desert rainstorm, hundreds of waterfalls can be seen from the road tumbling down sheer rock walls. The drive makes for a naturally beautiful morning or afternoon respite from the synthetic beauty of the city center.
All along the 13-mile scenic drive, you'll view the inspiring Wilson Cliffs, part of the 65 million year old Keystone Thrust. Many geological features are found here, including the fossilized sand dunes of the colorful Calico Hills. The nearby visitor center includes interesting exhibits and a desert tortoise habitat. An additional benefit of this venue is the off-road adventure up Rocky Gap Road. Rare desert wildflowers, prehistoric Native American pictographs, and a multitude of vegetation make this site worth the trip.
Eldorado Canyon
Eldorado Canyon is steeped in the colorful history of the Old West and is home to the infamous Techatticup Mine. From Las Vegas it's just a short journey to this historic site, where you can observe spectacular scenery. Meadows of teddy bear cholla and rare rock formations make this a great photo opportunity near the banks of Lake Mojave.
Professionally guided tours of the area are available, allowing you to witness the backbreaking work carried out by gold prospectors over a century ago as they hunted veins deep into this harsh mountainside.
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