Hearts in Hawai'i
Our Trip To Las Vegas (2005)--Part 2
5/26/2005
Hoover Dam
The sheer scope and magnitude of this man-made project completed in 1935, makes this place a must-see. For a history of the building of this dam, check out "The American Experience--Hoover Dam" at the PBS website.
Trip to Laughlin
Why spend time in Laughlin, considering that we don't gamble? The answer was simple for us; it was a free trip thrown in with our vacation package. Otherwise (and certainly in hindsight), we wouldn't have considered making this trip.
First, it was hot the day we went, at least 105 degrees. Second, what does Laughlin offer? After a boat tour of the area (in other words, casinos), and doing the "mandatory" shopping, we were bored and ended up spending considerable time in a bar watching Texas Hold Em Poker on ESPN and sipping soft drinks. The lunch buffet at the Edgewater Hotel was okay, the narrative on the bus trip down and back was somewhat useful, but this was as far from being the high point of our trip as you could get.
A Night On The Town
Night one: Visting the Freemont Street Experience was another activity which we'd done during a previous trip, but I'd been told that the lighting had undergone a major improvement and the new Experience was much better than the old. This advice wasn't wrong.
We combined the Fremont Street visit with an outstanding steak dinner at Binion's Ranch Steakhouse, on the 24th floor of Binion's. Highly recommended for its romantic lighting, service and quality of their meats.
Night two: If you're a baseball fan, head on up to Cashman Field (North Las Vegas Blvd) and take in a Las Vegas 51's game. This is a AAA team owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers which plays in the Pacific Coast League. Unfortunately, fan support is somewhat lacking but this also means that you can secure great seats, especially on weeknights. We were able to (on four days notice), get front row seats just past first base. Cashman Field holds just over 9,300 people, but there couldn't have been more than 1,000 at the Monday night game we attended where they beat the Round Rock Express. A fun evening!
Night three: If you've never visited the top of the Stratosphere Tower, you're missing out on a unique way to view Las Vegas from a height of over 1,000 feet. The pics below show a few of the sights you'll be able to view.
Main Street Station
Fremont Street
Polynesian Luau at the Imperial Palace
Views From The Stratosphere
Valley Of Fire
Valley of Fire is Nevada's oldest state park and possibly its most beautiful. Red and yellow sandstone cliffs and rock formations dominate the landscape. It's less than one hour driving north from Las Vegas and most of the park can easily be seen in one day. Don't rush; take your time and venture out on some of the many trails available here. Be sure to bring water! I can't stress this strongly enough. It was over 100 on the day we were here and having a cooler with insulated water bottles made it possible for us to venture out on foot. Hiking boots (which we didn't have) are also helpful. (This advice, by the way, also applies to Red Rock Canyon).
Zion National Park
The absolute highlight of our trip. Prior research didn't properly prepare us for the beauty of this park. It simply has to be seen to be believed. Huge limestone cliffs tower over the scenic road which is accessible only by shuttle bus. The shuttle system is a beauty; it's free (with the park admission price) and you can take it to any of a number of stops, get out and hike around, and take the next shuttle to another stop point. These run just minutes apart.
If you make this trip from Las Vegas in a car, be prepared for somewhat of a long day. The trip each way takes over two hours; you'll want to spend at least four or five hours there in order to see at least some of the sights. If you plan to do significant hiking, you should consider spending a night in or nearby the park.
Mount Charleston
One more final half-day trip before we left sunny Las Vegas for "Dismal Duluth" brought us near the summit of Mt. Charleston. I was under the impression that the road led all the way to the summit; it doesn't, topping out at over 8,000 feet, more than 1,000 feet from the top. This doesn't change the fact that some of the views are incredible, as the pictures attest.
Final Words
Okay, so living there would never be an option for us. The heat, the size of the city, the people, the level of violent crime, those are factors we pay serious attention to. But, in terms of where to spend a week or two and where to find excitement, Vegas comes in second in our minds only to Hawai`i. Even if you don't gamble, you'll find plenty of activities which will keep you busy. If you do gamble, then obviously you're in the perfect vacation spot
Previous: 5/18/2005--Our Trip to Las Vegas (2005)--Part 1
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