America’s Playground

May 28 – June 4, 2021

That’s right, this week we were in America’s Playground aka Las Vegas, Lost Wages, Entertainment Capital of the World, or the Neon Capital of the World. We left the cooler clime (about 7000 feet elevation) of Williams, Arizona and dropped to a hot desert clime (about 2000 feet elevation). We had visited Las Vegas before but never with the RV or our own vehicle so this time we had more options for exploring outside the city. We passed the Hoover Dam on the way in but couldn’t see it from the highway. We were able to catch a glimpse of Lake Meade and the bathtub ring showing the low water level.

Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort

We had reservations at the Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort, just a short drive from the Strip. The resort boasts some great amenities (family pool, adult pool, 18 hole putting green, convenience store, restaurant) and nicely landscaped RV sites of various sizes. Be prepared for a booklet full of rules however.

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The Strip

Since many of the best shows on the Strip were still dark, we decided to only pay a token visit one day. We parked at the Tropicana and walked around in the Luxor and Mandalay Bay before returning to the Shoppes at Mandalay Bay. Bill bought a shirt and hat at the Guinness Store and we had lunch at the Ri Ra Irish Pub. (My Irish stew was excellent and Bill enjoyed his bangers and mash.) That was enough of the Strip for us. Plus the temperature was over 100 degrees!

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Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

About 20 minutes to the northwest of Las Vegas is the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

In marked contrast to a city geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (RRCNCA) is known as the premier outdoor recreation experience offering enticements of a different nature including a 13-mile scenic drive, miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, and picnic areas and many other outdoor recreation opportunities just minutes away from the brightly-lit and bustling Las Vegas Strip. RRCNCA is approximately 198,000 acres and located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip.

recreation.gov

The RRCNCA required a reservation so we chose an entry time of 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. hoping to beat some of the heat. As we followed the scenic drive, we stopped at several of the trailheads just to enjoy the view.

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We did deviate from the paved road onto a rough dirt road leading to the Keystone Thrust and Willow Spring trailheads. We set out on the Keystone Thrust hike – a moderate 2.4 mile roundtrip with a 567 foot elevation gain.

Hike along this trail to see the intersection of great and colorful geologic eras. Sixty million to 65 million years ago, the Pacific and North American continental plates got into a shoving match. The conflict pushed up the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west. The same force pushed the deep limestone layers up and over the sand dunes in what is now Red Rock Canyon.

redrockcanyonlv.org

I only completed about 1.5 miles of the hike as it was hot with no shade and going up is not my forte. Bill continued on for a bit to see more of the Thrust.

After returning to the trailhead, we abandoned the idea of doing a portion of the Willow Spring hike – a moderate 4.4 mile trek. We returned to the main route and completed the scenic drive.

Valley of Fire State Park

To give Bill a break from driving, we arranged a tour from Las Vegas to the Valley of Fire with Pink Jeep Tours. Our driver picked us up at the Oasis Office at 7:30 a.m. that morning. He made another stop at the South Point Hotel Casino to pick up another couple before heading out for the hour-long drive to the valley.

Just beyond Las Vegas stands an otherworldly landscape of epic proportions. Some gaze into the rock formations and see fire. Filmmakers see Mars. Whatever the truth may be, Valley of Fire State Park is a place for the adventurer at heart.

Born from Aztec sandstone and other geological finds, this park is one of southern Nevada’s native treasures, with Native American art, natural arches and more. Since opening in 1934, Valley of Fire has grown to more than 40,000 acres and hosted thousands of outdoor escapades.

valley-of-fire.com

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Time to Relax

For one last hurrah in Las Vegas we went to the South Point Hotel Casino where I enjoyed a relaxing massage in their spa while Bill played some Blackjack (contributing to the casino preservation fund).

Now it’s time to trek across Nevada to our next destination where hopefully it’s a bit cooler and greener.