| LAS VEGAS RECREATION No other city in the world has a more recognizable name and no other city caters to your every passion. Las Vegas offers a diversity of recreational activities unmatched by any other city. From spectacular stage productions; to top of the line fine dining; to bargain and boutique shopping; to some of the best year-round golfing, you’ll find exactly what you are looking for plus a few surprises along the way. LAS VEGAS SHOWS & ENTERTAINMENT If it's entertainment you want, Las Vegas has the best! Why is Las Vegas called the “Entertainment Capital of the World”? One reason – it is. From top of the line concerts and in-house productions, to musicians, comedians, impersonators and actors, they all are found in Las Vegas. Spectacular production shows are getting bigger and more extravagant. With exquisite costume designs and sets, acrobatic marvels and an array of talented people, the Cirque du Soleil is found in 4 hotels with sold-out performances night after night. The Luxor features the Blue Man Group who leave their imprint on packed audiences with their bizarre theatrics. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace feature international superstars Celine Dion and Elton John. FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE With a cost of more than $65 million, the Fremont Street Experience has helped transform downtown Las Vegas. With 2 million lights providing nightly sky parade and three different light shows, this 1500 foot long space frame over Fremont Street is complete with a mall that house outdoor cafes, marketplace shops and special nightly entertainment. GAMEWORKS Gameworks is an interactive gaming zone with areas that take video games to a higher level than imagined! If you like to compete, here you can be in virtual reality, dimensional simulators, pinball and a rock-climbing wall competing against yourself and others. LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1,500 acre complex with a 1.5 mile banked Tri-Oval Super Speedway, with 50 acres of motor coach parking and Stadium seating. It is also one of the stops of the NASCAR circuit. GOLF You’re in golf heaven when you’re in Southern Nevada whether you’re a scratch golfer, weekend player or beginner. Set against robin’s egg blue skies and dramatic mountain silhouettes, emerald fairways and greens are showcases to some of the great golf course designers. Dye, Fazio, Nicklaus and all of the great golf course designers have one or more masterpieces in Las Vegas. Nowhere on earth is golf as exciting and picturesque as it is in the Las Vegas area! Golf courses in Southern Nevada range from over 7,000 yards with slopes over 130 to manicured executive par-three courses. No matter where you play, the atmosphere of the waterfalls, streams, arroyos, mountains and palm trees will give as much enjoyment as the game itself. LAS VEGAS RESTAURANTS The “entertainment capital of the world” could also be dubbed the “restaurant capital of the world.” No shortage of fantastic dining options is available in Las Vegas. Once known for cheap food, Las Vegas has become the new Mecca for world-renowned chefs. These chefs are flocking to the desert from all the major cities and countries to make the city of Las Vegas the culinary hot spot. In fact, several of the city’s restaurants have won five-star honors from the Mobil Travel Guide and several others received four stars. With offerings ranging from extravagant buffets to fine cuisine at celebrated restaurants, you will be able to savor something from every corner of the world and in every price range.
Yes, you can still find bargains in Las Vegas where marquees along the Strip advertise the renowned prime rib specials. Yet, you don’t want to miss out of some of the finest restaurants in the world. LAS VEGAS SHOPPING Yes, in Las Vegas, you can "shop until you drop" as the old saying goes. The construction of shopping malls and retail centers has managed to keep pace with Southern Nevada's phenomenal growth. Within a short drive or walking distance of all major resort hotels, you'll find malls and outlet stores that offer a wide range of products to satisfy the bargain hunter or the shopper with the most discriminating taste. Several factory-direct malls, a bargain hunter's paradise, are located throughout the Las Vegas Valley. FORUM SHOPS AT CAESARS Ornate and upscale venues such as the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace rival the ambiance and flair of Beverly Hills. With 200,000 square feet of new specialty shops and 150,000 square feet of an entertainment area are featured in this Roman style unique shopping mall. More than 100 fine shops and restaurants are assembled in the area that resembles ancient Roman streets with arches, piazzas and ornate fountains, including the Fountain of the Gods. Stores include Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Warner Bros, the Palm Restaurant, to name just a few. Here, you can spend hours shopping! FASHION SHOW MALL The Fashion Show Mall on the Strip has just completed its renovation with the addition of famous stores like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and several new specialty boutiques.
LAS VEGAS CULTURE Las Vegas’ growing population has opened the door to new cultural and musical events. With springtime events such as jazz festivals in April and May, a folkdance festival in May and the sixth Mardi Gras set to hit Fremont in April, cultural events can be found because of the diversity of the city. Although it is not, strictly speaking, a cultural event, Las Vegas has become somewhat famous for revving engines, clouds of dust and, of course, arguably the toughest off-road race in America, the BITD (Best in the desert) Nevada 1000. Las Vegas does possess a fine philharmonic orchestra and a ballet troupe but of course they are in smaller venues for a more intimate event. The city, however, continues to attract some of the biggest names in show business with live theatrical shows, magicians, circus acts and dance. The UNLV Performing Arts Center is one of the more significant venues to attract a variety of performances and events. As with virtually everything in Las Vegas, the casinos offer the bulk of the stage entertainment. For dance and ballet productions, the Nevada Ballet Theater founded in 1972, is one of Nevada’s larger cultural institutions and performs many of its productions at the Judy Bayley Theatre at UNLV Performing Arts Center. Many of the revues and touring shows incorporate or are devoted to dance. Both put on more serious theatre than the hotel–casinos, be it the classics, modern playwrights or even musicals.
LAS VEGAS NATURE LOCAL NATURE ACTIVITIES Away from the man-made excitement of Las Vegas is a world of natural beauty unlike any place else on this earth. People who love nature appreciate the central location of desert living in the Las Vegas Valley. Las Vegas is ideally located to wonderful recreational areas. Within an hour’s drive, you can be in areas such as Lake Mead National Recreational Area, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Valley of Fire State Park, Spring Mountains National Conservation Area, Toiyabe National Forest, and Mt. Charleston. Lake Mead National Recreation Area Within minutes and attracting more than 8 million visitors annually, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area containing some 1.5 million acres and 500 miles of shoreline offers great opportunities for boating, sailing, jet skiing, fishing, water-skiing, camping, and windsurfing and happens to be one of the most frequented National Recreation Areas in the United States. Created by Hoover Dam, the lake is the largest man-made lake in the world and extends 110 miles behind the Dam. Fishing is open year-round, and anglers harvest large numbers of game fish each year. Hoover Dam In the 1930s at a cost of $160 million, Hoover Dam turned the raging waters of the Colorado River into the still waters of Lake Mead. The dam is located 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas past Boulder City where government guides conduct various tours year-round. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Escape to the red sandstone formations at Red Rock Nature Conservation Area along the 13-mile loop road that wind along the western border of the Las Vegas Valley. These beautiful red rock formations and desert scenery attract rock climbers, hikers, auto tourists, and even thousands of bicycle enthusiasts. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park Located within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and beneath the colorful cliffs of the magnificent Wilson Range is Historic Spring Mountain Ranch. Providing water for Paiute Indians and later mountain men and early settlers, the many springs in these mountains were a 520 acre oasis. Later the area was developed into a combination working ranch and luxurious retreat by a string of owners who have given the area a long and colorful history. Valley of Fire State Park In 1935 Nevada's first state park (Valley of Fire State Park) was dedicated. This 56,000-acre wilderness area features colorful, extraordinary rock formations, Native American petroglyphs and year-round campsites. Just as at Red Rock, rock climbers, hikers, tourists and campers flock to the area. You can even practice your rock climbing or horseback riding. Mount Charleston Being located just 10 miles northwest of the Las Vegas Valley; you can escape to enjoy the mountain views, hiking, horseback riding, as well as various winter sports and cool summers. Located 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Mount Charleston is situated among some 300,000 acres of forestland in the Las Vegas Ranger District. The area includes 52 miles of hiking trails, 160 picnic spots and 150 campsites in seven campgrounds and RV camps. Recreational activities include horseback riding and snow skiing. Beautiful peaks with redwood forests in the surrounding mountains provide an opportunity to get away from the desert heat in the summer. Winter provides the opportunity to get into snow country with just a short drive North to Mt. Charleston offering residents the opportunity to snow-ski from November to April at Lee Canyon. Hiking, camping, and other activities can also be enjoyed at Mount Charleston year-round. Floyd Lamb State Park As an early water stop for Native Americans originally known as Tule Springs, Floyd Lamb State Park became a Las Vegas favorite park being located in the northern region of the Las Vegas Valley. Once a privately-owned working ranch, as well as a guest/dude ranch in the 1950s, the park offers tree-shaded groves alongside four small fishing lakes. The park is available for day use only. Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park The first permanent non-native settlers in the Las Vegas Valley were a group of Mormon missionaries who built an adobe fort along Las Vegas Creek in 1855. They successfully farmed the area by diverting water from the creek. Today, the park includes a remnant of the original adobe fort, which serves as a visitor center with interpretive displays. REGIONAL NATURE ACTIVITIES Within 2-4 hours, you can even be in some of the most beautiful areas in the world including Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, and of course, the Grand Canyon. The awesome Utah ski country is also a short distance away where one may enjoy some of the best skiing anywhere in the country. Death Valley National Park Death Valley is located less than 2 hours from Las Vegas and offers breathtaking landscapes, colorful history and the lowest elevation point in the Western Hemisphere. Consuming 3,000 square miles of desert in California and Nevada, Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48 states. Grand Canyon National Park Located in northern Arizona, close to the borders of Utah and Nevada, this national park is home to the Grand Canyon, created by great erosional forces of biblical proportions and encompassing 1,904 square miles. Visitors to the Canyon can approach it from either the more well known South Rim or the lesser known North Rim. The Colorado River, which flows through the canyon, drains water from seven states. Recreational pursuits are extensive including but not limited to hiking, camping, biking and fishing. Commercial air carriers, helicopter flights and tour buses provide service from the Las Vegas area. Zion National Park Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary Zion contains within the park's 229 square miles a dramatic landscape of sculptured canyons and soaring cliffs. Zion is located within a 2 – 3 hour drive where you can enjoy hiking the canyons and the narrows, camping in the valley and enjoying the wildlife. The unique geography and the variety of life zones within the park make Zion significant as a place of unusual plant and animal diversity. Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Canyon National Park is another area that has used erosion to shape its colorful Claron limestones, sandstones, and mudstones into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles, and mazes. Named "hoodoos," these colorful and whimsical formations stand in horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters in Southern Utah and are about 4 – 5 hours from Las Vegas.
|
