Hotels of Las Vegas

As any parent knows, children are fearless and often want to go on the daring rides that adults tend to be more apprehensive about. Unfortunately, those pesky height restrictions tend to get in their way. Primm Valley Resorts has the solution to this problem with the Frog Hopper.

In this miniature version of the Turbo Drop, Frog Hopper stands 30 feet tall and allows children to experience about 60 seconds of free-falling in a seven-seat car containing one adult seat.

Riders are raised to the top before being dropped swiftly to the base. The drop is followed by several bounces in short spurts up and down, similar to that of a hopping frog. Children, as well as adults, are sure to enjoy this ride.

Just a couple of hours northwest of Las Vegas lies the out-of-this-world “Extraterrestrial Highway,” Nevada’s official spaceship-friendly stretch of road since 1996.

If you’re an intrepid traveler with an interest in all things intergalactic, the ET Highway and the funky little hamlet of Rachel should be on your star chart (or road map if you are driving.)

It’s a drive filled with beautiful desert vistas and mystery, especially off to the west of U.S. 375. There lies the immense (and very off-limits) Nevada Test and Training Range and the fabled Area 51.

There’s no official word from the government on what’s going on out at Area 51, which is also known by evocative monikers such as Groom Lake, Dreamland, Paradise Ranch and Neverland.

But this doesn’t stop millions of interstellar travel advocates and conspiracy theorists from speculating about Area 51. Many believe the government is retrofitting technology retrieved from crashed UFOs in secret underground hangars. Some people believe space aliens visit the shrouded installation.

Head out to Rachel and the Little A’Le’Inn and you’ll be sure to meet many fellow UFO buffs from around our globe (and maybe other globes, too).

Little A’Le’Inn is a fun and truly interesting little watering hole and restaurant. Its signature offering is the very tasty Alien Burger, which curiously is not shaped like a flying saucer. You might also try an appropriately named “Beam Me Up, Scotty” cocktail while admiring the hundreds of bumper stickers that decorate the bar – they reveal many potential conspiracies with pithy and often hilarious sayings.Little A’Le’Inn also offers a huge selection of collectible gift items featuring little green men and other UFO themes.

While visiting the establishment, be sure and check out the numerous photos, news clippings and other memorabilia of alien craft sightings and other UFO mysteries that adorn the walls. You just might become a believer if you are currently skeptical.

The ET Highway, Rachel and the Little A’Le’Inn might be a bit of a trek from Vegas. But they sure are a lot closer than Alpha Centauri. So plot a course and engage.

With a 225-foot drop down a 55-degree descent on the first hill, the Desperado is one of the tallest roller coasters in North America. The ride is well worth the price of admission.As the coaster makes it slow ascent to the top of the first hill, passengers can take in scenic views of the entire Primm Valley. But shortly after it reaches the peak, the roller coaster goes barreling down at an incline so steep that you can barely see the track below, all at speeds of about 80 mph.

Just when you start to catch your breath from the first drop, you reach the second hill on the track. A high-speed helix, the second hill takes off from 155 feet — higher than most coasters’ first drop.

But the action never stops on this thrill-packed ride as the coaster takes on the camelback hills leading to the front of the property, providing plenty of “airtime,” the thrilling zero-gravity sensation of floating off your seat.

Just when you start getting used to gripping anything you can find within your reach, the ride wraps up with a high-speed upward spiral through a man-made mountain and returns passengers safely to the loading area.

Jagged, rugged, severe, beautiful, sublime – these are perfect descriptions of Death Valley National Park. ‘Surprising’ is also a good word for the greater Death Valley area. There are desiccated and colorful desert vistas everywhere. Geological history is on full display. But there are also lush pockets of green plant life, Old West remnants and funky contemporary enclaves in this bigger-than-big wonderland.

The edge of the big drop

Barely two hours away, Las Vegas is the consummate gateway city to Death Valley National Park and its environs – where the Mojave is at its most magnificent. The first place to head for is Tecopa, Calif., located just southeast of the park. Arriving at Tecopa, follow the signs to China Ranch Date Farm. Descend a dramatic driveway through eroded canyon walls. Stop when you reach the trees – hundreds of fruit-bearing date palms.

China Ranch is a working family farm that harvests date varieties including Medjool and Black Beauty. Dates and date products like cookies, muffins, bread and their famous date shake are for sale, along with many artistic gifts and curios. There’s also a bed and breakfast at China Ranch and a restaurant and developed hot springs back in Tecopa.

From here, you’ll head north toward the national park’s boundary. It’s nearly 85 miles until any services inside the park, so you can stop in Shoshone, Calif. for some gas… and maybe a crêpe, too. Yes, there is a fusion French restaurant in quaint Shoshone – the tiny and charming Café C’est Si Bon.

Shoshone also has a gas station, general store, traditional roadside restaurant, motel and a remarkably comprehensive museum that documents Death Valley’s historic and prehistoric going-ons. It’s been an active area for eons.

Going down, down, down

From Shoshone, head into the park. There’s no missing the descent into Death Valley’s geologic heart – you’ll see the valley floor far ahead but your car will just keep following the curving road for mile after mile. It’s an incredible ride. You start at 1,500 feet elevation. Mountains to the west tower to 11,000 feet. You delve to 282 feet below sea level at Badwater Basin and its glowingly white and incredibly flat surface. It’s total topography.

Driving through Badwater Basin is surreal. The serrated mountains to the sides of the valley, the pristine lake bed with its briny water and salty crusts – it all seems so utterly inhospitable.

But for all this severity, Badwater Basin and the surrounding area have supported people for generations – this is the Timbisha Shoshone tribe’s homeland. And tourists from across the world seem to become more familiar and talkative in the extreme weather of the alkaline playa. Some multi-hued vistas near Badwater Basin include Artist Palette, Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View. Bring a camera, definitely.

Leisure in Death Valley

The next stop is at Furnace Creek, the park’s headquarters. It’s still a severe place, but it’s much more developed. You’ll find a visitor center, hotels, RV parks, museum, restaurants, market, gas station and a golf course, of all things.

This area is close to Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs. Both of these areas feature gas stations, lodging, dining and camping amenities. Along with Furnace Creek, these are perfect places to meet and speak with the national forest rangers who are experts on the geology, environment, history and culture of the Death Valley area.

If you’re looking to get more remote, drive out on Emigrant Canyon Road. It leads to the rustic Wildrose, Thorndike and Mahogany Flat campgrounds.

That’s no mirage, it really is a castle

In the northeastern corner of Death Valley, you’ll drive up Grapevine Canyon. At about the halfway point, you’ll encounter a few groves of cottonwoods and palm trees to the side of the highway. And then as you come around a bend in the road, you’ll find Scotty’s Castle, an immense, almost fantastical, architectural vision in this remote region.

When it was created, this intricate edifice was the meeting of a rich Chicago businessman’s speculative interest piqued by a desert rat’s gold strike tales. Albert Johnson had the lucre, Walter “Scotty” Scott had the local knowledge. Though lustrous veins were never found, an ornate structure was built. These days Scotty’s Castle houses a gift store, snack shop, visitor center and museum where unique tours are available. On tours of the Spanish mission-style castle, park rangers dress in ’30s garb and lead visitors through rooms and hallways. A tour of the tunnels beneath the castle grounds is available. A highlight of the main tour is the end, where a 1927 Welte theatre organ is demonstrated.

A modern castle deep in the American desert? This is definitely something to tour amidst all the Death Valley ruggedness.

Ruined foundations and rising art

Just outside of Death Valley National Park’s northeastern border, close to Beatty, Nev., you’ll find testaments to ideas both failed and hopeful in the hardscrabble Mojave landscape.

At Rhyolite, a ghost town like no other awaits. This isn’t some Victorian era smattering of withered wood buildings. Rhyolite was founded and died in the modern age: 1904 and 1916, respectively.

Its ruins are defined by stark cement and stone frameworks like Cook’s Bank and a railroad station. Rhyolite is closer to our world than most other true ghost towns, and it’s apocalyptically eerier for it. Rhyolite also features the enigmatic and playful Goldwell Open Air Museum. This living contemporary sculpture collection features large-scale conceptions like a ghostly revision of DaVinci’s “Last Supper” and a towering metal miner with pick axe and ‘obligatory’ penguin. Other whimsical statuary surround the museum’s visitor center.

While Rhyolite’s seam of life ran short, Goldwell will offer a rich lode of artistic ‘why’ to entrance visitors as long as the sculptures stand.

There’s room for more Death Valley sightseeing … plenty of room

This tour of Death Valley touches on some of the area’s famous sites and a few of its little known points of interest. But there are many more features to see.

The wind-pushed, mud-sliding rocks of the Racetrack Playa have been challenging geologists and amateur scientists for years. The massive volcanic terrain of Ubehebe Crater, verdant Dar win Falls and the oasis of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge are all scenic spots worthy of their own side trips. In Death Valley Junction, delight in the spectacular murals painted by Marta Becket that cover the interior of the Amargosa Opera House. An entire audience of characters has been created by Becket’s clever brush. Live audience members are welcome to join the painted ones during scheduled performances.

These and other desert delights await — all just a day trip away from Las Vegas.

Located on the edge of the valley, the Clark County Heritage Museum provides hours of fun while teaching visitors about the rich and colorful history of Las Vegas and its surrounding communities.

The tour begins in Anna Roberts Parks Exhibit Hall with a timeline of Southern Nevada from prehistoric times through the 20th century. Once completely submerged under water, Southern Nevada was at one time a relatively lush environment and attracted animals such as mammoth, sloth and camels.

Humans inhabited the region for at least 12,000 years, including the Indian tribes of the Anasazi, Paiute, Chemehuevi and Mojave. A diorama of an Anasazi dwelling and a Paiute camp offer visitors a glimpse into how early residents of the area lived. There are also several display cases full of authentic knives, toys, pottery, baskets and jewelry that were left behind by the various communities that once called the desert region “home.”

The timeline demonstrates how, in the early 1800s, explorers, settlers, trappers and missionaries began to make their way to the Nevada desert, building ranches and farms. Artifacts on display in this portion of the museum include a pair of sheep shears and a flintlock musket. An informative exhibit on mining towns chronicles the colorful past of towns like Searchlight, Potosi and Goodsprings.

Throughout the museum there are interactive displays allowing museum guests to touch and hold various items - a branding iron, butter mold, chamber pot, fossils and much more.

Another exhibit traces the unique history of gaming in Las Vegas, giving visitors an idea of how the once desolate region has become the entertainment mecca it is known as today. Among the items on display are an 1898 Dewy slot machine (made primarily of wood), a roulette wheel, poker table and a modern video poker machine. But nothing speaks as loudly to the phenomenal growth Vegas has seen in the last century as the old black and white photos hanging from the walls depicting a much smaller and less populated downtown Las Vegas.

The final area of the exhibit hall, “The Heritage Gallery,” is dedicated to rotating collections. Currently on display is “African-American Portraits, 1912-1925.” The collection of photographs taken by John Johnson is comprised of digital prints taken from the original negatives. The images depict the vibrant family life and camaraderie in one small African-American community.

Outside the exhibit hall, there is even more to see. The Mojave Desert Outdoor Classroom is filled with indigenous plants along winding paths. All are marked to help visitors determine which are which. Also nearby is a Model 0-6-0 Steam Switch Engine, built in 1918 by Union Pacific Works and once used for passenger and freight trains. A performance area provides a venue for the many cultural events held at the museum.

Perhaps the most unique feature of the Clark County Heritage Museum is “Heritage Street,” a small tree-lined street is flanked on either side by eight historic structures, relocated from all across Southern Nevada and restored to their original grandeur. Among the buildings are the Beckley House (Las Vegas, 1912), the Babcock/Wilcox House (Boulder City, 1933) and the Giles/Barcus House (Goldmine, 1905).

Other points of interest at the museum include the 1931 Boulder City train depot and a ghost town complete with a blacksmith, jail and general store.

Conveniently located in the exhibit center near the museum property exit is the gift shop. It may appear small, but the shop offers a large array of souvenirs to meet any income. Authentic Hopi kachina dolls, Navajo jewelry, stuffed animals, books, cards and hand-woven rugs are just a few of the purchases to be made.

The approach to Chloride, Ariz., from Las Vegas is a lesson in Southwest landscapes. Driving by New Deal-era, government-planned Boulder City, you’ll pass over the thriving burg’s raison d’etre — Hoover Dam and the Colorado River’s vast chasm. Seventy miles down the road, you’ll soon realize the old reason people came way out West — ore.

Chloride was the home of thousands of people living off the silver mines in the nearby Cerbat Mountains. Now it’s the salt-of-the-earth residence of a few hundred souls. But with weekend re-enactments of gunslinging, bullet-ridden brush-ups and a preserved boardwalked old town, it’s a true slice of the Wild West.

Today’s Chloride is also all about crystals and color. As the desert doesn’t yield many garden variety flowers, residents adorn their yards with glinting glass art. Las Vegas, the wild and wooly Old West still exists. And up a canyon road, tinted rock faces frame famous murals painted by artist Roy Purcell.

Stop in at the Mineshaft Market and official information center, where Donna Meyer and her fellow homesteaders will point out town highlights.

“Chloride is the oldest continuously-inhabited mining camp in the state of Arizona. There’s been a town here since 1870,” Meyer said.

According to Meyer, Chloride has a whole different vibe than more famous mining towns and the heavily trafficked Route 66 to the south.

“The basic reason for people to come here is that it’s not like anyplace else. It’s one of those odd little towns at the end of the road that has its own atmosphere, its own people, its own feeling. It’s not tarted up for tourists — it’s real,” she said.

For all its wild and natural streaks, Chloride is a welcoming spot for travelers.

At one of Cedar Breaks’ four scenic overlooks, a dangerous path tempts visitors with the promise of more spectacular views.

The path juts out beyond the constructed observation area and seems to end where the sky begins. The path is brilliant with its reddish hues. The soil underfoot is loose and wide enough for only one-way travel.

To the left and right, fatally dramatic drops await the slightest misstep. Still, the path is beaten with footprints whose constantly changing patterns are a testament to the beauty of the park.

Of course, there is little need to take a dangerous step. Every turn at Cedar Breaks spoils the eye. The park sits at an altitude of 10,000 feet (10,662 at its highest point) and offers plenty to see for even the casual observer. Each of the park’s lookouts provides a different and equally spectacular angle of the brilliant sandstone pinnacles featured in the 2,500-foot-deep canyon.

The views are best at sunrise and sunset, when the light brings out the deepest shades of the rock. Looking up to Cedar Breaks from Utah State Highway 14 puts the park’s “natural amphitheater” appearance in perspective, but a drive-by alone won’t do the trick.

The top of the canyon spans more than three miles and is worth the four-mile drive up State Route 148. Along the drive you’ll see an array of wild flowers set in expansive green meadows. There also are patches of Englemann spruce, aspen and subalpine fir. Sadly, the bark beetle has left enclaves of dead trees along the route and throughout the area.

The park also features a simple 30-site campground and a visitor center. Two trails within the park offer distinctly different looks. The Alpine Pond Nature Trail is a double-loop trail for fans of the meadow and forest aspects of the park. In stark contrast, the Spectra Point/Ramparts Overlook Trail provides the dramatic views of the canyon.

Two more miles up the State Route 143 is the quaint resort town of Brian Head, which has a couple of country stores and a ski and bike rental shop. For those not camping, the town also features an array of vacation rental condominiums, The Lodge at Brian Head and the plush Cedar Breaks Lodge.

The town of Cedar City, which hosts the Tony award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival, is 40 minutes to the west. Those traveling from Vegas will go through Cedar City on the way to Cedar Breaks.

The surrounding area also features several lakes, lava-flow formations and enough Dixie National Forest greenery to erase memories of Vegas brown.

For longer-term vacationers, Cedar Breaks is a natural scenic stop between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

Heavy snow closes the roads to Cedar Breaks every winter. Spring and fall visitors are advised to bring winter clothing and to be prepared for winterlike conditions.

One of the most gorgeous areas in the American Southwest, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is located about four hours northeast of Las Vegas. While this is a significant distance, the park is close to Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument and Brian Head Resort – a trip to the region packs in a lot of incredible sights.

Bryce Canyon is filled towering spires, fins, arches and mazes. Rocks throughout the park range in color from deep red to gold to tan and chalky white. They make a stunning contrast with the green forests and blue sky that surround Bryce Canyon.

The name “canyon” is something of a misnomer. Actually the park is a long but narrow desert plateau that’s been carved by erosion and now bears wide, horseshoe-shaped rock basins on its sides.

Park visitors drive along a paved road above sights like Bryce Amphitheater, which is filled with fanciful rock towers called “hoodoos,” and the vistas of Yovimpa Point and Inspiration Point. Hikers can take trails through landscapes like Fairyland Loop and Under the Rim Trail, meandering all the while between rock pillars for miles.

Extremely popular with summer travelers who enjoy Bryce Canyon’s alpine climate, the park is also a great place for cross country skiing. There’s a great deal of wildlife in and around Bryce Canyon. Lucky visitors might catch a glimpse of a mountain lion or a pronghorn antelope. Bird watchers will delight in the variety of raptors, including bald eagles and golden eagles. Reptiles found in the park include the Great Basin rattlesnake and the mountain short-horned lizard. Enjoy meadows filled with sego lilies, penstemons, asters, clematis, evening primrose, skyrocket gilias, Indian paintbrush and wild iris. Spring and early summer offer the best displays of flowers.

Visitors can free themselves of driving in the park by taking the environmentally-friendly shuttle bus. Horseback trips are available, too, and are unforgettable for city folk visiting Bryce Canyon.

Be sure and visit historic Bryce Canyon Lodge and the informative museum in the Visitor Center.

Any trip to Bryce Canyon means a stop at the famous Ruby’s Inn with its stores and restaurants. The huge wooden structure is filled with interesting memorabilia. For some real authentic Western-style vittles, grab a delicious dinner at the Cowboy’s Smoke House in the little town of Panguitch about 25 miles up the road.

Bryce Canyon is a gorgeous destination, from pine trees and sandstone to everything else in between.

Whether visiting in the winter or summer, Brian Head Resort is a scenic wonderland where crowds and noise never seem to be a problem.

The resort’s location is partially responsible. Las Vegas, which is a 3 1/2 hour drive away, is the closest metropolitan area. And Vegas locals and visitors are the resort’s primary customers.

Though the park stays busy enough to keep the registers ringing, Brian Head Resort is far from the typical overcrowded ski getaway. Even on the busiest weekends, lift lines are short and there is relatively no waiting. At times on weekdays, especially in the summer months, visitors may feel as if they’re the only ones on the mountain.

Come winter, snow also is not a problem. The resort makes its own, but its three mountains get most of their help from the skies. In fact, the resort averages more than 35 feet of snow per season.

And there are plenty of outdoor options for visitors. Along with its lift-accessible downhill terrain, the resort features a CAT accessible expert area, a network of Nordic and snowshoe trails, backcountry tours via snowmobile, a popular snow tubing park and the nearby Cedar Breaks National Monument.

The town of Brian Head boasts a couple of country stores, a ski and bike rental shop, a wide selections of vacation rental condominiums, The Lodge at Brian Head Resort and the plush Cedar Breaks Lodge.

The town of Cedar City, which hosts the Tony-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival, is 35 minutes to the west. Those traveling from Vegas will go through Cedar City on the way to Cedar Breaks.

The surrounding area features several lakes, lava flow formations and enough Dixie National Forest greenery to erase memories of Vegas brown.

Because of its high elevation, spring and fall visitors are advised to bring winter clothing and to be prepared for winterlike conditions.