Page 10 - AAA Schuylkill County – AAA Now! – January/February 2016

TRAVE
Viva Las Vegas!
L
Beyond the Bright Lights
Outside Las Vegas’ city limits there’s an entirely different dimension of Nevada’s desert community to discover.
LAKE MEAD & HOOVER DAM
One of the most-visited nearby attractions is Hoover Dam, a National Historic Landmark
that lies on the border of Nevada and Arizona, straddling the Colorado River. Located 30
miles southeast of Las Vegas on U.S. 93, this magnificently engineered dam is open for tours daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Lake Mead was created with the completion of Hoover Dam and is now a recreational paradise for boaters and water sports enthusiasts. House boating, water skiing and wakeboarding are all activities you can find virtually year-round on the lake. On the other side of Hoover Dam, the Colorado River still flows free and offers visitors exciting rafting options.
VALLEY OF FIRE SCENIC BYWAY
In between La Vegas and Lake Mead lies the Valley of Fire, an impressive canvas of wind- sculpted red sandstone that transforms with each slight movement of the sun. To get there, travel northeast from Las Vegas on I-15 to the Valley of Fire interchange (exit 75), then south and east to the park boundary. The Valley of Fire State Park has campgrounds, picnic sites, hiking trails, and a large visitors center offering interpretive information of the area’s natural history, geology, plants and wildlife,
RED ROCK CANYON SCENIC BYWAY
Just 15 minutes from the bright lights and casinos of Las Vegas lies the magnificent 197,000-acre Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, with its expansive sandstone rock formations, hiking trails, rock climbing and picnic areas. In addition to the multicolored rock formations and unique desert flora and fauna, you might spot desert bighorn sheep, bobcats, gray foxes and wild burros.
By Gretchen Zauner
Ever since the 1960s when Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and other members of the notorious Rat Pack made their headlining appearances in Las Vegas, this city has become known for being a glamorous, glittery desert oasis where the entertainment never stops.
With football fields of gaming tables, slot machines, cocktail lounges and restaurants, the mega resorts that line The Strip attract adults bent on enjoying themselves. With its amazing eclectic collection of entertainment venues and dazzling shows, including the avant-garde Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, and an endless lineup of world- renowned performers, the city has certainly earned its reputation for being “The Entertainment Capital of the World.”
celebrity chefs or to browse fashion and jewelry collections from world-renowned designers.
A variety of other themed resort hotels, including the Egyptian-inspired Luxor, Caesars Palace, Excalibur and MGM Grand with its Lion Habitat compete fiercely for their fair share of visitors.
The Venetian Resort even has a wax museum, the famous Madame Tussauds, where you can see some of the world’s biggest celebrities – in a way. And, of course, all of the hotels feature sprawling, shimmering swimming pools.
Kids love the roller coasters and other rides
at the Stratosphere, Circus Circus and New
York, New York. So now, Las Vegas isn’t just an adult playground, it’s for kids too. There are live animal exhibits at many resorts. You can watch swashbuckling pirates at Treasure Island and travel
into the future to fight aliens at The Star Trek Experience at the MGM Grand. And to put some education in the vacation, a visit to
the Springs Preserve is a fun way to learn all about the desert that surrounds Las Vegas. The recently built Nevada State
Museum features more informative exhibits and displays.
The entire family, even dad, will enjoy Las Vegas’ unusual shopping venues,
such as Aladdin’s Arabian-themed marketplace called Desert Passage, the
But this is actually selling Las Vegas short, because during the past two decades the city has transformed into a sensational multi-dimensional resort destination – virtually a world in itself.
Travel to the City of Lights at the Paris Las Vegas Casino/Resort, featuring awe-inspiring replicas of the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The spirit of the city is displayed in the charming cobblestone-paved shopping district lined with gourmet French restaurants and the finest Parisian boutiques.
...a glamorous, glittery desert oasis where the entertainment never stops.
For a taste of Italy, visit the Venetian. In a setting that reproduces the legendary city of Venice, the luxury resort comes alive to captivate with the sights and sounds of the world’s most romantic city.
The Bellagio, inspired by the village on the shores of Italy’s magnificent Lake Como, provides the setting for an extraordinarily choreographed ballet of water, music and lights that enchants strolling crowds daily. Step inside to sample the cuisine of
four-story M&M store, and Caesars Forum, featuring scores of unique shops.
In the mood to get married? If you don’t have time to arrange a wedding with Merlin at the Excalibur or Cleopatra at Caesars Palace, you can always go for a drive-thru ceremony. Or, if you have a very deep romantic streak, take your vows at the Elvis Wedding Chapel where an Elvis impersonator serves as the minister.
It seems that anything is possible in Las Vegas.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Now!