Las Vegas and Southern Nevada: Things To Do

If you are a person who does not like to sit in front of machine that steals your money all day long and like to get some fresh air then the towns of Southern Nevada maybe for you. Yes, Las Vegas is part of Southern Nevada but there are plenty of other things to do in Las Vegas besides gambling. Take a drive and explore some ghost towns and small towns within a hundred miles of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas

Start in Las Vegas for now is the time to get a room there. The prices are as low as they ever were with some places giving as much as 40% off a room. For a quick history of Las Vegas and the struggle for water in this desert town go to the Spring Preserve near Meadows Mall and about 6 miles North along Interstate 95 at the Valley exit. The preserve has along with the interactive exhibits about the natural history of the Las Vegas Valley long walking trails, Botanical gardens and demonstrations, and a great Cafe run by Wolfgang Puck. There are a lot of great hands-on-exhibits for the kids to enjoy too.

Visit Red Rock Canyon if you are into hiking, rock climbing or stunning scenic vistas. This natural marvel composed of red sandstone lies 18 miles to the west of Las vegas along the base of the Spring Mountains. Here you can learn about the formation of the red sandstone at the new visitors center. It is a great place to hike and picnic and is well known for rock climbing. There is also a 13 mile scenic loop that can be walked, driven or ridden on by bike.

Going South To Search Light

Search Light lies about an hours drive south of Las Vegas on Interstate 95. It is an old gold mining town and now famous for being the home town of Harry Reid. The town is located about 15 miles from the tip of Lake Mohave, south of Lake Mead. It is a great little town to explore and have picnics in and the lake is close by so you can do some fishing.

North to Pahrump

To get to the lazy town of Pahrump go to the west side of Las Vegas and head south west on Blue Diamond till you get to State Highway 160. Continue 50 miles on this route till you arrive at the former cotton town of Pahrump. No longer an agricultural town, Pahrump is more of a sleepy residential horse town where the smaller lots are only an acre and a quarter. People here like their space and love the outdoors. There is horseback riding, fossil hunting, old ghost towns, and good ole Picking to be done. When I say "picking" I refer to the hundreds of yard sales you run into on any given day in Pahrump. Notice I left the brothels out of this piece. Yes they exist but they are really a small part of this great little town.

Armagosa

Parts of this town are in both California and Nevada. The gateway to Death Valley sits right on the California and Nevada border. In the town there is a historic opera house which still functions as a theater. It might even be haunted. The small community takes its name from the Armagosa river which flows through the Armagosa valley and into Death Valley when rain falls in the area.  The 200 mile long river remains dry most of the year and is only alive during the rainy season. The Armagosa region was historically known for being where pioneers by- passed the treacherous Sierras for the even more treacherous Death Valley on there way to California. In this region you can explore Death Valley National Park and do some 4-wheeling in nearby Big Dune.

Rhyolite A Ghost Town

During the late 1900's gold was the magic word that brought millions to the west. Rhyolite was once bursting full of people because of this precious metal.  The town of Rhyolite once had over 100,000 gold diggers  A great place to see America's mining past. You still see the ole jail and see a house entirely built out of bottles. The old train station is still there and a school house and bank.

Beatty

The town of Beatty was a turn-around for the mining railroads. This town of 500 has a great candy store and the flavor of the old west. A small museum chronicles its past and you can see many of the old timers sitting out on their porches or gathering at the neighborhood tire store for a smoke. Norman Rockwell definitely visited this tired town of the west. Visit Beatty for its color and antique shopping. Oh, and eat at the Mexican burger joint in the middle of the town for some good eats.