As the summer days drift away and the autumn days sneak in, with the relentless heat still lingering on some days, it is the perfect weather for a road-trip! If you want a trip with a combination of city fun and natural serenity, then I think Las Vegas is a very good starting point! You don’t have to live in the “Sin City” or even nearby. Convenient and reasonably priced flights to Las Vegas are available almost year-round, with direct routes from many cities in the country.
The theme for this road-trip is very fitting for Halloween, don’t you think?!! Starting from the “Sin City”, continue the journey to the Valley of Fire, which leads to the Death Valley, before making your way to the Rhyolite Ghost Town!! 😀 Even though the names of the locations are very much Halloween theme, I assure you there’s no horror or ghost involved!! So it is truly safe for the entire family to enjoy!! However, it could be a fun photo concept for you to try, given the time of the year and the deserted settings!
I’m not going to suggest a detailed daily itinerary for each location. I believe everyone has a different travel style – relaxed or rushed pace – so it is best to get the general knowledge of the locations and then plan on your own. How little or how much you should do each day, you’re the best person to decide! With that, here are some of the suggestions for your road trip activities.
Las Vegas
It’s true that most people come here to gamble and party – and they are the best there are! However, I don’t trust the game of luck, and am now past the age of all-night partying. So we visit Las Vegas for other kinds of fun: food, shows, shopping and pampering. With restaurants catered by some of the most famous chefs in the world and buffets that redefine the dining experience which now became a staple of the local culture; some of the best shows you will ever see anywhere; the most exquisite shops with some of the most exclusive items to wrench your shopping thirst; and some of the most luxurious spas anywhere, Las Vegas provides another kind of heaven that money can buy!!!
If you travel with kids, besides the amazing the Cirque-du-Soleil shows that kids could enjoy, there are plenty of family-friendly things to do on the strip and off the strip. For example:
1. The Bellagio Conservatory, Botanical Gardens & Fountains are a delight to visit every time. The decorations change by season and special holidays. There’s always something new to see. Bellagio Fountains feature musically choreographed water extravaganza every 15-30 minutes! It is especially beautiful at night when the fountains are illuminated.
2. The Canal Shoppes in the Venetian gives you a glimpse of the canal system in Venice. Take a ride on the gondola around the Grand Canal while enjoying the live serenade from the gondolier pilot is an activity you must do at least once!
3. The Adventuredome Theme Park behind Circus Circus offers indoor rides, mini-golf, movies, fair and arcade games.
4. The Big Apple Coaster & Arcade in the New York-New York Hotel offers thrilling rides and have some of the latest video and arcade games as well as the classic ones.
5. Discovery Children’s Museum is a non-profit children’s museum that provides engaging educational and fun programs for kids of all ages. There are 3 stories of interactive activities that can keep the kids busy for hours. We arrived in Vegas in the morning – too early to check in our hotel – so we spent a few hours here. It was a good way to kill time, while fulfilling our promise to our little one (if you have kids at toddler age, then you must be familiar with a YouTuber named Blippi. This museum was featured in one of the episodes, so we made a promise to our little one to visit it!)
Valley of Fire State Park
Located in the Mojave Desert, about 45 minutes from the Las Vegas strip, the Valley of Fire is home to the red Aztec sandstone. The valley earns its name for the stunning landscape that glows red into the horizon, especially during sunset.
The park is open from sunrise to sunset. The campground is accessible all day to those with overnight camping permit; otherwise, if you are within the park’s boundaries before sunrise or after sunset, then it is considered trespassing. For up-to-date information regarding to admission fee, trail closure or other alerts, visit the Nevada State Park’s website. On the website, you can purchase the day-pass in advance or make reservation for the overnight campsite. If you camp overnight or need better data service, then Wifi is available within the park for a fee.
As with any national or state parks, the best way to explore is to hike the trails. The Nevada State Park has a very convenient map of the trails with a table of rating of the hiking trails with details on the distance and the stability and firmness of the surface; hence, giving you a hint on the difficulty level of the hike.
There are many intriguing hikes; pick one that suits your level of fitness, available time and hiking experience. There are a few not-to-miss spots, such as the Fire of Wave, which is considered to the one of the most stunning spots in the Valley of Fire; the Arch Rock, which can be seen from the Scenic Loop near Atlatl Rock; the Elephant Rock, which is located next to the east entrance; and the White Domes, which are the white sandstone rock formations that stand out among the red Aztec sandstone.
(Photo from parks.nv.gov)
Being less than an hour from the Las Vegas strip and with mostly short hikes, it is possible to do day-trip to the Valley of Fire. Add this to your itinerary the next time you visit the “Sin City”!
Death Valley National Park
What to do there and when to do it, you can find more details in my post on Death Valley.
Rhyolite Ghost Town
The name is misleading! The term “ghost” here has no reference to it being haunted, but rather that it was abandoned, deserted. Once a lively town due to the Gold rush era, Rhyolite was found in 1904 and abandoned by 1916. As one of the best preserved ghost towns in America, there are plenty stories about Rhyolite that you can read upon if interested. Today, the ghost town is open to the public with a free museum. Located off Hwy 394 about 4 miles west of Beatty, we visited Rhyolite during our trip to the Death Valley. Having stayed at an Airbnb in Beatty, it was a no-brainer to have a quick visit.
As mentioned, the visit is free. There is no designated parking, just park along the side of the road and wander around and take in the ruins. There are signs that explain how the buildings were used back in the day. It is like a life-sized museum that gives you a glimpse into the history of the American West.
It so happened that on the day we decided to visit the ghost town that the weather suddenly took a turn. On a fair-weather day in mid-March, it suddenly became cold, very cloudy and windy. The setting suddenly became very fitting for a ghost town, giving it unexpected chill! The mood of the day could not be captured with a few photos, but the desertedness is without a doubt! We encountered very few visitors during our visit; at times, we were the only ones there. This could have been a great location for a western-style photoshoot, but we weren’t prepared!
Don’t let your next trip to Las Vegas only be surrounded by lights and the sounds of the slot machines! Make it a road-trip! The suggestions in this article are enough to fill your week with fun and exciting activities. Rent a car, and let the roads take you on an adventure beyond the luxurious offerings of the Vegas strip.
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