As someone who was born and raised in Las Vegas, I can tell you that there is so much more to the city than just ‘The Strip’. Although the glitz and glamour of the beautiful lit up casinos is amazing, few people head to Las Vegas for culture, glamour-free activities or natural beauty. Oh how wrong they are.
Here are 5 things you can do and see in Las Vegas that will show you a whole other side to this infamous Sin City…
Spend a day at the lake
Lake Mead is a popular spot for locals. A short drive from the city, you’ll find yourself surrounded by beautiful waters and cliffs. You can rent boats, jet skis, tubes – you name it, they’ve got it. Lake Las Vegas is also a great place to visit, it’s closer and smaller than Lake Mead but still a great place to relax and enjoy the Las Vegas sun. Pack a lunch and make it a whole day adventure.
Hike Red Rock Canyon
Just a short drive from the city, you’ll find yourself at Red Rock Canyon. The beautiful red colored mountains will make you think you weren’t in Las Vegas anymore. There are many hiking trails that lead to some pretty cool waterfalls. Great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. The views here are pretty impressive as well!
RELATED: I STARTED HIKING AGAIN WHEN LIFE GOT TOUGH AND IT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Seven Magic Mountains
Part of an art installation by Ugo Rondinone, colorful stacked boulders tower above the desert landscape and against the beautiful blue Las Vegas skies. This is a great place for some amazing photo ops!
Speed Vegas
If you want to splurge a bit and do something different, check out Speed Vegas; a race track for amateur racers that want to get their adrenaline fix. They have Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches and many other cars that we usually only see on TV. You can escape reality for a second and imagine you’re one of the racers in those movies.
Check out downtown Las Vegas
Many tourists don’t even know about our downtown, or even think about going. I always recommend it to everyone that I meet. This is where some of the first and oldest hotels are. Some famous names and pioneers of Las Vegas such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. often frequented the casinos of downtown Las Vegas. There are some amazing dive bars, restaurants, art exhibits and museums, even festivals. There’s always something going on in DTLV!
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