Traveling Sol: July 2011

Before arriving in Las Vegas, you must stop to take in the Hoover Dam. To say it's impressive is an understatement. We were able to drive right over the Dam, but this may not be possible for much longer. They're constructing a bridge ("Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge") to the south of the Dam to redirect traffic away from the vital power source. (For security purposes.) There is quite a bit to see at there. The views go without saying. Lake Mead is a dark shade of Emerald, that contrasts with the surrounding bleached Limestone. One interesting part of the visit was the discovery was that we could quickly "gain an hour": the Hoover Dam is located within the Pacific and Arizona time zones. (The state of Arizona does, in fact, have its very own time zone!) Another stunning feature is the memorial designed to commemorate the workers who lost their lives constructing the Dam. The memorial reads: "They died to make the desert bloom."

While one might think that Las Vegas would be a step away from natural beauty, I would say they are wrong. Las Vegas has more to offer than just man-made sights (er- yeah...). Right within the city limits there is the Red Rock National Conservation Area. You can drive through the park on its scenic roadway or opt to hike through some of its natural wonders. (I would recommend hiking in the cooler months. I visited in August and it was incredibly hot, reaching up to 107 degrees.) After you're done exploring outdoors, you can head to the strip and enjoy just about any cuisine you want. For dinner, I ate at the Isla Mexican Kitchen inside Treasure Island. The food was great, but expensive. After that, I saw the Sirens of TI show outside the hotel. (This was free! You can find cheap entertainment as it turns out!) There was also the volcanic eruption outside the Mirage, and the water show outside of the Bellagio. Another amazing sight (for $16 per person, $12 if you are a senior citizen or a Nevada resident and $10 for children) was at the top of the Stratosphere, where looks like a space needle. It has spectacular views of the desert and the strip. If you're feeling daring, you can even do the "Sky Jump" (bungee jump from the viewing area) or ride the roller coaster on the roof! Needless to say, I was not feeling quite the adventurous after walking the 5 miles (not counting walking around in all of the hotels) from the Luxor to the Stratosphere that day!