Las Vegas in Three Days

This geological wonder is a mere 600 million years in the making. Sandstone monoliths, rugged canyons, cliffs, and other topographic thrills thrust up from the desert thanks to serious fault action. The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area consists of 197,000 acres (79,720 hectares), accessible to the public via a 13–mile (21km) scenic driving loop and 19 hiking trails.

The parking lot at the start of the second trail along the scenic loop provides one of the two best views at the red rocks that give this area its name. .

The easiest of the park’s trails, with no more than a 200–foot gentle elevation, lasts only about an hour round–trip. It’s perfect for kids and anyone who doesn’t want to commit to a more demanding hike. Vegetation here is a bit more lush, due in part to the year–round stream, and an agave roasting pit.

Take advantage of the picnic tables at the start of the Lost Creek–Children’s Discovery Trail by splitting a sandwich you picked up before entering the park, at Capriotti’s, the justly lauded local submarine sandwich place. Its outlet in the Red Rock Resort is on the drive in from the Strip to the park.

Play cowboys with your kids as you wander past the saloon, the mill, and the old general store. Next door is a petting zoo, a maze of (scrupulously clean) wire pens with goats, rabbits, snooty llamas, elderly deer living in fat retirement, and a couple of wolves. The aviary provides glimpses of peacocks, while a riding stable offers trail rides into the mountains.

About 2 miles (3.2km) west of the turnoff into the Red Rock scenic loop is a half–mile–long (.8km) boardwalk trail, an alternative way for travelers with disabilities or for those with other mobility issues to get out of the car and into the scenery. Look for wildflowers and the foundations of an old cabin.

This fancy resort is the getaway of choice for the famous of face to hide in Vegas. It’s a good spot to ease yourself back into a Vegas frame of mind with a drink, and maybe even a little gambling.

In the heart of Downtown Vegas is a pedestrian–only zone that’s covered with a video screen about five football fields in length. The screen’s 12.5 million LED modules, and a 500,000–watt sound system, deliver a rotating light–and–sound show. The shows are the best freebie in Vegas after the Bellagio fountains.