Marta Becket is about as driven and eccentric as they come. Arriving in Death Valley Junction in 1967 after a dancing career in New York City, Becket opened an opera house and began performing one-woman shows for whomever would stop by. Now 84, she's been singing, dancing and telling stories in her desert theater for more than 40 years. I recently caught her show. Vegas, it's not. What it is is some kind of love story. Continue reading »

You don't have to ride a Harley to enjoy hanging out at a biker bar. There are several good ones in Las Vegas, but I recently found one 35 miles out of town, in Goodsprings, Nev., that offers great music, a lively atmosphere and a Wild West history lesson, too. Continue reading »

Living-Las-Vegas blogs went live this week with eight writers covering a variety of topics, from poker at the M resort, a sci fi convention at the Plaza and a pole dancing competition at the Bellagio to free beer in Pahrump. Continue reading »

I’ve always been fascinated by things that go bump in the night. Like most urban areas, Southern Nevada has its share of purported ghostly venues, with the Boulder Dam Hotel topping the list. On a recent Friday the 13th (a coincidence, honest), my wife and I combined a quick weekend getaway with a little ghost hunting. Continue reading »

There's skiing in Las Vegas? Absolutely. Just 40 miles from the Strip, in Lee Canyon on Mount Charleston, you can ski or board all day on 11 trails at 9,000 feet and still make it home for supper. For a city that's sometimes too hot to handle, Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort makes a wonderful, authentic, cold-weather getaway. Continue reading »

Brian Head, Utah, is a beautiful drive from Las Vegas in winter, and the combination of open and wooded trails make it a great destination for a family skiing. Take a side trip to Cedar Breaks National Monument for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and you have a perfect weekend getaway from November through March. Continue reading »