The road between Death Valley Junction and Furnace Creek is open again! This may not sound like headline news, but if you are (a) someone who lives in Death Valley or (b) someone (like me) who loves Death Valley, this is far more important than the opening of a new casino. Continue reading »

"There's nothing old in Vegas." It's one of the most oft-repeated stereotypes, even though the city is proudly celebrating its centennial this year. Like all stereotypes, it's contains an element of truth that can't be denied by anyone who's ever watched a world-class hotel get the "Independence Day" treatment... Continue reading »

Every once in a while, I find it pleasant to remember that there are cities in the world that don't have slot machines in their grocery stores and video poker on every corner. You might think I'd have to travel to California or Arizona to visit this kind of sin-free community, but good clean fun is ever so much closer. Boulder City is only a half-hour drive from Las Vegas. Continue reading »

Although Death Valley has a reputation for being one of the most arid spots on the planet, this year it doesn't even come close. So far this season, the valley has had over six inches of rain. That may not sound like a huge amount to someone from Seattle, but that much water in the desert goes a very long way. Serious flooding washed out Highway 190 between Pahrump and the valley last year, and it's still closed. Many of the scenic drives inside the park remain impassable. Continue reading »

Prostitution is illegal in Clark County, even though billboards offering "Full Service Ladies Direct to Your Room" suggest otherwise. Those are personal dancers, understand? They come to your hotel room and dance for you. That's it. Well, okay. You can take them to the movies or out to dinner, but if you thought those billboards were advertising more than a little innocent social interaction, well, you're just wrong! There's no prostitution in Las Vegas. Everybody knows that for that sort of thing, you have to go to Pahrump! Continue reading »

"Let's take a drive out to wine country." It sounds a lot more like a San Francisco suggestion than something you might hear on the Las Vegas Strip. But the fact is, you can take a drive to a winery from Las Vegas. This excursion is known locally as "going over the hump to Pahrump." Continue reading »

Death Valley wins my vote for the best weekend getaway from Las Vegas, especially in the winter. Even though Highway 190, which provides the most direct route into the valley from Pahrump, was washed out last August and is still closed, Death Valley is easily accessible from Las Vegas. From Pahrump, a road leads into the south end of the valley through the town of Shoshone, or you can take Highway 95 north from Las Vegas to Beatty and enter the park from the north. Continue reading »

Here's a great irony. Las Vegas, the city best known for being fake, is surrounded by some of the best natural scenery in the Western Hemisphere. Oh, I know you've been told Sin City is an unnatural blight in the middle of the most unattractive and inhospitable landscape to be found on the planet, but trust me, you've been misinformed. Continue reading »