Las Vegas
Campground
Las Vegas KOA Journey at Sam's Town
Clean park and good location. It is a 20 minute Uber or Lyft ride to the strip. It isn't in the best part of town but we didn't have any security issues. The spots are pretty tight as you can see by the photos.
Things to see
Boulder City
We loved Boulder City. It is a quiet town but lots of shopping and restaurants. It is also close to several hiking and mountain biking trails, and the dam. There is a couple RV parks in the area that we will definitely check out next time we are in the area.
Cirque du Soleil - Beatles LOVE
This fabulous show was at The Mirage. The music was great. The performers were great. The venue was great. Not a bad seat in the house. It is actually better to be a bit higher up.
Desert View Overlook
Great place to stop and learn about the area, especially the nuclear testing activities.
Fremont Street Experience (Downtown Las Vegas)
A must do while in Vegas; however, people typically have a strong preference for either Fremont Street or the Strip. We were not all that impressed with Fremont Street. Take a look at the picture with Mark in the foreground. There is a nearly nude (thank goodness for the banana hammock) in the background. His sign read "Make America Nude Again". We also saw a guy pick up a pizza from a trash bag on the ground and proceed to eat it. Yikes!
Hoover Dam
We enjoyed the dam tour and learned a lot of dam stuff! (Sorry, just had to say it).
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
We had too much fun posing with all the wax figures. We highly recommend visiting at least one wax museum at any of the many locations.
Mount Charleston
Polly was able to play in the snow and had a blast. Due to the snow, we weren't able to do any hikes, but were able to see the beautiful houses up on the mountain. There is also a ski lodge in the area. On our way down the mountain, we saw a herd of burros (aka feral asses). We were able to get quite close to them.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
We drove the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive. At the time we were there, you had to have reservations. It is a one-way road so make sure you know which hikes you want to go on because if you pass them, there is no way to get back. We went on a Monday so we were surprised that most of the trail parking lots were full. It is a popular place.
Route 66 - Roy's Cafe
As we were traveling from Palm Springs to Las Vegas, we ended up taking part of the classic Route 66. Roy's had been a popular place to stop.
The Strip
It is a lot of fun to go into the casinos on The Strip to see the different settings, even if you aren't big gamblers. Our favorites were The Venetian, Treasure Island, and the Bellagio's Fountains. The people watching never gets old either!
Valley of Fire State Park
This was an amazing state park. Absolutely stunning scenery. An added bonus is that they are very dog friendly. We even saw mountain goats as we were entering the park. Check out all the great hikes in the "hiking" section below.
Hiking
Bowl of Fire from Northshore Road
This trail is in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. We hiked it with our friends Josh and Julia. It was a relatively flat hike and lead to very pretty views of red rocks and cliffs. Polly had a great time running up and down the cliffs. Dogs allowed.
Firewave and Seven Wonders Loop
This trail is in the Valley of Fire State Park. We simply never got tired of seeing the amazing colors and patterns in the rocks. There wasn't always a defined path to follow so be sure to download AllTrails or just follow the stakes to keep on course. Dogs allowed.
Ice Box Canyon Trail
This trail is in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The first half of the trail had small rocks and the second half had large boulders that you need to climb over. There wasn't a waterfall at this time of the year (too dry). Polly had a great time showing off her climbing skills! Dogs allowed.
Biking
Late Night and Mustang Loop Trail
This trail is mainly for mountain bikers but can be used for hiking also. There are a variety of trails at all skills levels. Great for beginner or advanced riders. We wished we discovered this earlier in our stay as we would certainly visit it again.
Motorcycling
Blue Diamond to Goodsprings
I rode a Yamaha 450 and John rode a KTM 350. Both are beasts! Knobby tires make all the difference. Sure, I have ridden my BMW F750GS on roads similar to these, but just couldn't trust my traction. Not so with these!
So fun to get out with John. We had lunch at the Pioneer Saloon and, since it was Friday, they had a live band!
Food and Drink
Big T's Cantina
Great place for margaritas and food. They have tables on the sidewalk so we could enjoy the weather and people watching. We loved the Boulder City area!
Marrakech Mediterranean Restaurant
Very unique experience. It is a 6 course meal (options are only non-vegetarian or vegetarian). It is a quaint place made to look like you are in a tent. They had belly dancers every 1/2 an hour or so. We had a great time.