Leaving Las Vegas - Sell Fly Drive Vacations That Highlight The Other Nevada
Credit: Nevada Commission On Tourism
A drive along Nevadaâs Extraterrestrial Highway could reward clients with a sighting or two of otherworldly activities.
Valley Of Fire State Park
Valley of Fire was made Nevada’s first state park more than 50 years ago, and the park, about 80 kilometres northeast of Las Vegas, is truly one of the most unique of Nevada’s desert locations.
Scientists say the special sandstone qualities found in the area were formed from great shifting sand dunes found more than 150 million years ago. The region was subject to intense land movements and uplifting that helped create the present topography. Others prefer to believe that nature, acting like some celestial Rodin, used the wind and rain to carve the sandstone into a variety of shapes that, like quality art, is best viewed in the correct light and under ideal circumstances.
Man has long been fascinated by the area. Fossils and other archaeological evidence indicates that many prehistoric people were attracted to the valley. The earliest inhabitants included the Basketmaker people and the Anasazi Indians, who lived in the nearby Moapa Valley from about 8,000 B.C. until about 1100 A.D., when they mysteriously disappeared.
In fact, one of the park’s best attractions is the excellent collection of petroglyphs, prehistoric Indian rock writings that can be found on the valley walls. An interpretive trail begins north of the park visitor’s centre and leads a kilometre through the best petroglyphs in the park.
The visitor’s centre is a good place to begin a tour. The centre offers exhibits about the geology and animal life of the region, including the rare and protected desert tortoise, as well as a gift shop to stock up on postcards, books and film.
There are plenty of places to explore in the park. Near the entrance from State Route 169 are the Cabins, which were native sandstone structures built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Another popular site is the Seven Sisters – seven huge sandstone towers that also serve as a picnic area with interpretive trails through a forest of petrified logs and stumps that date more than 200 million years in age. The park also has several interesting landmarks, including the Beehives, which were round sandstone formations that resemble their namesakes, and the White Domes.
Rainbow Vista and Fire Canyon, both north of the visitor centre via a paved road and a short hike, are two excellent sites from which to photograph the park.
The Lost City Museum in Overton chronicles the history of the Anasazi people through artifact exhibits and reconstructions of Pueblo-type structures.
The museum is located on one of the Anasazi village sites. On the grounds, are several Pueblo-type structures, made of wattle and daub (straw and clay), that have been reconstructed on the original foundations.
Inside, hundreds of rare arrowheads, baskets, atlatl (or throwing spears), skins and pottery are on display. Additionally, one wing of the museum includes a recreation of an ancient Pueblo Indian village site.
There are also fine examples of petroglyphs – or Indian rock writing carved into the rocks throughout the Lost City area – that date to this period. In 1150 the Puebloans mysteriously departed and the area eventually became home for the early Paiutes, whose descendants still remain in the state.
In addition to displays about the Anasazi, the museum also contains exhibits detailing the earliest European settlers in the area, starting with the Mormon farmers who began cultivating the land there in the 1860s.
For more information on the Valley of Fire State Park visit http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm; on the Lost City Museum visit http://comnett.net/~kolson/.
Nevada’s Hot Springs
One of Nevada’s best-kept secrets is the abundance of geothermal resources – hot springs – that can be found throughout the state.
The springs come in many shapes and sizes. Some, like the elegant David Walley’s Hot Springs in Genoa, are full-service resorts, while others, like Spencer Hot Springs near Austin, are little more than a hot pool of water with a wooden bench.
Sometimes the geothermal source water is used as a heating element. Bowers Mansion swimming pool, off U.S. Highway 395 between Reno and Carson City, is heated courtesy of Mother Nature, as is Moana Swimming Pool in Reno.
In 1862, David and Harriet Walley recognized that the tired and aching miners from Virginia City needed a place to soak away their pains and opened what is now David Walley’s Resort, Hot Springs & Spa in Genoa, 19 kilometres south of Carson City.
It’s still there, rebuilt after a 1935 fire, with six natural mineral pools, a cafe, gift shop, and full-service spa with massage, facials, body wraps and more. David Walley’s is nestled against the Sierra Nevada range an easy 25-minute drive from Lake Tahoe. Visit Walley's Hot Springs Resort & Country Club at www.davidwalleys.com.
Carson Hot Springs Resort in Carson City is another old-time resort. Established in 1849, the natural soft mineral springs heat an outdoor pool and six indoor private baths. The resort is open every day and admission varies depending on which facilities you want to use. RV parking and a bar are also on the premises. For information, visit www.carsonhospringsresort.com.
Bailey’s Hot Springs with crystal clear water is in Southern Nevada, eight kilometres north of Beatty on U.S. Highway 95, and very civilized.
You needn’t stay overnight at the RV park (14 spaces and hookups) to enjoy the hot springs at this former railroad depot built in 1906. There are two large private antique bath houses available by the hour. Bailey’s is open seven days a week, all year long from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call 775-553-2395 for more information.
In the quiet southeastern Nevada town of Caliente, in an area studded with undiscovered trout fishing lakes, is the Caliente Hot Springs Motel. Three private family pools are available and five of the 18 rooms offer in-room natural mineral baths. If you stay in the motel, a hot mineral bath is included in the room fee. Caliente is off U.S. Highway 93 and Nevada Highway 317, just 160 kilometres north of Las Vegas.
Also near Las Vegas is Rogers Warm Spring. This is a day-use facility, part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, featuring a large swimming pond and picnicking. Valley of Fire State Park and other camp sites are nearby.
Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway
It was probably destined to happen. The ingredients had been there for a long time. There’s Nevada, with its sparsely travelled highways and huge open spaces, where the imagination can run wild. And right in the middle of the state, is a remote super-secret military area, off limits to all except a group of tight-lipped employees.
That place and those circumstances were sure to breed rumors and stories. In time, stories become legends and myths. That is how a very remote Nevada highway, State Route 375, came to be known as the Extraterrestrial Highway.
The 157-kilometre highway was given its unique designation by the Nevada Department of Transportation, which was responding to requests from tourism leaders in several southcentral Nevada communities. The only one of those communities that is actually on the highway – and the only community of any kind on the highway – is Rachel. The residents are alfalfa farmers, employees of the adjacent Nevada Test Site and some retirees.
The social centre of town is the Little A ‘Le’ Inn, which is a cafe, bar and small motel, as well as a UFO information centre. The walls are covered with photos of flying objects, some from the surrounding area. The inn also contains a library of more than 150 volumes, exclusively on the subject of UFOlogy, and visitors are welcome to peruse it.
The definitive work on the region is resident Glenn Campbell’s The Area 51 Viewer’s Guide. The book tracks the history of how Rachel became the UFO capital of the West and provides some detailed information on how best to have your own close encounter. Another good work on the subject, and one with numerous rare photographs of the secret base, is the Area 51 & S-4 Handbook by Chuck Clark. (S-4 is another super-secret area adjacent to area 51.) It can be ordered from the Little A ‘Le’ Inn.
For more information about the Extraterrestrial Highway and Rachel, visit www.rachel-nevada.com.
The ET Loop
Day One: The Loop starts in Las Vegas and part of the 2.5-hour drive to Rachel includes the Extraterrestrial Highway. Along the way it passes through the verdant Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, a lakeside oasis set with tall cottonwoods, a popular spot for a roadside picnics. Dining is available either at Alamo or in Rachel at the Little A ‘Le’ Inn, where the specialty is an “Alien Burger.”
Clients can spend the evening at the inn, which has seven rooms. Tell clients to take the binoculars or telescope. If they don’t spot anything within an hour, they can stop by the inn’s bar and ask for a “Beam Me Up, Scotty.” This beverage has been known to help watchers locate even the most cleverly concealed UFOs. The other business in town, the Quick Pik, is a convenience store with Area 51 souvenirs and the only gas pump on the highway.
Tonopah was once an important silver and gold mining town. Today itâs an interesting stop along the ET Loop.
Just 40 kilometres south on U.S. 95 is the almost-ghost town of Goldfield. Clients can drive around this sprawling old town, and take a peek inside the old Esmeralda County Courthouse, in continuous use since 1905 and recently restored to pristine condition.
The route continues south to Beatty, and a side trip to the ghost town of Rhyolite. Perched at the edge of Death Valley, the grand old ruins of this town are among the most photographed in the state.
Day Three: From Tonopah, the Loop travels to Scotty’s Castle in Death Valley National Park for a day of exploring the park. Lodging and good food are inexpensive in Beatty, and the town has plenty of casino action.
What’s New In Nevada
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa: The expansion, slated for completion this summer, includes an expanded convention and ballroom that will double the current meeting space. Also, the casino addition will feature an enlarged poker room. Reno.
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino: The $300 million renovation to the 1,995-room property includes recently completed work on the casino floor and 11 floors of luxury hotel-condominiums. Charlie Palmer Steak, Fin Fish and Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante are among the property’s newly opened restaurants. Reno.
Peppermill Hotel Casino: Recently unveiled expansion includes a Tuscan-themed, all-suite hotel tower that adds 600 rooms to raise the property’s total room count to 1,635. The new Tuscany tower showcases eight distinct room designs that range from 50 square metres to 204 square metres. Each of the new 600 rooms have plush pillow-top king size beds, two high-definition televisions, custom-made furniture, custom hand-painted art and Wi-Fi access. The European-style soaking tubs, enclosed shower with dual shower heads and marble flooring, accentuate the Tuscan theme. A clear-span convention centre that more than doubles the property’s existing meeting space. The expansion is continuing into 2008 with a three-storey spa and salon, resort pools with Tuscan gardens and a new steakhouse slated to open in the fall. Reno.
Cabela’s: Nationally famous outfitter Cabela’s is attracting visitors to Reno to shop for outdoor wear and gear up for activities from hunting and fishing to camping and kayaking in an entertaining environment of trophy animal displays, huge aquariums and more. Reno.
Adventuredome at Circus Circus: Clients can embrace their inner lunatice at the largest indoor theme park in Nevada. Two hectares of climate-controlled fun and games feature 25 rides and attractions for the whole family. Power-punched rides such as Canyon Blaster, the world’s only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew rollercoaster; Rim Runner, with a drop down an 18-metre waterfall; Sling Shot, with four Gs of acceleration; Chaos, with three ranges of motion; the 360 degrees of constant G-force action on the Inverter; Lazer Blast lazer tag; and SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D Ride; 18 holes of mini-golf; arcade games; or a free clown show. Las Vegas.
The Palazzo Las Vegas Opens: Adjacent to the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, The Palazzo is an all-suite hotel featuring celebrity-chef restaurants, electrifying bars and lounges and high-end shopping. Highlighted by a flagship, Barneys New York, The Shoppes at The Palazzo features more than 60 luxury boutiques. In addition, 20 stores and luxury brands made their Las Vegas debuts, including Chloe, Tory Burch, Christian Louboutin, Diane Von Furstenberg, Van Cleef & Arpels, Catherine Malandrino, Anya Hindmarch, and Michael Kors. The hotel also offers a variety of restaurants by award-winning chefs like CarneVino by Mario Batali, CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Table 10 by Emeril Lagasse and Restaurant Charlie by Charlie Trotter. Other one-of-kind offerings include Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, JERSEY BOYS, the world’s largest Canyon Ranch SpaClub, Jay-Z’s signature 40/40 Club and the Strip’s first Lamborghini dealership. For more information, visit www.palazzolasvegas.com. Las Vegas.
