KATIE PACHECO — kpacheco@aws.org SOCIETY NEWS Leave the Glitter of the Strip for the Glow of Nature WJ NOVEMBER 2016 / WELDING JOURNAL 161 FABTECH goers are sure to find a plethora of things to do in the city heralded around the world for its glittering lights, five-star hotels, boisterous casinos, and energetic nightlife. However, if the glitz and bustle of the Las Vegas Strip is not for you, consider taking the road less traveled to experience a more serene and ethereal Nevada. Due to its closeness to the Mojave Desert, Nevada offers plenty of fresh air, adventure, and aweinspiring landscapes just minutes from the Strip. With no more than a 30-min drive, visitors can feast their eyes on winding creeks, colorful rock formations, and western-themed towns. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area hails just 20 min from Las Vegas. The 10,000-year-old, 13-mile landscape is comprised of 3000-foot-high crimson canyons, cascading waterfalls, thousands of plant species, Native American petroglyphs, and a menagerie of wild animals, including mountain lions, hummingbirds, red-tailed hawks, donkeys, bobcats, roadrunners, coyotes, and Mojave Max, the park’s famous tortoise. Visitors can experience the park’s vast beauty by driving through the scenic stretch, engaging in one of the 19 hiking trails offered, stopping for a picnic by a waterfall, or taking a guided tour. Visitors can locate this tranquil fortress by driving 20 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard, which merges into State Route 159. For more information about Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, visit the Bureau of Land Management at blm.gov/wo/st/en.html. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park Adjoining Red Rock Canyon, the stunning Spring Mountain Ranch State Park sits just 35 min from the Las Vegas Strip. Despite its closeness to Red Rock Canyon, this park offers a vastly different experience with its bevy of towering trees, mountain springs, vernal meadows, and babbling streams. This 520-acre park is lauded as a water-filled oasis amidst a backdrop of desert expanse. Visitors can hike through the lush landscape, take a guided tour, or enjoy a quiet picnic. For those interested in history, the park also features full-costumed demonstrators and reenactments of historic events. Visitors can reach the park by driving 23 miles west of Las Vegas on Blue Diamond Rd. For more information about Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, visit the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at parks.nv.gov. Bonnie Springs Ranch Bonnie Springs Ranch is enclosed within a rugged, mountainous landscape just 30 min from the Strip. The historic park was originally constructed in 1843 as a stopping point for wagons traveling down the Old Spanish Trail on their way to California. Today, the western-themed park’s Old Town exhibit is an exact replica of an 1880’s mining town. Here, visitors will be transported to the Wild West via live performances of rough and tumble bar fights and classic highnoon showdowns with fully outfitted cowboys. The park also offers guided horseback riding and scenic train rides. Only 22 miles from the Strip, visitors can reach Bonnie Springs Ranch by taking Blue Diamond Rd. For more information, visit Bonnie Springs Ranch at bonniesprings.com. These parks offer quiet expanses and breathtaking sights that are sure to compete with the glittering Las Vegas Strip. However, they don’t all have the same hours of operation, so make sure to check their websites in advance. And if the wilderness intimidates you, there are many knowledgable tour companies that can safely guide you through these parks, getting you back in the city in time for dinner. A rustypeaked rock formation comprised of Aztec Sandstone sits in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Visitors can spot wild horses at the northern and southern ends of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Welding Journal | November 2016
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