| Pop quiz---what's the first thing that crosses your | | | | pay for the opportunity to experience one of |
| mind when someone says the words "Las | | | | America's most breathtaking natural destinations. |
| Vegas"? If you said "The Strip", then you'd most | | | | You also have the option to take one of many |
| likely be dead-on. Most people are seeing the | | | | tours that go around the canyon, in addition to |
| acres of bright, garish neon lights, pulsating music, | | | | some that will take you to the bottom and back |
| and seemingly endless beacons of searchlights | | | | up again. The truly brave among you should also |
| criss-crossing the sky. But while their attention is | | | | ponder one of the many helicopter tours of the |
| diverted by those things, they are blissfully | | | | Canyon as well. |
| unaware of things like wide open spaces, natural | | | | Floyd Lamb Park lies about 20 miles from the |
| park like settings, nature watches, and the | | | | Strip, and is in operation from 6 am til 7 pm each |
| awe-inspiring beauty of a desert sunset. | | | | day. It has four fully stocked ponds, a barbecue |
| Now granted, most of the things I mentioned | | | | area, and is home to some interesting fossils and |
| previously are a fair distance from Las Vegas | | | | remains, including those of bison, woolly |
| proper, but if you come that close to them in | | | | mammoths, camels, giant sloths, and horses. Floyd |
| your travels, then wouldn't it be a shame to miss | | | | Lamb became a state park in 1977, and visitors |
| out on their beauty due to not wanting to take a | | | | who possess a Nevada state fishing license may |
| car ride? Below are just some of the attractions | | | | fish in any of the park's ponds, with a |
| that nature has set forth near Vegas. | | | | three-fish-per-person limit in effect. |
| First up is Bryce Canyon National Park, which is | | | | Lake Mead is yet another beautiful area in |
| actually 270 miles from Vegas in Utah. There is a | | | | proximity to Las Vegas, which allows visitors to |
| per-car entry fee of $20.00, but the tradeoff is | | | | enjoy the great outdoor wonders of the Nevada |
| an abundance of dazzling scenery. The views you'll | | | | desert. Lake Mead is man-made, and is the 16th |
| get to see are worth every mile driven and | | | | largest lake of its kind in our hemisphere. It was |
| every penny spent. You should also keep a sharp | | | | created by the Colorado River and the Hoover |
| eye out for some of the local wildlife, particularly | | | | Dam and is about 1.5 million acres in total area. It's |
| the Great Basin rattlesnake, bald eagles, and | | | | also extremely popular with boaters, swimmers, |
| golden eagles. Your reward for visiting Bryce | | | | and as a wildlife observation area. |
| Canyon during the spring and early summer | | | | If you're not a 'bright lights, big city' type and love |
| months are the many beautiful flowers that often | | | | the great outdoors, then there are plenty of |
| bloom during these time frames. | | | | places in the Las Vegas area to get far from the |
| The Grand Canyon, one of America's storied | | | | glitz and glamour and breathe. You can do so |
| natural attractions, lies about 300 miles southeast | | | | much more than just see wildlife in any of these |
| of Vegas. It's another beauty that's well worth | | | | locations, and each one offers something different |
| seeing if you have a free day in your vacation | | | | and special to those that choose to visit. I'd hope |
| itinerary, or even a day you can prioritize. There's | | | | that you'd be able to visit all of them, however I'd |
| also a per-vehicle fee here, and you'd be wise to | | | | recommend that you spend at least one day of |
| contact the park offices to get the current rate | | | | your trip enjoying the natural beauty that lies |
| before making your drive to the park. For most | | | | beyond Las Vegas. |
| folks, a vehicle entry fee is a miniscule price to | | | | |