[guinnessjim]

if you want true local flavor, you can always walk my dogs for me

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by guinnessjim

if you want true local flavor, you can always walk my dogs for me

MIne too.

Here's another neat thing to do and the drive isn't too bad.

Kelso Depot - Mojave National Preserve (DesertUSA)

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Just a minor point about "Lamb" State Park. The actual name is Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. It was returned to the City by the State not long ago. Floyd Lamb was a State Senator that got them to change the name of Tule Springs that the Park/Ranch had gone by for years and years after the State took it off the city's hands. That was right before he went to jail for, I believe, accepting bribes. Nobody wanted the name change and after he went to jail there was a move to change it back, but it failed. Many local residents still call it Tule Springs, so you can ask for directions either way and we all know what you mean.

There is horse back riding available there too.

Pick a link.
Tule Springs Park - Google Search

I am a card carrying member of the Committee to change the name back to Tule Springs. We will succeed. Just need to get a few more of his buddies in the legislature gone. The guy was a crook, beyond all doubt, but he was a charming well loved one. And of course a Lamb.

Maybe though that the name kind of fits the Vegas thing...

[lvkewlkid]

Originally Posted by MomMom

Well, you've covered just about everything I can think of...and honestly, I've been to Valley of Fire many times, and never seen grafitti.

Gosh, I hate that. People have no respect whatsoever.

If your wife likes shopping, leave her at Fashion Show, or the Premium Outlets, or even better would be the Galleria Mall...so you can head to the Clark County Museum.

I don't know why people come to LV to shop...the prices are so exorbitant, unless you head to our local stores, but we have all the same ones as does everyplace else, except Stein Mart (there's one in Henderson and in the Lakes, mostly women's clothing, small department store)...

We've gone on the Pahrump Valley Winery tour twice...it's lovely

Pahrump Valley Winery

Can't advise you on Brendan's in the Orleans..never been there.

Springs Preserve is new, however, they bus in tourists from the Strip

Springs Preserve - Official Web Site

Other than that jfk, if you don't gamble, have done "everything" here...and don't care for it...you'd better not waste $$$$, I'd suggest going elsewhere for your vacation...San Diego (a bit warmer) perhaps...visit Old Town, the origin of San Diego. Or head somewhere completely different...Hawaii or Canada..

Town Square is better than the Galleria Mall and you can actually find some parking and you won't see the strange people that usually frequent the Galleria...

[jfkIII]

Thanks so much...you all have been helpful here...so much so, that I have to make some more trips back there to see it all! I'm starting to think that my LV views might have been too judgemental. I'm definitely going to look at the other side this time and try to reform my opinions.

Buzz...back in 2001, my brother and I drove up to Reno from LV...and remember Tonopah being a nice community. I don't recall the mine there, but I think I remember seeing lots of digging (or that might have been on the road out of Rhyolite?) I had forgotten how far it actually was until you brought back that memory of the drive. I'm thinking too far to do comfortably on one day (there and back to LV,) you agree?

McMullan's and the winery (restaurnt for lunch) are definites on this trip for us. And I'm liking the sound of that old-style Italian restaurant downtown.

Thanks, again.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Thanks so much...you all have been helpful here...so much so, that I have to make some more trips back there to see it all! I'm starting to think that my LV views might have been too judgemental. I'm definitely going to look at the other side this time and try to reform my opinions.

Buzz...back in 2001, my brother and I drove up to Reno from LV...and remember Tonopah being a nice community. I don't recall the mine there, but I think I remember seeing lots of digging (or that might have been on the road out of Rhyolite?) I had forgotten how far it actually was until you brought back that memory of the drive. I'm thinking too far to do comfortably on one day (there and back to LV,) you agree?

McMullan's and the winery (restaurnt for lunch) are definites on this trip for us. And I'm liking the sound of that old-style Italian restaurant downtown.

Thanks, again.

Tonopah was actually considered a ghost town when I got here. I think the population picked up a little with things going on on the test site and the Nellis Bombing and Gunnery Range so that it's not really a ghost town now. But it's original existence was because of mining, and there is still a lot of it going on there. Not far out of Tonopah are some real ghost towns that are pretty interesting to explore. All the towns in that area are mining towns or former mining towns. Out of Ryolite you probably recall Beatty, another "almost" ghost town. At least Beatty has a restaurant or two, a couple of motels, and a couple of gas stations. And just outside of town is a famous "house of ill repute".

Of all the mention of shopping I missed seeing any mention of the fun places to shop on the Strip, The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, and the Miricle Mile inside Planet Hollywood.

If your wife wants to shop while you go sightseeing, and you want to see the Virgin River Gorge, you should take her to the outlet mall in St. George, UT, while you take a drive through Snow Canyon just outside of town. And you'll pass through the Virgin River Gorge on the way there.
Snow Canyon, UT - Google Search

St. George is only 2 hours north on I-15. There are some nice shops on the main drag there too, but too far to walk from the outlet mall.

She also might enjoy Springdale, UT, which is a little tourist town at the entrance of Zion National Park. You could see the Park while she shops. Be sure to eat at the Bumbleberry and try the pie. You'll end up taking home a whole bumbleberry pie, believe me.

Springdale, UT - Google Search

[MomMom]

I love St. George..., good suggestion!

It's a really nice weekend getaway for us...especially when attending Tuacan!

[jfkIII]

You know, Buzz...you might have just given us a new direction here with your suggestion. We're thinking of checking out of The Orleans on Tuesday morning and heading up there for Tue, Wed and Thur morning, head back to LV Thursday nite, for our flight out on Friday. St George seems to have it all and would be a great trip.

Thanks again.

[guinnessjim]

if you ski, you should head up to brianhead...short hop from St. G

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

You know, Buzz...you might have just given us a new direction here with your suggestion. We're thinking of checking out of The Orleans on Tuesday morning and heading up there for Tue, Wed and Thur morning, head back to LV Thursday nite, for our flight out on Friday. St George seems to have it all and would be a great trip.

Thanks again.

If you go, the Bear Paw Coffee Company on Main St., just off St. George Blvd, is THE place for breakfast and lunch. And there are plenty of good restaurants for dinner too. St. George is about 45 min. to an hour from Zion Nat'l Park, and well worth the trip.