[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by banger

LVRockstar stole my thunder.

When i am in town, I like to rent a 4WD and drive the gullies, washes and hills of the desert.

I usually go further out of town, usually toward the area of Mesquite, but it can all be fun.

Careful. A friend of mine got his Jeep stuck over there between Mesquite and Lake Mead and had to call for the sheriff to rescue them. Took two weeks to get the Jeep out. Good place to explore though. You can go all the way to the Grand Canyon on dirt roads from there.

[pommysmommy]

There was a reference made earlier in this thread with regards to banning indoor smoking. I am not a smoker and have never been a smoker but I can tell you that many people are. Cigar bars are very popular in Las Vegas and I would say that 50% of the people plugging slot machines are smokers. The casinos might as well close their doors if an indoor smoking ban becomes law in Las Vegas. Some casinos have better ventilation systems than others.

[xyz789]

Hey LVRockstar, those do not look like Nevada plates on that jeep. If I can find that number to dime you out, you are in trouble. Just kidding. Thanks for the great pictures.

[unf0rgiven6262]

Originally Posted by xyz789

Hey LVRockstar, those do not look like Nevada plates on that jeep. If I can find that number to dime you out, you are in trouble. Just kidding. Thanks for the great pictures.

lol, I had a similar thought when I saw it. Looks like Michigan.

[sdreloc]

Originally Posted by pommysmommy

There was a reference made earlier in this thread with regards to banning indoor smoking. I am not a smoker and have never been a smoker but I can tell you that many people are. Cigar bars are very popular in Las Vegas and I would say that 50% of the people plugging slot machines are smokers. The casinos might as well close their doors if an indoor smoking ban becomes law in Las Vegas. Some casinos have better ventilation systems than others.

I didn't see that said in this thread.
Anyway, it is not all about smoking. If there was non-smoking casino, I wouldn't plan to hang around there all the time either. I just wanted to see some things to do that do not revolve around casinos.

[pommysmommy]

Maybe I mistook the thread that addressed the smoking issue.

[ruready1st]

There are lots of City of Las Vegas, neighborhood parks, and North Las Vegas parks that have water features at them. You can play in the sprinkler like areas, then sit in the shade while you dry off.

My kids never get tired of the Lied Discovery Museum, we have an annual pass. We go monthly.

You never have to go near a casino if you don't want to.

I have noticed that the day you go to a casino can matter as well. We went to the movies Saturday at Aliante. After we thought we would sit and gamble a bit to help stimulate the economy. We moved several times, but the smoke got to me, we left after 35 minutes. I have sat at Aliante machines before and not been bothered by the smoke, but I've never been there on a Saturday night before either.

[ginger44]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

It's more like 3-3½, but the scenery alone along the way is worth the drive.

We've hiked all over Zion (except for the Narrows trail), and camped there many times. Mostly now we just get a room in Springdale. When Teddy Roosevelt said, "Every American should see the Grand Canyon," I think he also might have added, "Then see Zion Canyon before you leave the area." At the Grand Canyon you look at it from the top down; in Zion you look at it from the bottom up.

It's well worth the trip, especially if you do some hiking.

I completely agree! We LOVE Zion! I hiked the north kaibab trail (north rim) at the Grand Canyon in May, which was 14 miles or so, and after that I feel like I've had my fill of the Grand Canyon for awhile. I can't get enough of Zion, though - I could live there!

[mojavedxer]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Careful. A friend of mine got his Jeep stuck over there between Mesquite and Lake Mead and had to call for the sheriff to rescue them. Took two weeks to get the Jeep out. Good place to explore though. You can go all the way to the Grand Canyon on dirt roads from there.

Are you refering to me getting stuck at Overton Arm Wash in my Ford Ranger. I had to use the tailgate and a folding lawn recliner to get enough traction to get out of the sand in the wash.

Another time I drove from Mt Trumble to the foot hills St George on two rims hoping for the best. I was lucky enough to get a ride into town by a local rancher in the area. I bought two new tires and rims and had the tire store owner drive me back.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by mojavedxer

Are you referring to me getting stuck at Overton Arm Wash in my Ford Ranger. I had to use the tailgate and a folding lawn recliner to get enough traction to get out of the sand in the wash.

Actually I think he had a Scout now that I think about it.

Another time I drove from Mt Trumble to the foot hills St George on two rims hoping for the best. I was lucky enough to get a ride into town by a local rancher in the area. I bought two new tires and rims and had the tire store owner drive me back.

WOW. That's not an easy drive on four good tires. Did the rancher look like he could be starring on Big Love?

I had some big tires and wheels put on my Rodeo when I bought it, and the first day we owned it we went out around Sheep Mountain about 30 miles from the highway, which itself was another 15 or 20 miles from the nearest gas station in town. We took a hike, came back and one tire was nearly flat. I went to change it, and discovered the new over-sized wheels also had big lugs, and they had given me a regular size lug wrench. I had to drive it on almost flat back to town.

I bet you're like the rest of us desert rats...head out across the desert without even thinking of things like that, then improvise when things go wrong. It occurred to me not long ago that I almost never think to take water, even when going several hundred miles on lonely highways.

Are you a DXer, or does your handle mean something else?