Las Vegas: Side Trips

The desert can be really beautiful, so take an hour, no matter how hot it is, and drive 15 miles from the Strip to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and go for a hike (or at least a drive) through the multicolored mountains. Take West Charleston Boulevard (Route 159) from the Strip; it's about a 25-minute drive. (You can feel good about going here because, unlike Red Rocks Park in Colorado, it has not been despoiled by John Tesh.) Afterward, when you return to town, sneak into the pool at the Red Rock Hotel to cool off.

• 1. Red Rock Canyon
  Las Vegas, NV 89124 36.166996-115.475472 More Info
• 2. Red Rock Hotel
  11011 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89135; 702-797-7777 36.158891-115.335168 redrocklasvegas.com