Our SUV rumbles through dusty-rose-hued landscapes between desert valleys and vistas that look like Bob Ross-esque watercolour paintings. A palette of soft rusty pastels fold into each other. The desert landscape is marked by snow-covered peaks in the background.
As we drive further north, those peaks become closer than they appear. In what feels like minutes, we transition our rose-coloured sunglasses and tumbleweeds for deep green, deciduous-looking trees that climb towards the sky as the snow-capped peaks draw closer. Within the hour, we’ve gone from full-on desert to a winter wonderland, arriving at Lee Canon. The only ski resort in Las Vegas, these ski-able mountains are just an hour north of Las Vegas airport. And yet, it remains largely unknown that one can fly down snowy mountains just an hour away from the lights, (cc) cameras and action.
Every time I mentioned to someone that I was heading to Vegas to ski, they were surprised. Truth be told, so was I. I’m a Vegas virgin. I’m not a gambler. I don’t know when to hold them and when to fold them, and often, when to walk away. And, I have a bit of a sensory sensitivity so I don’t love bright, flashing lights and loud environments. But I do dig the desert, and I’ve thought that if I ever was to visit this city and state, it would be an off-Strip trip. So that’s what I did!
I can wager that many of your clients might not be gamblers as well, so learning about what’s on offer beyond the money-makers, takers and fakers, will help draw more visitors to the city that never sleeps.
Off The Strip Offerings
Lee Canon was built in 1963 in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. With 195 acres of terrain, and 27 trails accessed via three chairlifts, the hills average more than 161 inches of snowfall annually. Its ski and snowboard season starts around December and runs until March, although it started in November this year.
The resort offers ski and snowboard coaching, as well as accessible skiing options and supports. The day-lodge amenities include two restaurants and a lovely outdoor dining terrace overlooking the hills. If your clients are lucky, they’ll enjoy the balmy conditions I did, where it was so warm, some folks were skiing topless. I guess if they’re not watching a strip show on The Strip, your clients might get a little show on The Slopes! POWDER Magazine awarded Lee Canyon with the second top spot in its round-up of the sunniest ski resorts in the U.S. And if your clients happen to visit outside of ski season, there are hiking and mountain biking trails for year-round outdoors resort offerings.
Scenic Sunset Horseback Riding Tour
Your clients can ski during the day and then ride into the sunset on horseback with Silver State Tour. The tours take place in the Rainbow Gardens area near Las Vegas. Horseback riders jump on their chosen steed in the late afternoon for an hour’s ride during golden hour for a golden experience. Your clients will explore red rock formations and an inactive volcano viewed from the horseback riding trail. The ride is very leisurely, making it accessible for most able-bodied folks. No previous horseback riding experience is necessary.
There’s an option to order a BBQ meal following your ride, but it's limited to one standard meal not made on the property, so your clients might want to choose to dine elsewhere. I rode the horse right after arriving into Las Vegas, and it felt like the perfect way to christen my first foray into this desert city.
Hoover Dam PostCard Tour
The Hoover Dam draws more than seven million annual visitors and remains one of Nevada’s most visited attractions. Just a 45-minute to an hour drive from Las Vegas to Boulder City, the Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, the Hoover Dam created Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S.
Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures offer a few tours. Your clients will likely enjoy their Hoover Dam PostCard Tour that allows visitors to view the Hoover Dam, the bypass bridge and journey just far enough downriver to feel the canyon’s surreal setting. Your clients will get to see the concrete slabs, steps, and rails used to build the dam while the guide educates rafters with the history of the Dam, along with fun facts. The ride is slow and relaxing as the raft is motorized and the guide drives it while informing you about the dam. The scenery is stunning, reminding me of the equally picturesque Moraine Lake in Alberta.
When Evening Hits
Your client’s off-The-Strip adventures might end when night falls, but the fun doesn’t have to! Your clients can join a PG swingers club: Atomic Golf. Get swinging at this four-level golf entertainment center with four floors of bays and putting greens, plus bars and lounges. Your clients can try their luck at a hole-in-one while noshing on wings, pickled fries and much more! While it’s not completely off The Strip, it’s far enough for your clients to feel like it is.
Washing Potato Inside Fountainebleau
Sometimes you win some, sometimes you dim sum. If you’re lucky that is. Washing Potato is a whimsical dining destination that provides a journey through the delicate and intricate traditions of dim sum. The abstract, modern architecture of the dining room serves as the “stage” for each guest’s meal, as they indulge in delicious dim sum fare.
DISCOSHOW by Spiegel world at The LINQ
Think shaking your groove thing at Studio 54. Clients can live out their Donna Summers dance marathon fantasies with Spiegel World’s latest show. DISCOSHOW puts attendees at the center of a disco celebration. Get up, or down as performers roller skate, dance and offer up disco move dance lessons. The show is electric, fun and interactive, likely leaving your clients wanting more of Spiegel World shows!
Off-the-strip-stays
Just a mile from The Strip, the new(ish) Virgin Hotels Las Vegas offers a Sin City experience without being overdone, overblown, and overpriced like many typical Vegas resorts. The hotel, which used to be the Hard Rock Las Vegas, while still housing a casino, is more lowkey and understated, in a good way. Designed with a desert vibe in mind, cacti and boho-meets-art-deco-esque ambiance pervades.
With 1,502 chambers (aka “rooms”), and suites spread across three towers; Opal, Canyon, and Ruby, all rooms have ergonomically-designed Virgin Hotels lounge beds with the brand’s signature reading “nook,” 55” Samsung TVs, and are surprisingly spacious and stunning. The chambers all feature groovy sitting areas with bright orange couches, a bathtub and a shower, multiple pieces of art, and expansive views of either the pool area or the bright lights of Las Vegas. The Ruby Tower and its all-suite accommodations are the most luxurious. Your clients will have access to a separate entrance and a private lobby off the casino floor in the Ruby Tower.
The casino floor is less boisterous and choatic than most Strip hotels and feels more intimate. A walk though it will bring you to Kassi Beach House, an Italian restaurant, while Lucia Mexican Grill is another big restaurant. I’d be remiss not to mention that a Nobu restaurant lives here as well.
