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STOPOVERS
The Great Grand Canyon
For an experience that will refresh your soul with nature’s breathtaking power, take a trip
to Grand Canyon National Park. Foremost among all National Parks, it sprawls over about 5,000 sq km and is about a five-hour drive from Las Vegas.
The Canyon itself barely needs any introduction. Over five million years of erosion by the Colorado River has etched it into the landscape and created a sweeping vista of inimitable beauty. Most visitors approach it from the South Rim, leaving the North Rim less crowded. If you’re adventurous enough to try hiking to the bottom, the distance is about 14.5 km from Grand Canyon Village – but it takes about twice as long to hike back up as it does to go down.
A less strenuous way to get an awe-inspiring view of the Canyon is to visit the Grand Canyon Skywalk on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. This attraction is not for those with a fear of heights: the Skywalk consists
of a U-shaped glass platform that juts out 20 m beyond the Canyon’s rim. Visitors can look down between their feet at 1,220 m of thin air or look ahead to the other side of the Canyon, 5 km away. A real feat of engineering, the Skywalk offers a 360-degree view that you could only get from a helicopter – but then you wouldn’t feel the same heart-pounding anticipation.
On the Green in Mesquite
The golf course is king in the town of Mesquite, an hour’s drive north of Las Vegas. There are seven championship golf courses scattered across the Virgin Mountain foothills, each with its own highlights. At Oasis Golf Club, there’s an Arnold Palmer-designed course, set against beautiful desert scenery and rated among
the top ten public courses by Golf Digest. The CasaBlanca Golf Club was designed by Cal Olsen and hosts the Nevada Open every year. The course at Wolf Creek Golf Club winds through red rock canyons and one of its back tees stands as tall as an 11-storey building.
But golf is only one of the reasons to visit Mesquite. It’s also known for its 24-hour casinos, some with instant cash back facilities or, for those who enjoy the risk, no-limit poker tournaments. Another type of thrill is skydiving, probably the most adrenalin-pumping outdoor activity at Mesquite. More sedate options are hiking, biking or horseback riding. If you’d prefer a more relaxing experience, book a spa session at one of the golf clubs. With mineral pools and eucalyptus steam rooms to pamper the senses, their treatments are the perfect indulgence on a warm afternoon.
stay
0067 The Jockey Club
0110 Summer Bay Resort Las Vegas
1837 The Carriage House
6052 Wyndham Grand Desert
6389 The Cliffs at Peace Canyon
6923 Grandview at Las Vegas
2033 Grand Destination Vacation Club at
the Oasis Resort, Mesquite
fun facts
The first big casino on the Strip was El Rancho Las Vegas, which opened in 1941.
In the 1950s, the big draw in Las Vegas was not its casinos but the opportunity to watch atomic bombs being detonated at a test site in southern Nevada.
Ninety per cent of visitors to the city gamble, spending an average of US$500 per person.
The average slot machine on the Strip generates US$125 profit per day; each table game makes an average of almost US$2,000.
Nevada laws don’t require couples to be local residents in order to get married. All you need is US$50 and a picture ID that proves you’re at least 18 years old (you shouldn’t be married to anyone else, of course). On the other hand, to get a divorce, you have to have been a Nevada resident for at least six weeks.
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