I've visited Las Vegas several times - the best part of every trip is less than an hour outside the city

""One time is enough." That's what I'd heard countless times about visiting Las Vegas before making the trip myself. I'd always wanted to go, if only to have that once-in-a-lifetime experience. Turns out, one time wasn't enough. I've been five times now, and I have no doubt there will be a sixth. The nightlife and gambling aren't what keep me coming back, though. These days, I skip the casinos and explore nature instead - and one of my favorite places is about 45 minutes outside the city: Valley of Fire State Park. There was no turning back once I found a side of Vegas I didn't know I was missing"

"In 2013, I went to Vegas to celebrate surviving grad school with a couple of friends. Being first-timers, we wanted to see everything the Las Vegas Strip had to offer. About 28,000 steps and a midday shoe change later, we felt we'd seen all we could in a single day. That first trip was a whirlwind of neon lights and shirtless men dancing on tabletops (they don't call it "Sin City" for nothing). It was fun, but I wondered if there was even more to experience in the area beyond the sensory overload of the Strip. Flying into Las Vegas from Seattle, I'd noticed the rugged, desert mountains surrounding the city. Those same mountain ranges also caught my eye from the mayhem of the Strip. A couple of years later, when I returned to the city with my husband, I'd finally get to see them up close. After a day on the Strip, the two of us decided to get out of the city and visit the Valley of Fire. We didn't know much about the park, but the impressive Google images and proximity were enough to convince us to check it out. We rented a car, then headed northeast of Las Vegas and found"

Repeat visits to Las Vegas grew out of discovering nearby natural areas rather than the city's nightlife or gambling. The author often skips casinos to explore desert trails and scenic parks, with Valley of Fire State Park about 45 minutes from the Strip becoming a favorite. The first trip in 2013 focused on the Strip's sensory overload, but flights and Strip views revealed rugged mountains that invited closer inspection. A later visit with a spouse led to renting a car and heading northeast of Las Vegas to explore the nearby landscape and parks.

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