Oh, Las Vegas. The City of Sin. World renowned. According to WorldAtlas.com, in 2017 Las Vegas was the 7th most visited city in the United States with more than 42 million travelers. Located in the Mohave Desert, Las Vegas is primarily known for the bright lights, entertainment, the primary mile long strip of hotels, Freemont Experience, and of course a little bit of money spending.
If you’ve ever visited Las Vegas, you probably went to the strip or Freemont Street, but Las Vegas is not just neon lights, casinos and late nights. Las Vegas is a real city with real jobs and outside of downtown Las Vegas, it operates just as any other city in the nation. The city has museums, art districts, farmers markets, botanical gardens, and to be honest – it’s actually a great place to live.
Here are 5 things to do in and around Las Vegas that the whole family can enjoy:
The Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam was completed in 1936 and dams the Colorado river between Arizona and Nevada. It’s truly a sight to see if you’ve never been, with 725 ft above the Colorado river, there are 17 generators that produce 4 billion kilowatts of electricity each year that provides energy for upwards of 1.3 million people each day. You can schedule a tour to go inside the Hoover Dam and learn all about the history, as well as walk over the recently completed Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge which bypasses the dam for motorists traveling across state lines.
Clark County Wetlands Park
We’ll start off by saying the Clark County Wetlands Park is the largest park in the county, and it’s located on the east side of the Las Vegas valley. One of the primary goals of the Wetlands Park is to connect Las Vegas visitors and residents to nature and provide a unique and amazing way to educate on various recreational programs. This park is for all ages and interests, programs are free, and they host special events throughout the year. Bring the entire family out to enjoy a look into the Nevada wildlife.
Atomic Testing Museum
Okay, this is pretty dang cool. For decades, nuclear testing/war/warheads/missles have been talked about throughout the government and media – well, here is your chance to learn history about the science behind nuclear testing. There is a large collection of artifacts and exhibits with endless learning activities to help understand the impact nuclear can have on the world. Located just under 5 miles from downtown Las Vegas, the NTSHF is open to the public Monday through Saturday, 10a to 5p, and 12p to 5p on Sundays.
By Photo by zzyzx [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5], from Wikimedia Commons
Rent a Boat on Lake Mead
Roughly 24 miles from the Las Vegas strip, Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United states in terms of water capacity. The reservoir serves water to the southwestern states and even parts of Mexico – however, you can enjoy time and tear up some water on a boat or jet ski rental for the day. If you’ve never taken a personal boating day and enjoy being on water, it is something that should be in your top 5 things to do when after you move to Las Vegas.
Go to a Nascar Race
Less than 15 miles north on the I-15 of downtown Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is primarily known for the Las Vegas 400 NASCAR race, but also has a dirt track, drag strip, off-road track, go-kart track and even hosts exotic car racing events throughout the year. If you enjoy fast cars and adrenaline, you can learn all about the upcoming year-round events and how you can enjoy life in the fast lane.
There are hundreds of things to do in Las Vegas when you’re visiting, but if you’re looking to make a move, relocate and change the scenery for you and your family, Las Vegas may be a perfect landing spot for you. There are many ways to find available houses for sale in Las Vegas, especially without a real estate agent (not saying you don’t want/need one) – but it is very possible to buy a house in Las Vegas directly from companies that sell houses online.