Vegas outback
Adventures in the desert
I’ve been to the Grand Canyon before — but I’ve never seen it like this.
We’re hovering above the canyon in a helicopter that makes me think of Wonder Woman’s invisible plane — wraparound windows give us 180-degree views. From above, the canyon is jaw-droppingly beautiful in its depth and magnitude.
I try to take it all in, but can’t: I’m still wrapping my mind around the fact this is a Vegas vacation.
I was skeptical when my editor suggested a Vegas story that included no shopping, and no shows. What convinced me to take the assignment was the guaranteed good food (hello celebrity chefs!) that followed each day’s excursion into the desert.
DAY 1 – BIKING DOWNTOWN
I headed for downtown Vegas away from the bright lights and big-city replicas that the strip is famous for.
Since “most Las Vegas blocks are too long to walk, but too short to drive,” I picked up a bike from the RTC bikeshare station near the Premium Outlet mall, North, and pedalled toward the 18b Arts District.
The dedicated bike lanes are marked a bright green and are easy to follow.
I visited Airstream Village; a hightech trailer park where Zappos CEO — Tony Hsieh lives with his two pet alpacas. If I wasn’t buying shoes I might as well see where the man who made shopping for them so easy, spent some of his time.
The village was set up to give old Las Vegas a facelift: 240-square-foot Airstream trailers and 140-squarefoot cabins on wheels. Each trailer comes with wood panelling, stainless-steel appliances, a Bluetooth stereo and TV. A solution to Vancouver’s housing crisis?
From there, it was off to the Downtown Container Park: shipping containers stacked on top of each other, serving as stores and restaurants.
My final destination — the fiveblock entertainment district — and the Fremont Street Experience to catch a live band.
At this point, it was time to ditch the bike. I simply locked it at a nearby station. There are 21 bike-share stations throughout Downtown Las Vegas, so no need to trek back to where the bike was taken from.
Yoga on the High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel was just the cure for my aching calves. The wheel takes 30 minutes to complete one rotation — we stayed on for two. Holding the poses is a bit more challenging and fun with the views of mountains on one side and the strip on the other.
Dinner was at Estiatorio Milos in The Cosmopolitan. Most just call it Milos — it’s a Greek restaurant that specializes in seafood. If you like fish: grilled fish, fried fish, boiled fish Kakavia (in a soup), or raw fish sashimi this is the place to go.
It’s easy to taste why it’s billed as the best Greek cuisine outside of Greece. I went traditional and ordered the Colorado prime lamb chops dressed with lemon and wild oregano — which proved fish isn’t the only thing Milos prepares perfectly.
DAY 2 – INTO THE DESERT
A 30-minute shuttle ride from the Strip to the mountains was all it took to get out-of-town to Bootleg Canyon. And then it was a steep, (wear hiking boots) 10-minute climb up to the ziplines.
It’s scary, it’s steep and it’s fast. Far below are the red, ochre and brown rocks of the Mojave Desert.
There are four ziplines operated by Flightlinez and they only got faster and longer.
After the first one, fear is replaced with the thrill of ‘almost flying’ as the lines propel us at speeds of 100 km/h. In total, there are more than two kilometres of ziplines to the bottom of the canyon.
Go early morning to avoid the heat of the day and maybe see bighorn sheep below.
The aforementioned helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon’s west rim with Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters was that afternoon.
Our group of six took in spectacular views of The West Rim, Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam and Dragon Corridor, the deepest part of the canyon. The 45-minute Golden Eagle Air tour goes by fast so put down the camera and enjoy it in real time or opt for one of the longer tours that includes a picnic lunch inside the canyon.
Still on a high from seeing the canyon by air, we headed out with Awesome Adventures for a tour of Eldorado Canyon. Think sand, cacti and rocks. And lots of hills. Stick to the trails for a smooth ride and plan for at least a couple hours in order make it to the top of the canyon to see the Colorado River or visit the abandoned gold mines.
After the full day of … well, to borrow the title ‘awesome adventures,’ I was looking forward to dinner.
Cue celebrity Chef Shawn McClain; a James Beard Award winner (think the Oscars for excellence in cuisine) now at Sage inside Aria Resort. It’s fine dining of the highest order, among a decor of hand-painted murals and gold pillars. Sage specializes in American cuisine, using farm-to-table produce.
I ordered the chef ’s Vegan Tasting Menu, which included: roasted eggplant, with charred rapini, Kabocha squash soup, with ginger and roasted carrots with dates. Eating my vegetables was never this much fun or so delicious.
DAY 3 – BEWARE THE WILD DONKEYS
Just 27 km west of the Strip is Nevada’s first National Conservation Area, Red Rock Canyon, which has some of the best hiking trails in the state.
There are more than 50 km of trails to choose from. Of course, there is also mountain biking, horseback riding and rock climbing available.
Our guide suggested Turtlehead Peak for the best panoramic views of Red Rock Canyon – but it doesn’t come easy – in this case you have to endure a hike rated strenuous. I chose the much easier Calico Hills trail which is rated moderate. It’s an easy 10 km trail (there and back) between beautiful red rocks.
To my disappointment, I didn’t see any wild burros, only signs warning not to feed them. The donkeys were abandoned by gold prospectors and now roam the area wild and free, and they are known to bite.
I worked up an appetite on the trails and was soon ready for lunch.
Giada inside Cromwell Las Vegas is owned by celebrity chef and New York Times best-selling author Giada De Laurentiis.
Earlier this year, it won an Open Table Diner’s choice award so it came with high recommendations. Huge glass windows bask the restaurant with light and offer views of the strip.
Get a table on the terrace for a great view of the Bellagio fountain.
I opted for the Waldorf Panzanella salad because the morning hike had kick-started a health regime. Or so I thought, until I saw and ate two of the giant-gooey-chewy chocolate cookies for dessert.
My plans for the afternoon: self-indulgence. And there’s no better place than a treatment at one of Vegas’s best spas, Mandarin Oriental.
I relaxed in their steam room and sauna, then eased into their luxurious vitality pool to soothe my tender muscles. It was so relaxing I almost missed my foot massage appointment. Not to worry, time seems to flow slowly in the spa and no one, including the masseuse was in a hurry.
Full disclaimer: Ten minutes into my foot massage, I fell asleep in the recliner. Maybe it was the effects from the vitality pool, maybe it was the deft touch of the masseuse.
For our final dinner we dined at Harvest in the Bellagio. While a lot of celebrity chefs are absentee from their restaurants, Roy Ellamar, a winner on the Food Network show Chopped and the executive chef at Harvest, was making his rounds in the restaurant.
Both the man and food he prepares are beautiful and understated. The spice-rubbed lamb chops with the vadouvan curry is a must-try.
Yes, Vegas is an outdoor destination on it’s own, and paired with world-class restaurants it offers the best of all worlds.
The writer was a guest of Las Vegas Tourism. No one from the tourism board read or approved of this article before publication.