Southern Nevada and neighboring Arizona are home to several ghost towns that conjure up memories of the Old West. The former Mormon settlement of Potosi, 30 miles southwest of downtown Las Vegas, was Nevada's first ghost town. The once thriving city of Rhyolite is one of Nevada's best known ghost towns. It grew, along with Bullfrog, from a 1904 gold discovery but was abandoned by 1911. Searchlight, southeast of Las Vegas, was the site of a 1897 gold discovery. The town boomed in 1902 and peaked in 1907.
Las Vegas's diverse history that encompasses nuclear weapons to glitzy entertainment makes it home to some interesting museums. The Atomic Testing Museum is a Smithsonian Museum affiliate featuring atomic bomb and cold war photographs and history plus a gift shop, all housed in almost 10,000 square feet. Other unusual museums to consider are Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas wax museum and the Pinball Hall of Fame.
Nevada's geothermal activity provides numerous opportunities for a relaxing soak in hot springs, either developed or undeveloped. Many are a couple of hours away by car from Las Vegas but several are near Lake Mead, including Roger's Springs. Four others are located along the Colorado River below Hoover Dam.
Not only can you experience the great outdoors while staying in Las Vegas, you can trek through both snow and blazing sun on consecutive days, or on the same day, if you're really active. Mount Charleston, 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas, features hikes from one to 22 miles at elevations from 7,000 to 11,918 feet. South of the city, you can hike Red Rock Canyon and White Rock Canyon, where you'll trade your ear muffs and gloves for a sun hat and plenty of water.
