[kjg48359]

Hi everyone,

My son has a big "national" level soccer tournament in Los Vagas at the end of March. Being from the east cost (I'm from Syracuse area, my wife from the Phili area) and never having been out to an area like Los Vagas, I'm thinking I'd love to take a few extra days and do some sight seeing.

Because of the soccer conditions, I don't think we'll be able to do anything until after his last game about mid-Sunday morning. What I was thinking is that if we did a quick tour of the 'stip' on Sunday afternoon, we'd have a couple of extra days to possible rent a 4x4 (choice of course would be obvious if possible) and then I'd absolutely love to go and visit a nearby canyon, or possible drive through the desert and go to an abandoned ghost town. Then maybe go and visit the Grand Canyon.

At any rate, it would be so different from muddy trails and tree lined routes that we've it in the MI area (although we've done 200'+ sand dunes in Western MI).

So, I'd welcome someone who's done something like that, and some advice on what and were we could rent. Ultimately, if there is anyone we could hook up with we'd be willing to go out with us for a day that would be the ultimate experience.

So where would we go and what would we see? I'd welcome some ideas.

(PS, my kids aged 15 & 13 have been off-road with me, but the wife hasn't it so the more scenic over winch level challenge would be of more interest to her, but it just wouldn't be an adventure if we couldn't use low-range! )

 

[Roverrad95]

1. It's "Las Vegas" With an A.

2. It's Nevada, which is also wasteland. Everything is an offroad trail.

3. I haven't been on it, but a friend of mine hit up Bitter Springs. It's low key, and surprisingly, I found a link: http://www.desertusa.com/mag00/jul/stor ... rings.html

4. There is also Red Rock Canyon. Again, haven't been on it. But I know that you have to ask at the visitors center (at Red Rock), and they will tell you where the trail is.

5. And there is Nipton, which essentially is a dirt road... fun for people who are scared of leaving the pavement. It has rocks, and water crossings, some grades, but your Rover will be WAY overkill for it.

 

[leftlanetruckin]

I did the same thing years ago.
Spent a few days in Vegas then went to the Grand Canyon. We have a Grand Cherokee IIRC. Got it from a regular car rental place.
You can run over the Hoover dam and go to the Grand Canyon from there.

Martin

 

[Roverrad95]

Oh man, I drove my LX470 from CA to Chicago, and on the way back we stopped at the Grand Canyon. It really was amazing. Little expensive to drive in the park, but so worth every penny.

 

[umbertob]

From Vegas you are also only a couple of hours' drive away from Death Valley, quite a unique place to see (and at the end of March the temperatures should be just about perfect for sightseeing.) You don't need an SUV to visit a lot of Death Valley (Zabriskie Point, Badwater, Scotty's Castle, Artists Palette, etc. are all accessible via paved roads), but if you can rent a decent one you have a choice of a ton of off-road trails of many degrees of difficulty that take you to a variety of abandoned mines, mountain tops with incredible views, strange places with big moving rocks... It is a spectacular park to visit, often overlooked by tourists because in summer it gets so friggin' hot. There is good camping in many places and reasonably priced lodging around Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs.