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Morning

Start with breakfast in the delightful Verandah Café at Four Seasons, which is within the Mandalay Bay hotel. Be glad you’re not about to become someone else’s breakfast as you gape at the specimens in the Shark Reef. While still at the Mandalay Bay, check out the House of Blues and the collection of American folk art.

Head north up the Strip to the Lion Habitat at MGM Grand (see MGM Grand Lion Habitat) followed by a walk to the Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace (car buffs may have to be removed forcibly!).

For lunch, cross over to Harrah’s for the Fresh Market Square Buffet .

Afternoon

At the Forum Shops you are liable to shed the shoppers in your party.

Next stop is Circus Circus . It’s a hike, so you may opt for the CAT bus or monorail that stop along the Strip. After your trip there, you deserve a sugar break. Head for the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop and sink your teeth into one of their legendary doughnuts. Newly fortified, explore Circus Circus (laugh at your stomach outline in the funhouse mirrors) and then walk back down to the Mirage for the white tigers.

Cross the street to the Casino Royale, snag a window table, and watch The Mirage Volcano erupt while you dine. For a nightcap, walk down to the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, for the best view of Fountains at Bellagio .

Late Afternoon

Begin your excursion in the mid- to late afternoon, with a flying visit to the Mormon Fort (see Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort Historic Park). Allow more time if you are a history buff.

Next, head south to browse the Bonanza Gift Shop. Take a look around Pawn Shop Plaza while it is still light, then, as dusk deepens and the lights of Fremont Street begin to beguile, start exploring the Glitter Gulch nightlife.

Try dining at one of the top restaurants in downtown, such as Lily Langtry at the Golden Nugget Casino (129 Fremont St), with its black-and-white decor, or the romantic Hugo’s Cellar at Four Queens ( 202 Fremont St).

Nighttime

After dinner, stroll along Fremont Street’s pedestrian promenade, stopping in at the shops that catch your eye and the vendors’ carts that capture your fancy. If gaming’s your pleasure, step inside the El Cortez Hotel’s casino (600 Fremont Street).

Check out the train station at the Plaza, then wander down to Main Street Station. Pick up a brochure here with a map and list of treasures – including street lamps from Brussels and a portion of the Berlin wall – that are incorporated into the building’s decor.

Back at Fremont Street Experience , watch a light and sound show, then head to Stratosphere (see View from Stratosphere Tower) to top off the night with a stunning view of the city.

The Road to Zion

For an overnight trip to remember, drive east on Highway 15 to the Valley of Fire turning. Spend an hour or two on the park’s scenic drive, hiking through Petroglyph Canyon (see Petroglyph Canyon, Valley of Fire) to Mouse’s Tank and visiting the Lost City Museum of Archeology (see Lost City Museum of Archeology, Overton). Then, back on Highway 15, proceed to Mesquite for lunch, making sure you are within reach of one of Zion’s many viewpoints by sunset: you will be richly rewarded. Overnight in the park or at Springdale.

Grand Canyon

Take Highway 93 to Kingman, then Highways 40 and 64 to the national park. It is possible to view much of the canyon’s grandeur by driving along the rim routes, but the total canyon experience involves hiking or riding to the valley floor, spending the night, and perhaps river-rafting. For insights into Native American culture, visit one of the reservations along the rim.

Death Valley

Starting out from Las Vegas again, head northwest on Highway 95 to Beatty, turning off on Highway 374. You can see the major sights easily in a day and a half, but if you wish to hike or golf, you’ll want to allocate more time to the trip.

Day One

Begin with early morning coffee at Railroad Pass Casino on Hwy 93, an old-timer among gambling dens. Afterward, continue on Hwy 93 to the historic Boulder City and the amazing Hoover Dam Tour .

Go back along Hwy 93 to the junction with Hwy 95 and turn south toward Laughlin. Stop at the Nugget in Searchlight (see Nugget Restaurant, Searchlight) for lunch and the chance to visit a typical small-town Nevada casino.

For a more picturesque route, turn off 95 and head east on the dirt road through Christmas Tree Pass. Spend the remainder of the day in Laughlin, perhaps hunting for bargains at the 50-store Horizon Discount Outlet.

Overnight at Harrah’s (see Fresh Market Square, Harrah’s, Laughlin) or another hotel along the river, and be sure to take an evening stroll along the promenade.

Day Two

Early next morning, golfers can tee off at the 18-hole Emerald River Golf Course. Alternatively, the Riverview Golf Course is just across the river in Bullhead City, Arizona.

Later, head for Oatman, an old-time western town about a half-hour’s drive southeast from Bullhead City. In the afternoon drive back north to Lake Mojave. Be sure to make time to see the mysterious petroglyphs at Grapevine Canyon, off Hwy 163, before returning to your hotel in Laughlin.

Morning

Begin with an early morning stroll around the UNLV campus, stopping at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History.

Drive through the Green Valley area to Foxridge Park where if children are in your party, the play equipment will be the main attraction. Then it’s on to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory for the free tour and walk around the cactus garden.

On the way back to your hotel, lunch at one of the terrace tables around the Interactive Fountains at Green Valley Center. You’ll have the afternoon free, but if it’s Thursday, don’t miss the Henderson Farmers Market. Or, if traffic is not too heavy, you can take a second excursion.

Afternoon

Begin at the Nevada State Museum . Motor-racing fans should then make their next stop the Las Vegas Speedway.

Finish up at Chinatown Plaza , where the herbalist-health food shop is a repository for remedies such as dried sea horses (good for the kidneys), herbs, and shark fins.

After an hour or two shopping, head up to the second floor of the Plaza, where you have a choice of different Asian restaurants for dining. Among them are Plum Tree Inn, Pho Vietnam Restaurant, Kapit Bahay Filipino Fast Food, and Dragon Sushi.