Xeriscape is an escape to a 1/2 acre Xanadu in Boulder City, Nevada. It is a tiny peaceful and…read morehappy oasis that I encouraged me to slow down and live in the moment for a good hour. In a sense Xeriscape Park belongs on a "From Google Street View to Yelp Review" list. I am driven to see new places and landscapes, which causes me to do some exploring on Google Maps. When I was exploring over Boulder City on Google Maps, I saw a small parcel of open space at the northeast corner of Veterans Memorial Drive/Georgia Street and Buchanan Drive directory east of Veterans Memorial Park. It was inevitable that when I returned to Veteran's Memorial Park, I was going to explore it in real life. What amazes me about Xeriscape Park is the fact it is surrounded by homes and a substation at the exact time it resembles a miniature pine forest. The tall mature pine trees are a breath of fresh air. And very clean fresh air. If there was such a thing as a scent recorder, the scent of these mature pine trees would be a five star production. Seated on a comfortable bench and breathing in the aroma of the pine under the canopy of mature trees had the magical touch of putting my mind at ease and bringing me to living in the moment. The soundtrack was chirping birds. Xeriscape Park is also a place where children and bunny rabbits come to play. At the entrance stands an idyllic playground that includes swings suited for little kids and adults. Just like the park, the playground was well maintained. If you are travelling from outside Boulder City, I recommend visiting Xeriscape Park in conjunction with Veteran's Memorial Park. Now, Veteran's Memorial Park in my opinion is worthy of a drive. Xeriscape Park is an extension of a Veteran's Memorial Park adventure. This paragraph explains hiking to and through Xeriscape Park from Veteran's Memorial Park. It is approximately. 33 miles and 5 1/2 minutes. What you want to do us locate the walkway between the dog park and the BMX track. This leads outside the park to Buchanan Drive. Now you want to turn left on Buchanan Drive headed North. The Park will be on the right across the street where a sidewalk is nonexistent. Here you will see the Xeriscape Park sign. At the first cross street, you will walk or I suggest run across a Buchanan Road minus a crosswalk to the park. The Park is in actuality to segments. The north segment that you have entered is a diminutive forest featuring pine and supposedly plants that are adaptable to the desert. When you continue walking south alongside a drainage channel parallel to Buchanan Drive there is a substation. You want to continue south between the substation and drainage channel while being attentive to branches. You will enter the south segment. You want to turn right where a shady walkway leads to the idyllic bench and playground. This is the perfect spot to breath in the crisp pine tree air and live in the moment. Now that all the stress has been released you will want to retrace your steps back. In my opinion being stressed out is a decision. In the future when I feel that I am about to become stressed I will strive to make the decision to escape to a little Xanadu like Xeriscape.

Headed out to the area with the GF and the boy on a beautiful Monday late afternoon back in January…read more2012. Found the turn off from Lake Mead Blvd and slowed rolled it out to the butte looking for a place to begin our accent for a Geocache. DO NOT ATTEMPT DURING A HOT SUMMER DAY! We finally decided to park next to the the three power towers and make our approach from the NW side. There is a slight trail to follow on the way up which is at times marked with cairns (stacks of rocks). MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF WATER! Once you hit the ridge line it's an easy climb up. Don't forget to look behind you every now and again...the view is amazing and just gets better and better. The GF was the first to summit and located the summit log. I made it up at the beginning of evening nautical twilight. WHEN YOU DO MAKE THE HIKE, MAKE SURE YOUR FOOTWEAR IS SOLID! We hung out for only a moment but enough to enjoy the kangaroo rats, being pin high with helicopters and watching the lights in the valley bellow. GIVE YOURSELF TIME & BRING A CAMERA! By the time we made our decent it was dark. Though we had lights they were not really needed as the moon light was enough to navigate. We made it back to the vehicle and determined that it about a 2 hour 15 minute trip.

Located in the Lake Mead National Rec Area, about 15 miles off I-15 & E. Lake Mead exit. This is a…read moregreat cardio hike, even thought it's a short hike, the peak itself is steep, will get you breathing fast and that heart rate up. The hike is over lava rocks so make sure you wear a good pair of shoes. It's an out and back type hike with 1000 ft elevation gain, and about 2 miles roundtrip. When you get to the top, you will have a panoramic view of the entire city, Lake Mead, and Lake Las Vegas. If you have knees like me, you will be hurting on the way down, my knees hurt for a day after this as it does pound them in the hike down. It offers great views tho, about the same as Frenchman Mtn so it's definitely worth the pain

After finding this trail on Google Earth, I had to try it out. I have hiked it twice and I really…read morelike the trail. The trail is just about 3 miles round trip--out and back. There are two bluffs from which you have some great views of Lava Butte, the Las Vegas Wash, and the mountains that surround Lake Mead and the environs. To get here, come in the fee booth on Lake Mead Parkway to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. In approximately 2 miles, turn left into Las Vegas Bay. Very shortly, a road goes off to the left. Take this road. It will lead you for about a mile to the camping area from which you'll hike. There are about 4 spaces before entering the camping area. DO NOT park in the camping area unless you want to pay the fee for camping. Walk into the camping area and turn left at the diagonal street with a #1. This takes you to a brushy area and there is a sign for the trailhead. The trail starts there and is lined by rocks for quite a distance. Along the way to the first bluff, you have a great view of the Las Vegas Wash as it winds its way to Lake Mead. You'll hear the rush of the water also. The first bluff gives you a nice overall view of the area but it's only part way. From here, the trail goes down and across the desert to the second bluff. The trail is very easy to follow. There are no side trails anywhere. Just follow the path so many have made. At the second bluff, there's a steep drop off, so just look. You can look upstream of the wash and see the weir by the Northshore Road bridge. You can also see this side of Lake Las Vegas. This is a good spot to have a snack and spend some time enjoying the great view. Retrace your steps to the parking area. As you hike out and back, keep and eye out for animals. The first time I did the trail, I saw a coyote and this time there were a lot of quail. This trail is very Covid friendly. I saw no one on the trail the first time I hiked it, and this time, there was one couple. They turned around at the first bluff so my friend and I had the trail all to ourselves. I do recommend hiking boots. There are shop lava rock you may be stepping on and the extra protection hiking boots give you is worth it. Happy Trails!

Last Saturday was the second time that I experienced Bluff Trail in Lake Mead National Recreation…read moreArea (LMNRA). I entered Bluff Trail stressed and left refreshed. Bluff Trail is eye candy, exercise, and a "relax in nature" hot spot. A couple hundred feet from where Bluff Trail starts at campsite 72, a scenic overlook to the right of the amphitheater awards the hiker with beautiful vistas of the Las Vegas Wash and distant Lake Mead.The overlook of Las Vegas Wash gushing through the canyon toward Lake Mead reminds me of the Grand Canyon. In reality, this could be a western addition of the Grand Canyon. Miles east of this scenic overlook, Lake Mead develops into the Colorado River which flows through the Grand Canyon. Looking down, the water and greenery is a tranquil change of scenery in the Mojave Desert. The scenic overlook by itself is worth the $10 LMNRA entrance fee. Bluff Trail is relatively short with gradual elevation changes. From my experience, the leading segment gives the premium scenic views of the Las Vegas Wash and is well maintained. When I progressed beyond the leading segment, the challenge level advanced from easy to moderate-difficult. Approximately halfway, there is a gravely and rocky segment. To pass this segment without a check-in at the emergency room, required me to sit on a large rock and carefully hop onto the sand. At this point, Bluff Trail starts to meander away from the Las Vegas Wash and onto desert bluffs. It appears that there is no true end of Bluff Trail. It merges into the open spaces of the Mojave Desert. Bluff Trail is between a one and two hour experience. I recommend combining Bluff Trail with Wetlands Trail and Boulder Beach. I suggest bringing the following: sunscreen, inexpensive sneakers, water, binoculars, and $10 for the LMNRA fee station.

Review #600 For…read moreReview 600 I am writing about a beautiful land of nature adjacent to the Las Vegas Valley. It is the River Mountains. When we think of the nature wonderlands adjacent to Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area come to mind. The River Mountains often gets overlooked. It is the range of mountains bordered by the City of Henderson to the west, Boulder City to the south, and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the east and north. The River Mountains Loop Trail is the non-motorized beltway around the River Mountains. The River Mountains is a nature wonderland that I have escaped to for years to improve my physical and mental health. It has been my nature therapy you can say. My escapes into the River Mountains started from my hikes along the 35 mile River Mountains Loop Trail and hiking up Red & Black Mountain. This review shares the greatness of the River Mountains. Hopefully I will convert you to falling in love with the River Mountains. The River Mountains is a nature wonderland where teddy bear chola cactus stand tall in a valley near Lake Mead. This is a beautiful serene Valley where it is easy to doze off with the sole sounds of a gentle wind and distant airplanes. The River Mountains is a nature wonderland to rise above it all. It's Red & Black Mountain is an open space up in the stratosphere with breathtaking views of Boulder City, Las Vegas, Henderson, and Lake Mead. The River Mountains is where the big horn sheep come to play. The River Mountains is one of the most important areas in Nevada for the big horn sheep. They congregate at Hemenway Valley Park in Boulder City. I have also seen them in the central Valley of the River Mountains on the unpaved Lake Mead National Recreation Area Powerline Road. The River Mountains is a nature wonderland of fascination. With its open spaces, clean air, and picture postcard Mountains I feel more conscious. Whether it's a rock up near Black Mountain that resembles an alligator rock or a Magic Tree near mile marker 12 of the Loop Trail, the River Mountains amazes me. The Magic Tree is a place where I have prayed and let out my soul. The valleys off the Loop Trail in the remote reaches of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area are where I go to explore the unseen. When I follow the sun through a remote wash I explore with the fascination of a travel writer. This hiking season a high priority is to hike the wash in the backcountry near the Teddy Bear Chola Forest. The River Mountains is a beautiful backdrop to a sunset. Some of my favorite meditative walks in nature include a sunset turning Red Mountain orange. Deeper in the night I have enjoyed walking along a dark segment of the River Mountains Loop Trail in Henderson taking in the moon and stars over the hushed Mountains with the mesmerizing carpet of the Las Vegas Valley below. The River Mountains is a 5 star backyard of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. I highly recommend seeing it from the various segments of the River Mountains Loop Trail where there are washes and valleys that connect to the River Mountains. A nice day would be to watch the bighorn sheep in Hemenway Valley Park, then walk South on Valley Drive to the River Mountains Loop Trail (in this area parallel to US 93). From here you could hike Lake Mead bound to the Teddy Bear Chola Cactus Forest spur or Bootleg Canyon bound to Red & Black Mountain. From my experience the best time to watch the big horn sheep is around dinner time. I highly recommend exploring this five star backyard of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Into my 600th Yelp review the River Mountains amazes me just as much as it did when I was exploring it with a dumb phone years before yelping. I guess a nature wonderland is like fine wine that gets better with age. With that said, a toast to the River Mountains.

The Horse Thief Canyon Road is an eight mile out-and-back hike or off-road adventure in the back…read morecountry of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Regardless that it is technically in Arizona, it is truly a Las Vegas outdoor adventure. The best way to reach the Horse Thief Canyon Road from Las Vegas is by driving on US 93 with the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. Once over the state line, it will be four miles on the left side of the highway. It shares a parking lot with Arizona Hot Springs and Liberty Bell Arch. During several past outdoor adventures, when I hiked on the Arizona Hot Springs and Liberty Bell Arch, I had been very curious where this Horse Thief Canyon Road off the trailhead ended up. If you are unfamiliar with both of these trails, here is how they tie in with Horse Thief Canyon Road. The common parking lot is on a hillside to the east of US 93. From the common parking lot, Arizona Hot Springs and Liberty Bell Arch hikers follow a wash on a downhill hike that passes under US 93 then ultimately to the destinations of Arizona Hot Springs, the Colorado River, or Liberty Bell Arch, These are generally west-bound hike towards the river. Disparate from the Arizona Hot Springs and Liberty Bell Arch hikes, Horse Thief Road leads uphill in a northeast direction inland towards the Mount Wilson Wilderness Area. And disparate from the two other hikes, this is an off-road trail that hikers share with off-road vehicles. After using this trailhead, I was determined to one day explore Horse Thief Canyon. This past Saturday, I would partake in an adventure exploring the Horse Thief Canyon. The Horse Thief Canyon hike is an easy hike. From my experience, back country roads make for easy hiking. The topography was a combination of rocky and sandy segments. From the time I got onto the trail til the end at the Horse Thief pour over (dry water fall), I had been gradually walking uphill. If you had done either the Arizona Hot Springs or Liberty Bell trails, it truly is a continuation of the White Canyon Trail where you are climbing the whole way up from the Colorado River. The differences here is that the parallel wash is called the Horse Thief Wash and the trail is a back country route signed "66A." I can argue that the scenery here is less spectacular yet pretty in its own unique way. For the first three miles through a desolate desert hillside valley the scenery that caught my eyes were the Black Mountains in the distance. Doing this hike in the beginning of March, I set eyes on the occasional wildflower bloom. It was the creosotes that dominated the landscape. During the first 20 minutes of the hike, I overheard the US 93 traffic. As I progressed deeper into the desert, I heard the sounds of birds and wind. With the exception of one off road vehicle I had the desert to myself. On the hike leading to the Horse Thief Canyon pour over, I was filled with anticipation of what nature had in store for me. The best thing about first time outdoor adventures is the anticipation. The out-and-back hike ended at a Disney picturesque pour over (dry waterfall) that blocked the wash and dead-ended the trail, This is the true end of the trail. This is a picturesque spot made to admire instead of conquer. The white pour over reminded me of the Big Thunder Railroad in Disney Land. It also reminded me to never exceed my comfort zone. The pour over looked like it could be conquered with scrambling and 100 percent determination, Instead of taking a risk, at the true end of the hike proper, I sat on one of many large rocks taking in the dry water fall. I couldn't help but think what this looks like after a rainfall. And I couldn't help but think, "How did this get the name of Horse Thief Canyon?' The pour over is in the foot hills of Wilson Ridge. Wilson Peak is nearby. Near the pour over, I climbed a foothill in an attempt to go around it. If it was not so windy, I would have continued with this approach to seeing the other side of the pour over. The climb did lead to a distant view of the Hoover Dam Lodge. If I return here, I plan to set out on one of the no-name trails leading to the Mount Wilson Wilderness Area and the Black Mountains. Hiking back on a downhill route, I left the pour over at 2:48 pm and made it to the parking lot at 4:42 pm. A major advantage to this hike is that you get to hike down hill on the way back. Now that I hiked Horse Thief Canyon Road, this is my recommendation. If you live in Las Vegas and hike often and have done both the Arizona Hot Springs and Liberty Bell at least twice, I would recommend an outdoor adventure on the Horse Thief Road. In conclusion, it is a decent hike that would not be in the front of my Las Vegas hiking bucket list.

A scenic stop to look at the view of Lake Mead, blue sky and variation colors of the rocks. It has…read morea wonderful contrast of reds, orange, browns and the blue sky. It has a zen feeling, like it was a painting and you're there to take in the energy.

I had an amazing experience with Amados Jet Ski Rentals! From start to finish, their customer…read moreservice was outstanding. The jet skis were incredibly clean, fast, and powerful, making for an awesome day on the water. One thing that really sets them apart is that they don't require a holding deposit like most other rental companies. That made the whole rental process much easier and stress-free. Another thing I loved was that they have just about everything you could need for a day at the lake. They rent out EZ-Up tents, water shoes, goggles, sun hats, and sells all types of sunscreens, and a whole bunch of other useful items. It made our trip so much more convenient because we were able to grab some of the things we were going to Walmart to pick up after we left there. I really appreciated their customer service. While we were out at the lake, I noticed the license plate on the trailer was coming loose and looked like it might fall off. I called to let them know, and within a short time, one of their in-house mechanics actually came out to the lake we were at and fixed it on the spot. That level of service is hard to find these days. I couldn't be happier with their prices, the quality of their equipment, and the professionalism of their business. They truly go above and beyond to make sure their customers have a great experience. If you're looking for the best jet ski rental in Nevada, I highly recommend Amados Jet Ski Rentals. I'll definitely be renting from them again!

I just wanted to say how much I thoroughly enjoyed the L1 course…read more My whole experience with UBER Adventures has been excellent. Your website is clear and easy to navigate, communications have been quick and clear, and the course itself was phenomenal. I'm totally new to rappelling and horrible at tying knots. There is a LOT of information in the course, but the curriculum was well structured and very progressive. Each new subject we learned built smoothly off of the last. I never felt lost or confused while learning. It was always clear how each skill we learned would apply to practical situations in real world canyons. Jasmine is charismatic, kind and patient. She's an excellent teacher and it's obvious she has a complete command of the subject matter. Jessica was supportive and super knowledgeable. It's obvious she and Jasmine's real world experiences together in canyons and caves go a long way toward building confidence in each other, and they're a truly powerful team because of it. I went into the course expecting to learn some valuable backcountry skills and now I'm afraid I've adopted yet another gear intensive outdoor sport!

I've been canyoneering for 6-years and decided to take ACE-L1. It was an intro class meant to brush…read moreup and hone some of my skills. I was surprised at how much new information I learned and how some of the tools I'd been using for 6-years, were't the best suited for canyoneering. (Since my base skill was Rock Climbing prior to the transition to Canyoneering) Even if you're an experienced canyoneer, there is something to learn from Klaus. He's down to earth, patient, a clear communicator and an awesome guy. I highly recommend checking out Uber Adventures! They have classes for all skill levels!