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Nevada – The Silver State
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Nevada
Tag: Las Vegas Nevada
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Lower Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona
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The Antelope Canyons are narrow, long, deep, and twisting canyons on the Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyons are accessible only by guided tours, so a tour guide is mandatory. The Lower Antelope Canyon has become a great place for photographers and it offers a unique experience to the tourists. If you have plans to visit Zion, Bryce, or Grand Canyon National Park, do not forget to include Antelope Canyon in your itinerary.
These photos are from our visit to Lower Antelope Canyon during the last week of September, 2014.
Quick Facts and Tips
- Best time to visit
- Mid March to Mid October
- Midday is the best time to visit
- Fly into
- Phoenix and Las Vegas: Good deals and major international airports, five hours drive to Page
- Page and Flagstaff: Closest, but small airports and limited flights. Antelope Canyons are only 15 mins drive from Page Municipal Airport and 2 hours drive from Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
- Clothing
- Comfortable pants, shorts, capri, tank tops, t-shirts, jackets, hats, comfortable boots or other sturdy closed-toed shoes. It is cool in the winter months, so dress in layers
- Book a tour
- Lower Antelope Canyon is a guide-only tour. It is absolutely necessary to book a tour, as you can not enter Antelope Canyon without a native Navajo guide
- It is recommended to book a tour in advance
- Bring cash to purchase tickets at the counter and give tips to the guide. Tickets can be purchased with a card on-site too
- Tour is about 2 hours
- Tour can be cancelled without any prior notice when it rains. The rain falling dozens of miles away can funnel into the slot canyons and cause flash floods with short notice. So please check their websites for flash flood warnings and cancellations
- Tour Operators
- Lower Antelope Canyon: Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, Dixie Ellis’ Lower Antelope Canyon Tours
- Upper Canyon Tour Operators: Navajo Tours, Roger Ekis’ Antelope Canyon Tours and Chief Tsosie’s Antelope Slot Canyon Tours
- Try to visit during midday as the lighting inside the canyon is the best at this time
- Check the weather forecast for rain and flash floods warning before you head out
- Since the Lower Antelope canyons are below ground level, you need to climb down a steep metal stairway that takes you to the bottom. Take caution and be patient as you will be in a group
- You will be surrounded by dozens of people. As the tour guide will be trying to keep the group moving as a unit, it may be challenging to find enough room to take pictures. So be ready, act quickly and smartly, while taking the pictures
- There is lot to capture, so keep your camera ready. Make sure that your camera is fully charged and also keep backup batteries and memory cards
- Carry enough water
- Inside the canyons there are some narrow passages and steep ladders to climb
- Pay attention to your tour guide for directions and nice stories
- Nearby Attractions
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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area which is in Utah and Arizona is a must visit place if you are around Page. The area is a recreation and conservation unit of the National Park Service that includes the Lake Powell surrounding area and lower Cataract Canyon area in Utah and Arizona. The incredible view of an iconic Horseshoe Bend is just 5 miles away. If you have plans to visit Zion, Bryce, or Grand Canyon National Park, do not forget to include Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in your itinerary.
These photos are from our visit to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on our way to Grand Canyon National Park during the last week of September 2014.
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Quick Facts and Tips
- Best time to visit: Mid March to Mid October
- Fly into
- Phoenix and Las Vegas: Good deals and major international airports, five hours drive to Page
- Flagstaff and Page: Closest, small airports and limited flights
- Clothing
- Comfortable pants, t-shirts, shorts, tank tops, jackets, hats, sunscreens, comfortable boots or other sturdy closed-toed shoes. It is cool in the winter months, so plan to dress in layers
- What to Expect
- The Canyons, Colorful bluffs-mesas-buttes, Horseshoe shaped engraved ramble, Man-made reservoir, Marinas, Dam
- For the current road conditions/closures and opening hours check the Park Website
- Places to go
- Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell Marinas, Lees Ferry, Glen Canyon Dam
- Best things to do
- Visit Horseshoe bend and enjoy the breathtaking view of the horseshoe-shaped engraved curve of the Colorado River. This place is located near the town Page, Arizona, and 5 miles from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The hike to the Horseshoe bend is about a 1.5 mile round trip. The trail is short but challenging during the day because of the direct sunlight. There is no shade through the hike and take extra caution as there are no barriers at the edge. Carry enough water. There will be an entry fee of $10 per vehicle. More info here
- Enjoy a joyful boat ride on the long and winding Lake Powell
- Enjoy a water float trip on the Colorado River for an inside view of the canyon
- Book a tour and visit Glen Canyon Dam
- Nearby Attractions
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Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona
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The iconic Hoover Dam is a popular tourist destination located approximately 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, on the Nevada-Arizona border. It is a massive and concrete arch-gravity dam, towering 900 feet above the Colorado River with a 660 feet thick base as long as two football fields. The history, architecture, and engineering behind the Hoover Dam is really fascinating. This impressive largest man made construction was built during the Great Depression and it was one of the largest single producers of hydroelectric power at that time. Hoover Dam also created America’s largest reservoir, Lake Mead, that covers about 248 square miles. The reservoir is capable of holding about 28.9 million acre-feet of water and supplies water to Nevada, Arizona, California, and Mexico. Today Lake Mead has dropped to its lowest level since 1930 because of the drought that the Colorado River basin has experienced.
These photos are from our visit to Hoover Dam in November 2010. We drove from Las Vegas for a day trip to Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire State Park.
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Quick Facts and Tips
- It is worth visiting if you are around Las Vegas and also a must stop on the way to Grand Canyon
- You can drive or book a private tour to Hoover Dam from the major hotels and resorts in Las Vegas. It is about a 45 minute drive from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam. Most major hotels and resorts in Las Vegas offer private tours to Las vegas which include round trip transportation as well as a restaurant lunch.
- There are private companies who run Hoover Dam Helicopter tours from Las Vegas and offer hotel pick up and transportation to Boulder City where most helicopters depart from.
- Hoover Dam is open year-round between 5am and 9pm except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Visitor Center and tours open from 9am to 5pm.
- Parking on the Arizona side of the Dam is for free, but needs further walk. A multi level parking garage on the Nevada side will cost you $10.
- Tour is optional and it costs $10 to $30 per person.
- Walking or driving across Hoover Dam and the Colorado River Bridge is FREE.
- Start early or late in the day as parking will fill up quickly on busy days.
- Bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and hats as there is less shade.
- There are restrooms, a gift shop and a cafe.
- Best Things To Do
- Visit the Visitor Center and buy a $10 self guided tour that offers narrated educational exhibits, interactive 3D models and films about the dam, power systems and its construction. Take a stroll around the Dam that takes you to the bridge on the highway U.S. 93 and enjoy a 360 degree panoramic view of the Dam, Colorado River, Lake Mead and Hoover Bypass Bridge from the Observation Deck.
- Take a guided tour and get soaked in the history of Hoover Dam. Ride the original elevator to the top of Hoover Dam as you walk with a guide through the exhibits, historic tunnels, a power generator room and inspection tunnels at the center of the Hoover dam. Enjoy the view of the Colorado River through the inspection ventilation shaft. Cost of this guided tour is $30 including a self guided visitor center tour and it is worth it.
- Remember to take a photo at the state line marker.
- Nearby attractions
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Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona
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Location: Lakeview Overlook, Hoover Dam Access Road (NV-172), Nevada, USA.
Date and Time: Around 3pm on November 22, 2011.
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Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
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Location: Valley of Fire Highway, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA.
Date and Time: Around 5:45pm on November 22, 2011.
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Las Vegas, Nevada
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Las Vegas!!! When you hear Las Vegas, you start imagining yourself in the stylishly luxurious casinos, grandeur hotels, live shows, attractive exhibits, fancy streets of colorful lights, and of course, the crowd. Yes, Las Vegas looks surreal and seems like a fictional glamorous movie setting. Las Vegas is a large, strangely superficial glamorous city, in the state of Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally eminent major resort city, known primarily for its lavish mega hotels and casinos, live shows, shopping malls, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The famous city sits in the middle of the desert surrounded by distinct desert mountains. The city creates an atmosphere of fantasy where you can travel around the world famous cities of New York, Venice, Paris, ancient Egypt, and medieval England in just one night. The colorful and vibrant valley of Las Vegas serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for the state of Nevada.
Click on the links below to see the glory of Las Vegas city. These photos are from our visit to Las Vegas during the last week of November 2011.
Quick Facts and Tips
- Best time to Visit: March to May and September to November
- March to May: Comfortable daily temperature
- September to November: Comfortable day temperatures, but cooler evenings
- June to August: Off season but extremely hot
- Fly Into: Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
- Clothing: Feel free to dress casually. Jeans, slacks, blouses, skirts, dresses, button down shirts, casual t-shirts or tees, tank tops, shorts, light jackets or blazers, sunglasses, sunscreens, hats, nice footwears and comfortable walking shoes, few light layers might needed as temperatures cool significantly once the sun goes down.
- Midweek stays are almost always more affordable when compared to weekends and holidays.
- Rental cars are not needed in Vegas unless planning for other road trips to nearby attractions. Parking is expensive and it is no longer free in many casino-hotels.
- Stay on the Strip to save time, effort and of course for easy access to Las Vegas attractions.
- Be sure to check the resort fee at any hotels you book.
- Guests under 21 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian inside the casinos.
- Highly recommend booking in advance for popular shows.
- Las Vegas monorail is the best way to get around the Strip which runs from MGM grand to Sahara across the street of Stratosphere.
- Make a list of free as well as ticketed shows of your interest, show timings and locations. Plan wisely so that you can save time, money and not miss popular shows.
- Bring cash, you may need it for tipping.
- Food and beverages are very expensive inside the casio-hotels. Buying some essential stuff in nearby grocery stores will definitely save you more money.
- Carry water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats and a light jacket to cover up inside the casinos in case feeling cold
- Best things to do: FREE
- Explore the Strip: The best way to explore Las Vegas is simply walking down The Strip. The “Strip” runs from Mandalay Bay on the south end to the Stratosphere casino on the north end. Visit the Strip at night to see the best lighting of all the casinos and attractions. The Strip is about 4 miles and it would likely take several hours to walk the entire distance with stops to watch various attractions. Enjoy a typical Las Vegas experience while walking through the casinos. Be sure to allow yourself more time than you have planned. Don’t forget to wear comfortable footwear that is best suited for the seasons.
- Enjoy the Bellagio Fountains Show: Embrace the beautiful performance of the soaring and iconic 200 feet tall fountains at the Bellagio Hotel. The dramatic aquatic show is choreographed with mesmerizing music and brilliant lights. Check for show timings at the Casino. Bellagio also features Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which offer vibrant, seasonal themes composed of plants, flowers and trees. Official site: https://www.bellagio.com/en.html
- Walk around Fremont Street: Get a different experience by walking under the canopy of a colorful series of LED lights. These LEDs light up the sky in different colors and create various designs as you walk underneath. Fremont Street in Old Downtown Vegas is a pedestrian only street and features live music, visual shows, street performances, and much more. Official site: http://www.vegasexperience.com
- Get thrilled with the Volcano Show at the Mirage: Watch the flames dance to the music, feel the heat of the flames, and hear the loud blast of the eruption and the pulsating soundtrack. The volcano sculpture in front of The Mirage erupts every night, shooting flames/fire as high as 12 feet. The best view of the volcano show is right in front of the Mirage hotel and it is free. Check for the show timings at Mirage Hotel.
- See the Las Vegas Sign and photograph yourself with it for a memorable souvenir. The fabulous sign is located at 5200 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89119. Official site: https://www.mirage.com/en.html
- Get amazed by the Egyptian Themed Luxor: Take a stroll around the pyramid-shaped Luxor hotel at the far southwest end of the strip. The hotel is designed in an Egyptian theme with its mythical creature sphinx fearlessly standing out on the strip. The highest point of the pyramid shoots up the light beam and it can be seen almost anywhere in Las Vegas. Official site: https://www.luxor.com/en.html
- Enjoy the beautiful view of the medieval themed Excalibur hotel. The hotel offers lovely castle-like architecture with colored turrets. The hotel offers a high energy arcade and family friendly 4D rides. Official site https://excalibur.mgmresorts.com/en.html
- Enjoy the Wildlife Habitat at Flamingo Hotel and Casino. The Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo is home to a beautiful flock of Chilean flamingos, a variety of birds including pheasants, ducks, swans and of course, flamingos. Official site: https://www.caesars.com/flamingo-las-vegas
- Enjoy the Fall of Atlantis fountain show at Caesars Forum Shops: The show narrates the story of the Kingdom of Atlantis with an animatronic display of fire, water, and nine foot tall talking statues. The show is free and plays every hour. Check for show timings at the Caesars Palace Forum Shops. More info https://www.vegas.com/attractions/on-the-strip/caesars-atlantis-fountain/
- Have great fun with jugglers, unicyclists and acrobats at Circus Circus casino: The fun acts and remarkable stunts high above the casino floor at Circus Circus are entertaining and absolutely free. Check the show timings at Circus Circus hotel-casino and official website https://www.circuscircus.com/
- For more free attractions https://www.vegas.com/attractions/free-attractions-las-vegas/
- Best Things to do: NOT FREE
- A gondola ride at the Venetian Hotel: The traditional gondola boat ride at the Venetian Hotel-Casino makes you feel like you really are in Venice, Italy. Listening to an Italian serenade while floating in an indoor or outdoor gondola through the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes is definitely an entertaining, relaxing and memorable experience. Tickets can be purchased at the Gondola booth at Venetian Hotel-Casino. Official site: https://www.venetian.com/
- Eiffel Tower Experience at Paris-Las Vegas: Get a feel of being in Paris by taking a 460 feet high half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower and reach the observation deck atop Paris, Las Vegas. The observation deck offers amazing views of Las Vegas and great photo opportunities. Admission to the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck can be purchased at Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Official site: https://www.caesars.com/paris-las-vegas
- The Big Apple Roller Coaster at New York-New York: Across the street from both the MGM Grand Hotel and the Excalibur Resort Hotel, take a thrilling ride on a huge Big Apple roller coaster that circles in and around the New York-New York hotel. Enjoy the stunning views designed to appear like New York’s skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Official site: https://www.newyorknewyork.com/en.html
- Aquarium and Beach at Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort: Visit the massive Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Casino at the southwest end of the strip near the Luxor hotel. This giant Aquarium holds a wide variety of sharks, fish, rays, reptiles, marine invertebrates, green sea turtles, and even a Komodo dragon. Official site: http://www.sharkreef.com/
- Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage: The Dolphin Habitat at Mirage casino-hotel contains a large number of trained dolphins in its 2.5-million-gallon pools. You can see a wide variety of exotic animals, including white lions and tigers in the Secret Garden. Official site: https://www.mirage.com/en.html
- Stratosphere Tower and Las Vegas Skyline: Visit the Stratosphere Tower, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the USA. The tower rises up to 350 meters to an observation deck that offers a spectacular view of Las Vegas. Take a thrill skypod ride and experience the stunning 360-degree views of the Las Vegas Valley and beyond. Official site: http://www.stratospherehotel.com/
- Enjoy unique and incredible Cirque Du Soleil Shows at Mirage, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio or Treasure Island. It is highly recommended to book in advance and check show times at respective casino-hotels.
- For more attractions https://www.vegas.com/attractions/las-vegas-strip/
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Las Vegas – Part 2
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Las Vegas!! The famous strangely superficial glamorous city sits in the middle of the desert surrounded by distinct desert mountains in the state of Nevada, USA. The city creates an atmosphere of a fantasy world where you can travel around world famous cities.
These photos are from our visit to Las Vegas during the last week of November 2011.
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Las Vegas – Part 1
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Las Vegas!! The famous strangely superficial glamorous city sits in the middle of the desert surrounded by distinct desert mountains in the state of Nevada, USA. The city creates an atmosphere of a fantasy world where you can travel around the world famous cities.
These photos are from our visit to Las Vegas during the last week of November 2011.
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