| Top Walks - Las Vegas | |
|
I live in the wet Northwest and find the high, dry climate of Las Vegas to be a wonderful change for walking. Each morning I get up with the sun and put on my walking clothes, taking care to put on lots of sunscreen and bring along a hat. Early in the morning the sidewalks of the Strip are sparsely populated, and there are many joggers and exercise walkers out and about.
In hot weather, early morning is the only time of day to walk. Las Vegas can be cool to cold in winter and windy, so check the temps before heading out. Rainstorms are real gully-washers, so wait out the rain.
The AVA/IVV sanctioned year-round walks in Las Vegas start at the Best Western Mardi Gras Inn, 3500 Paradise Rd. This is the road parallel to the Strip, the Mardi Gras Inn is south of the Las Vegas Convention Center, between Flamingo Road and Desert Inn Road. The Inn is open 24 hours, the rooms are inexpensive and spacious. At the Best Western check-in desk, ask for the volksmarch start box and sign in for the walk. The Las Vegas High Rollers and Strollers Club has maps and directions for two walking routes. They are both flat, easy 11 kilometer (6.9 mile) routes. I always choose the route that takes in the Strip and all the glitter of Las Vegas. It changes each year but always takes in the Strip. The second route takes in the University.
Part of the fun of Las Vegas is watching it change constantly. New casinos replace old ones. Many attractions are enjoyable from the sidewalks, such as the fountains at the Bellagio, the pirate show at Treasure Island, the erupting volcano at The Mirage.
All along the walk you can stop in at the casinos for water, restroom, or a gambling break 24 hours a day. There are also lots of gift shops and water vending machines along the street. The environment is safe for everyone - I have never had a bad incident on the Strip in my many walking vacations there. However, you may feel less comfortable on the side streets. If so, stick to the Strip.
One obnoxious fact of life in walking in Las Vegas are the pamphleteers who stand along all the sidewalks trying to force you to take their ads for escort services. There was a brief interlude of a couple of years where this was banned, but the First Amendment won out and they are back as of the year 2000.
I enjoy walking fast up and down the Strip each day. This is best done in the early morning before the crowds take to the sidewalks - anytime before noon. Walking after dark is also very enjoyable as temperatures cool, but things get crowded in the evenings.
Some of the hotel casinos now feature their walking courses. The walk at Bellagio is great for doing exercise laps - start at the end of the shops, walk around the front of the fountains and around the lake back up to the front doors, then turn around and return to the shops - approximately 1 kilometer, with an incline.
Mandalay Bay bills itself as having a jogging course at its pool/beach for hotel guests. However, it is a narrow and winding path suitable for strolling but not for jogging or fast walking.
The Desert Passage Shops at the newly remodeled Aladdin offer a great indoors walking opportunity - approximately a 1 mile indoor circular mall, fully climate controlled. The shops open at 10 am, but the Passage itself may be open all hours. A great way to sleep in and still walk and beat the heat or avoid the winter chill.
Back to: >> Readers' Top Walks
New posts to the Walking forums:
Photos © Wendy Bumgardner, 1997
