Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

T he lure of shopping, shows and luxury resorts draws travellers to Nevada's biggest city, Las Vegas. But beyond the nighttime sparkle of the Bellagio's foun- tains or the glow of neon signs, unexpected gems await outside the city limits. Hitting the open road is the best way to explore Nevada. You'll soon encounter otherworldly red rock landscapes, funky free-range art, and only-in-Nevada oddities. Here are a few road trip ideas that give a glimpse of Nevada beyond Las Vegas. EXPLORE A LANDSCAPE OF EXTREMES A two-hour drive northwest of Vegas brings you to Death Valley National Park, the hottest, driest and lowest elevation spot in the United States. Prepare for the park's desert scenery with a stop along the way at Red Rock Canyon, a national conservation area that's just 27 kilometres west of the city. Stretch your legs on trails that take you past red- banded sandstone formations and whimsical Joshua trees. Carry on to Death Valley and head for Badwater Basin, a vast salt flat that's 86 metres below sea level. You can walk among the hexagonal salt shapes, formed by water evapo- ration. Other park highlights include Artists Palette, a drive past hills striped purple, pink and green from minerals in the rocks, and Zabriskie Point, a view over impressive bad- lands that glow gold at sunrise. Consider staying overnight in Furnace Creek in order to visit the impressive Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, which are on the way to the Rhyolite ghost town. This mining town went bust and was abandoned in 1920, but its crumbling build- ings are some of the most photographed in the west. From here, it's an easy drive back to the city. APPRECIATE ART IN UNEXPECTED PLACES What do painted boulders, stacked cars, and colourful murals have in common? They're all stops on the Free-Range Art Highway, a road trip between Las Vegas and Reno that passes by unconventional artistry in the middle of the desert. Make the Neon Museum—a collection of neon signs from iconic Vegas establishments—your first stop before DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2023 18 PHOTOS: TRAVEL NEVADA BY LISA KADANE N O T H I N G B E A T S H O W T O P U T A S P I N O N T H E S E R O A D T R I P S

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