Hi all,

This is my first trip to Vegas and, to celebrate my 30th birthday, I would like to take my pregnant wife (3 1/2 months) and my parents who are visiting from Puerto Rico to the Valley of Fire. We will be in Vegas for 4 nights, but we could only do this trip on Saturday or Sunday.

We arrive Vegas on Saturday around 9:30AM and have no plans for that day. On Sunday we have reservations for Cirque D'Soleil *0* at 7:30PM.

What itinerary would you recommend? Leaving Saturday or Sunday? What routes or stops should we make?

We are planning to rent a car during our stay, but would consider taking a tour if that's a better option.

On another note, would you consider a short air trip to the Grand Canyon? Also, what other side trips or outdoor/sightseeing activities would you recommend?

Thank you very much for your opinions.

Kind regards,

Jose.

It's been a long time since I've been to the Valley of Fire State Park but it is scenic. I would suggest taking I-15 to Hwy 40, visit the park and then exit by Hwy 12 back to I-15. You can make a quick stop at Lake Mead before heading back if you have time. Round Trip is about 140 miles.

Another short trip you could do on Sunday would be to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area just outside of Las Vegas.

http://www.desertusa.com/redrock/

Round trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is 560 miles and you would spend all day Saturday just driving and very little time to site see.

Utahtea

Utahtea,

Thanks a lot for your recommendations. Do you think that the trip to Valley of Fire and possibly Lake Mead is "reasonable" to do if we start driving on Saturday after lunch?

Thanks again!

Jose

The valley of fire is definitely do-able in a day it is not that far from vegas. Bring water.. Other things to do .. Hoover Dam, Drive up Mount Charleston.. On Sundays they have brunch at the restaurant with an authentic German "oompah" band.. It is usually cool up there so be prepared.

Hi The Valley of Fire is only 55 miles from Las Vegas. Here is a good web site: http://www.state.nv.us/stparks/vf.htm It's a beautiful park and really looks like it is on fire. It doesn't take long to go through the park so you would have plenty of time if you went after lunch on Saturday. Have fun. Kim