Haunted Vegas extends to Boulder City, a dry, non-gambling town right out of Mayberry between Las Vegas and Hoover Dam. The Boulder Dam Hotel built in 1933 seems frozen in time—a simpler time, although in the height of the Great Depression. The small and quiet Dutch Colonial abode offers lots of hints of art deco, plenty of wood trim and comfy writing and reading nooks in the living room lobby. Howard Hughes was one of its more famous guests when he recuperated there after a plane crash. However, some not so famous nor wanted guests still inhabit the place. Reports run from night specters in the basement, friendly invisible taps on the shoulder, even a deceased night clerk who worked there for 30 years and still lounges in the lobby. Rooms come with WiFi, complimentary hot breakfast and complimentary tea and coffee all day for clients who want to stay the night. Rooms run $75-$115 per night.
zip it While in Boulder City, clients can shake things up a bit with Bootleg Canyon Flightlines. The steroidal thrills begin with a ride up to the top of Red Mountain—an ascent of some 1,862 ft. straight up—and 1.56 miles to the bottom via zip cables. There, four participants at a time get strapped in and sent for the ride of their lives at speeds up to 50 mph between landing platforms. The whole experience with guides, water and the drive up to the starting point takes about 2.5 hours total and runs daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., except in windy weather. The rate per person is $149, although group requests and meetings arrangements are welcome.
desert escapes For those clients who want to get out there but want to be footloose about it, the Adventure Spa program at Red Rock Resort has active guided sojourns into the desert for hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. Given the proximity of the resort to some of Las Vegas’ best trails at Red Rock Canyon, the resort provides room packages that combine a taste of some desert adventure with a taste of some spa delights. The packages are 2-night excursions that run through Aug. 31 for rates starting at $530 pp dbl. They offer tours of El Dorado Canyon on horseback or ATV, or kayaking in the Colorado River, plus two 50-minute massages. A Biking Redrock package starts at $520 pp dbl for two nights and comes with two massages as well. But this package lasts through the end of the year.
