As the popular saying goes, "A picture is worth 1,000 words." View of Lake Mead from the abandoned Echo Bay Resort February 2021 Like many Las Vegans, my reaction to the lowering water levels at Lake Mead has changed from a mere "Wow" to an alarmed "Holy sh*t, we may have to move." I've read dozens of articles about the woes facing the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and Lake Powell, but I think a look back at pictures of what Lake Mead looked like in prior years versus where we are today says more than anything I've read. Here are some before and after shots of Lake Mead and Hoover Da ..read more

Our city has some of the best eccentric and off-beat museums  Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort I do a lot of writing about Las Vegas, most of it over on the 10Best Las Vegas page, but most of it is about the obvious things people are looking for when they visit the city: hotels, restaurants, casinos. Recently I had the chance to write about our museums, which is one of my favorite topics.  I covered the most popular museums, which includes what I like to think of as the Big 3: The Neon Museum, The Mob Museum, and the National Atomic Testing Museum. If you visit these three museums ..read more

The end of pandemic benefits has increased the need for assistance of all kinds, including help for pet owners to keep and care for their four-legged best friends. Hearts Alive helps all kinds of critters About a month ago, the federal government ended the additional unemployment benefits provided during the earlier phases of the pandemic. In July, the eviction moratorium was ended. Many people are now left without sufficient income, and the unfortunate result is that many people will have difficulty feeding and caring for their pets. Heartbreakingly, some people will decide they have ..read more

In July of this year, new DNA technology solved the Stephanie Isaacson cold case from 1989. While the killer has now been identified, no arrest could be made since the suspect committed suicide in 1995. Those of you following the case on this blog know I’ve been writing about it for over a decade.  Stephanie Isaacson When the news broke that Stephanie’s case had been solved, media outlets everywhere covered it because of the technology used to identify her killer. Not only was the technology ground-breaking, the sample size of the DNA was the smallest ever used to identify a susp ..read more

When I found out on September 17 that the Mt. Charleston Lodge had burned down, I almost cried. Judging from the reaction on social media, I was not alone. Two weeks later, it's still hard to think about the fact it's gone.  Entrance to the Mt. Charleston Lodge, 2019 Some of my earliest memories are at the Mt. Charleston Lodge. I clearly remember looking at the snow outside of a window in the dining room, where my parents and I were having a meal. I was in grade school, maybe even kindergarten. Over the years, I spent many a happy afternoon there enjoying a drink, a burger, and t ..read more

This past Tuesday morning, the city woke up and discovered a thin layer of snow covering the western side of the valley. View From the Red Rock Canyon Overlook Trail On January 26 On the west side of Las Vegas near Red Rock Canyon, we get snow flurries pretty much every year. The only question is whether or not it sticks in any quantity for any length of time. After a couple of decades, I have become inured to the charms of snow. When I woke up a little before 8 a.m. on Tuesday and saw my neighbors’ roofs covered in snow, my first thought was, “Thank God I don’t have to drive in that ..read more

Looking for a socially distant activity that will get you out of the house? Take a car ride and go hunting for sculptures, murals, and graffiti. One of my favorite activities is to go hunting for street and public art, which has the added bonus of being something you can do largely from the safety (and air conditioning) of your car. It’s kinda like when I was a kid and we used to drive around to look at houses in fancy neighborhoods like Rancho Circle, only much more culturally enriching. If you’d like to take a drive and look for some art, here are some suggestions. Fremont Street In Downtown ..read more

A visit to The Las Vegas Farm is a family-friendly, outdoor activity that benefits rescued animals and gives you the chance to buy fresh produce, eggs, and yummy baked goods. If you’ve never been to The Las Vegas Farm, which is a stone’s throw from Gilcrease Orchard in northwest Las Vegas, then you’re missing out. Open only on weekends from 9 to 4, The Farm offers a farmers market (no charge to enter) and visitors can walk through the animal sanctuary ($8 for adults) to see and feed the animals. The homemade dill pickles I bought there a couple of weekends ago were the best I’ve ever had, an ..read more

The Dome Fire in the Mojave National Preserve destroyed about a quarter of one of the world’s largest Joshua Tree forests.   It’s a place I know well. During a year when fire is tearing through so much of the western United States, destroying entire towns and killing people, the Dome Fire in the MNP last month probably didn’t spend much time on most people’s news radar. For those of us with a personal connection to this part of the Mojave, the news of the fire has been heartbreaking in a very specific way. Desert rats understand that the desert is not adapted to fire. We know that the i ..read more

If you’re thinking of doing some desert camping, Red Rock’s only campground is open from September through May. Head west on Charleston Boulevard and not far past the gun range and the “Red Rock Canyon” sign (and the ever-advancing edge of Summerlin), you’ll find Moenkopi Road on your left. Follow the road and you’ll wind up at the Red Rock Canyon Campground, the only developed campground in the area. Tent camping area at Red Rock Canyon Campground The campground covers a substantial area and includes group sites, individual sites, and RV spaces. As of the date of this post, COVID-19 ..read more