1. Adventures Galore	» Find Hotels
	Red Rock Canyon Do you want to get away from the jingling coin noises and repetitive show tunes blaring all over the city? If you and your date share a thirst for adventure, have a great date outdoors. Hire a Hummer (or maybe a more eco-friendly vehicle) and head for the desert. Nothing to see, you say? Not true. Explore Red Rock Canyon, visit a Ghost Town, or just get far enough away to see the strip's skyline glowing on the horizon. You can do everything from canyon climbing to hiking to desert buggy riding. In the evening, treat your sweet to a helicopter ride over the desert. Watch the glowing Strip as you fall in love all over again -with each other and with Las Vegas.

	2. Big Bear Lake	» Map It!   » Find Hotels
	Big Bear Lake Big Bear Lake is just four hours out of Las Vegas on the I-15. A perfect getaway if you want to leave behind the heat of Vegas and breathe crisp, fresh air amidst the pine forests and snow-clad slopes. Big Bear may not be as ritzy as some of the other winter resorts, because the focus is on having a good time, not on celebrity-watching, although you might catch a few familiar faces at the many movie shoots that take place regularly. There is no shortage of things to do in Big Bear: hiking, fishing, mountain-biking, parasailing, Alpine sliding, and skiing – over 75 different trails are available. Skiing and tubing are often available, even at night, and skiing under the lights is a rather memorable experience.There is a moving sidewalk available to make your post-tubing journey to the top less tiring. Accommodations are easy to find: you can stay at one of the picturesque lodges, cozy hotels, or camp at one of the many campgrounds and RV parks in the area. For those not into outdoor sports, there is a zoo, an animal park, a museum, and a discovery center to explore in and around town.

	3. Apple Valley	» Find Hotels
	Apple Orchard Apple Valley is close to both the San Bernardino National Forest, as well as the Mojave Desert National Preserve, so it is a nature lovers’ delight. Warm and inviting bed & breakfasts and a small-town ambience make it ideal for a quick getaway from Las Vegas. Apple Valley is definitely the place to indulge yourself outdoors – the Old West atmosphere, historic sites, skiing, backpacking, and camping. For those who prefer things a little more laid back, there is horseback riding and camping, too. You could opt for a cozy picnic in the beautiful environs or take a canoe ride down the Lower Colorado River, watching ducks, geese, and red-winged blackbirds en route.

	4. Cedar City	» Map It!   » Find Hotels
	Main Street, Cedar City Las Vegans will almost unanimously vouch for Cedar City as being the best weekend getaway break during the hot summers. This small town – with a Main Street that still has old-fashioned lamp-posts with basket blooms and nestled in the mountains, is cool almost throughout the year, making it a year-round getaway favorite. Even if you’re not into skiing – the major attraction in this beautiful region – there are plenty of other ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Take a trip to Cedar Breaks National Monument, a 2,500-ft. deep basin full of limestone formations in a myriad of colors and shapes. Best viewed from along a five-mile trail along the rim, you can also opt for guided walks, available in the summer. At the Iron Mission State Park Museum, you can get a glimpse of the town’s iron-mining history, while Dixie National forest offers mesmerizing sights, including unusual rock formations besides deep canyons, lakes, and sky-high pine trees. Within Cedar City, you can catch a good play at the Adams Shakespearean Theater, or go golfing at the 18-hole, par 71 Cedar Ridge golf course. The town doesn’t have much by way of nightlife, but there are good restaurants that feature music and games.

	5. Grand Canyon	» Map It!   » Find Hotels
	Grand Canyon The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is closer to Las Vegas and ideal for a quick, overnight getaway. The North Rim is higher but an additional five-hour drive away. There are also several day-trip bus services available from Las Vegas to the South Rim. Perhaps the most talked-about thing for a visit to the Grand Canyon National Park are the helicopter rides that offer an incredible view of the canyon –some of the Hoover Dam too – but the more adventurous can try the mule rides that descend below the rim. Riding these sure-footed animals is a great way to catch a round trip to Plateau Point, ending at an outcrop around 1000 feet over the Colorado River. Another option is a mule ride to an overnight stay at the Phantom Ranch (reservations are best made in advance). The Park also offers shuttle bus services with three different routes covering different areas of the park and offer access to different points from where one can enjoy an overlook of the canyon. If you’re planning a rafting trip down the Colorado Rapids, you’ll need more days on hand since most take a week on motorized boats.

	6. Great Basin National Park	» Find Hotels
	Great Basin Nat'l Park The Great Basin – over 200,000 square miles of desert, mountains, lakes and barren land – has little human habitation or trappings of modern civilization, making it perfect for those who are looking to really get away from it all. The peaks of Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains and the sub-alpine woodlands offer a striking contrast to the sage brush and sandy desert at the ‘floor’ of the Basin. Also remember to take a trip to the Lehmann Caves, a magnificently decorated limestone cavern full of stalagmites, stalactites, draperies, soda straws and fascinating shields. The best way to explore this bewildering to do is driving around the Great Basin National Park in a 4x4 or camp there in an RV. Alternately, strap on a backpack and head for one of the Alpine lakes to fish for different varieties of trout. The creeks winding their way through the basin are more accessible and equally good for fishing. There are also miles and miles of trails for hiking, biking and driving, including several that go through the colorful Miller Basin that is a riot of wildflowers.

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