Travels, Challenges and Adventures.: Back in Las Vegas to see uncle Sam.

Every year, we have to go back to Las Vegas to see uncle Sam and give our donation, hoping we can get a tax refund for our travels but that usually doesn't happen :O)... The best is that we get to see our friends and enjoy their company. March is a great time to be in Las Vegas, the weather is just perfect to go out and enjoy the city of lights.
We were lucky to house sit for one of our friends who had to go visit his family in Rhode Island, taking care of his doggie and cat while staying in a nice house is just priceless. We love Las Vegas because it's a beautiful city with so much to do 24/7, but a lot people think about it as the city of the casinos, shows and nightlife; and don´t even have an idea of what they can find on the outskirts.
Since we have done the casinos already, we decided to enjoy the outdoors by doing some hiking. First we went to Lake Mead which is about 30 minutes east of the strip; there is a hiking trail that used to be the train track to transport the materials when the Hoover Dam was built, now it's a nice five mile trail with many tunnels that take you on an easy walk with amazing views of the lake.

Our next hiking adventure was at the majestic Red Rock Canyon, this park is about 30 minutes west of the strip. There are so many hiking trails to choose from or you can just have a nice ride on the 12 mile loop and enjoy the beauty of this place.
We hiked the Ice Box Canyon which was more challenging than the one by the lake; having to climb rocks, go up and down hills was lots of fun. The payoff was getting to the end of the canyon where a waterfall forms from the melting snow... just beautiful!