Nevada is best known for glitz, glamour, neon, and nightlife. Just beyond the obvious are places and communities with breathtaking scenery, gentle surroundings, old western history and character.
Many Nevada towns and communities feature gaming, but Nevada's true charm and colour only come to life once you hit the state's wide open roads.
Itinerary 1
6 nights from only £949pp
Day 01 | Las Vegas Arrival
Arrive in Las Vegas, pick up your rental car from the airport location and proceed to the hotel for check-in.
Hotel: Best Western Mardi Gras or similar
Day 02 | Las Vegas - Rhyolite - Death Valley - Tonopah driving distance: 176 mi./284 km.
This morning at 08:00 you will be met with your local representative and provided a welcome kit, including driving directions, vouchers, maps, and brochures of the places that you are about to visit. Then, drive across the Nevada desert to Rhyolite, the most photogenic ghost town, and continue to Death Valley. You'll exit Death Valley on State Route 267 to Scotty's Junction, passing through the historic community of Goldfield where gold was discovered in 1902, before arriving in Tonopah.
Hotel: Best Western High Desert Inn or similar
Day 03 | Tonopah - Belmont - Eureka driving distance: 130 mi./209 km.
This morning you have a chance to explore the actual mines that created the town. Continue to Belmont, one of Nevada's oldest and largest living ghost towns; now home to a quaint bed and breakfast and photogenic ruins. Driving what is described as the "Loneliest Road in America," you can take a break in Austin which has several historic churches, gem shops, cafes and antique stores within easy walking distance of one another. From Austin, drive through the Toiyabe National Forest to Eureka. Eureka is another living ghost town in Nevada complete with many beautifully restored historic buildings and a cast of local characters.
Hotel: Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall or similar
Day 04 | Eureka - Ely driving distance: 78 mi./126 km.
In the morning, you can enjoy sights like Eureka Opera House - a completely restored 1880 Western-style opera house with an original hand-painted stage curtain, or Eureka County Courthouse - built in 1879, featuring an ornate courtroom and walk-in vaults. Then there is the Eureka Sentinel Museum, with memorabilia and a restored 1879 newspaper production site. In the afternoon continue on to another of Nevada's mining communities - the town of Ely - a graceful town where vintage buildings have been revitalized through a citywide mural project to bring art to rural Nevada.
Day 05 | Ely - Great Basin National Park (Lehman Caves - Bristlecone) -
Ely driving distance: 130 mi./210 km.
Depart Ely for Great Basin National Park, Nevada's best-kept secret and first national park. Wheeler Peak, the tallest point in Nevada, has a year-round glacier tucked in the cirque at its base. Two additional highlights of the park are Lehman Caves, a series of underground limestone passages filled with ornate calcite formations and Bristlecone Forest. Bristlecone, are the world's oldest living trees, some more than 3,000 years old. Return to Ely in the late afternoon.
Day 06 | Ely - Las Vegas driving distance: 242 mi./379 km.
This morning depart Ely for your return to Las Vegas. Why not stop at Pioche to see the Million Dollar Court House? Continuing south, you will pass through Cathedral Gorge State Park: red clay spires in a park-like setting. For lunch, a popular stop is Caliente. Historic restaurants and a historic mission-style railroad depot built in 1923 are the features here. In the afternoon you return to glittering Las Vegas, where non-stop casino action and entertainment awaits. Optional tours are available in Las Vegas.
Hotel: Best Western Mardi Gras Inn or similar
Day 07 | Las Vegas Departure
Return your car to the airport before your departure flight.
6 nights from only £949.00 per person based on twin occupancy, compact car hire and return flights with Delta Airlines. Price based on travel between 15-30 April 2012.
