Feature
‘Las Vegas Doesn’t Come Close’ to Macau
A renowned writer takes us into Macau’s streets and gambling pits
May 15th, 2013
UNLV English professor Douglas Unger is an award-winning novelist whose family ties have also made him a frequent visitor to China’s special administrative region of Macau. Although he enjoys time in the resplendent casinos that have cropped up in recent years, Unger says the real Macau is off the beaten path. He shares his street-level view of the place that’s still unknown to many Las Vegans. Read more »
The History of Our Future
Or, how Macau became the Las Vegas of the 21st Century and is about to change Las Vegas forever
May 15th, 2013
Back in the early days—2006 or so—American executives signing on for tours of duty in Macau felt like they were stepping into the Wild West. Street violence had subsided since the island’s 1999 reversion to mainland control, but there was still a sense that this was a frontier, a place where anything could happen. And when strangers rode into town—often from the former frontier town of Las Vegas—they went where strangers always go first: the saloon. In this case, that meant the Embassy Bar at what was then the Mandarin Oriental hotel. It was an admittedly upscale saloon, but for an expat executive it was an oasis, a free-port, a place to make crucial first connections and ease into Chinese life. It offered just enough reassuring familiarity, and just enough tantalizing strangeness. Read more »
Train Hopping
Freedom Train
The world was too big to feel so small. So Ryen McPherson risked everything and hopped on a freight car.
May 8th, 2013
The day I turned 18 years old, my father told me, “You fuck up now and you go to jail.” We were on a family vacation in Hawaii. Read more »
LifeCycle
Cycle the Coast
The challenges and glories of California’s weeklong bike hike
May 8th, 2013
Think you can cover 545 miles of California, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, on the seat of a bike? If so, there’s still time to register for the AIDS/LifeCycle noncompetitive bike ride, June 2-8. Read more »
Cliff Diving
Take the Plunge
Three hot spots for cliff-jumping
May 8th, 2013
Cliff-jumping did not get the nickname “tombstoning” because the participants like pizza. It’s a hobby that requires skill, caution and courage. But if you’re looking for a memorable adrenalin fix, you’ve picked the right adventure. Here are the best places in the region to go “jump rock.” Read more »
Scuba Diving
Swim with the Fishes
For your scuba do list: the oil-derrick reef off Catalina
May 8th, 2013
If you have advanced diver certification and a yearning to explore the deep-sea habitat of exotic marine life, give Ken Kollwitz a call. Through his company, Channel Island Dive Adventures, he guides scuba explorations of three oil rigs some 25 miles off the coast of Catalina Island in California. Read more »
Hot Springs
Soak Up the Wild
A rugged hike in New Mexico ends with a soothing payoff
May 8th, 2013
The Gila Wilderness in southwestern New Mexico was the world’s first designated wilderness area, dubbed as such by conservationist Aldo Leopold in 1924. Unlike many supposedly wild things around us these days, it still very much lives up to its name. Read more »
Giant Sandbox
Play in a Giant Sandbox
Touring Zion will never be the same
May 8th, 2013
ust two hours from Las Vegas, you’ll find a mecca of off-road and ATV adventures at Zion National Park. Close to Hurricane, Utah, the Southern Utah Adventure Center offers the chance to explore breathtaking views, rock-filled sidewinding trails and remnants of dinosaur footprints. And sand—lots and lots of sand. Read more »
Helicopter
Fly a Helicopter
It’s not as terrifying as you would think
May 8th, 2013
If you like having an unobstructed view of the Las Vegas Valley from 500 feet while zipping around at 65 mph, you’ll love Monarch Sky’s helicopter adventure. Even better: They let you fly. Read more »
Grand Canyon
See the Canyon, Brady-style
A wonder of the world—via mule
May 8th, 2013
Carol Brady cleared up a bit of confusion long ago in TV land when Alice asked her if “the bunch” could reach the base of the Grand Canyon by car. With a kind smile, she corrected her: “You can’t, Alice. We’re going down by mules.” Read more »
