Feature

For 28 years, Reno has transformed into Artown for the month of July. The nationally recognized event brings hundreds of performances in dance, music, and theater, not to mention art shows. Last year, Artown held more than 600 performances across 125 venues. International performers and headliners joined regional and local artists to entertain more than 300,000 attendees.

On a quiet day in March 1926, businesses in Las Vegas shuttered their doors. Local schools closed and the federal post office was deserted. Most of the city’s residents were attending the funeral of Helen Jane Wiser Stewart. The homage paid to Stewart by the city she helped create would have surprised the unassuming woman. But the legacy of her strength, character, intelligence, and spirit was evident to all who knew her. 

This trip up Nevada’s eastern edge begins with sandstone canyons and ends at ancient bristlecone pines beneath some of the nation’s darkest skies. Along the way, explore the surreal landscapes of several state parks, visit charming communities, and hit some of the state’s best hiking and biking trails. 

In late 1928, President Coolidge signed the Boulder Canyon Project Act. Its intent was simple: the US would build the world’s then-largest dam and tame the Colorado River. The best locations for the dam were along the Nevada-Arizona border. Initially, the idea was to place it in Boulder Canyon—hence the name of the act—but surveyors later identified nearby Black Canyon as a superior site. Although the project was officially renamed Hoover Dam in 1931, people continued to call it Boulder Dam for at least another decade. 

Las Vegas is for everybody. Yes, Lamborghini escorts and palatial suites await high rollers, but $19.99 buffets and pinball arcades can be just as nice. There are plenty of lavish—if impractical—options worth gawking at, but this desert metropolis also offers some fantastic value for your dollar. Which is the better option? That’s up for you to decide. 

Who was Howard Hughes? He is remembered as the billionaire who spent much of his late life in near isolation. His demand for privacy is the stuff of legend. When he stayed in hotel rooms, adjacent rooms were also rented, and blankets were draped over all windows. Even employees rarely—if ever—saw him, and most communication was done by phone.  But above all, Hughes was a shrewd capitalist. To best understand this, look no further than the four years he spent in Las Vegas.  

Walking into an old movie theater is enough to give anyone waves of nostalgia. The smell of the lobby, the buzz of the crowd, the colorful concessions: this is what makes a night out at the movies worth it. Nowhere is this truer than in these historic movie theaters found throughout the state. 

You can’t get much further south in Nevada than Laughlin, and it’s worth every minute it takes to get there. Below, find eight of our favorite things to do in Laughlin.