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Best places for a leisurely stroll City farmers markets Whoever says Las Vegas lacks a sense of community has never spent an afternoon amidst the fruits, vegetables, breads, sauces, flowers, arts, crafts and generally festive company of the city’s numerous farmers markets. These are great public spaces to stretch your legs and connect with your fellow citizens. The city runs markets at Bruce Trent Park (Wednesdays), Gardens Park (Thursday) and at Tule Springs (first and third Saturdays of the month). Various addresses, free, lassvegasfarmersmarket. com TRW n CLARK COUNTY WETLANDS PARK
Peccole Ranch Sure, Red Rock Canyon is close by, a
Clark County Wetlands Park
The underappreciated Clark County Wetlands Park, on the far eastern edge of the valley, is the perfect spot to enjoy a family hike. The short and easy trails meander through green wetlands. There are plenty of plants, insects and wildlife to enjoy — including migratory birds — and the Sunset Mountains look close enough to touch. When you need a break from the outdoors, take the kids inside to the Wetlands Nature Center and Exhibit Hall for videos and exhibits. 7050 E. Wetlands Park Lane, free, clarkcountynv.gov/parks TRW
Best intermediate hike The Muffins
The Muffins are named for a distinctive rock formation atop Blue Diamond Hill, across the highway from Red Rock. Starting from the stables at “Cowboy Trail Rides,”
COME TOGETHER!
Bests we can all agree on Highbrow / lowbrow
Whatever level you set your brow, you’ll find something at Alternate Reality Comics (alternaterealitycomics.net). Nerd out on the spandex and superhero universe of your choice, or snag a graphic novel that’s as intellectu-
sometimes you don’t want to hike; rather, a brisk jaunt down a leafy, shaded suburban path is the preferred ambulatory ticket. The curving corridor trails that run through Peccole Ranch on the west side are a peregrinator’s prize, complete with grassy areas, xeriscaping, and scenic tunnels under roads. So get walking! Between Charleston Boulevard
Best advanced hike
and Sahara Avenue north to south, Fort
Kraft Mountain Loop
In snug Calico Basin, the namesake Calico Rocks get most of the visitor attention by being strikingly ruddy and roundly eroded. The adjacent Kraft Mountain, a lofty rhomboid rampart, gets less love — except from rock climbers and hikers in the know. You can ring the rumpled ridge that looks like a petrified, multilayered raspberry-vanilla pudding via a 3.5 mile trail. Some guidebooks rank the hike as moderate, but a high saddle hump on the west end and the scramble over a
ally satisfying as a novel-novel. Ask Ralph for a recommendation. High or low, you gotta eat, which brings us to Downtown’s The Goodwich (thegoodwich.com). If the humble sandwich is intrinsically lowbrow, these guys take it high concept with who’d-a-thunk ingredient combos sure to flatter your (highbrow) yen for refinement, as well as your (lowbrow) desire for mouth-blasting flava.
majestic natural treasure and all that. But
Apache Boulevard and Hualapai Way east to west. GT
streambed clogged with mini-van-sized boulders on the remote north side make it a bit more of an advanced experience. It’s the gnarliest route next to city limits that doesn’t require a rope or driving the Scenic Loop. Avoid during rain, and be sure your pooch is hardy if you hike with a furry friend. Trail head north of Red Spring Picnic area, located just off State Route 159 on Calico Basin Road.
As no place embodies the vital, fluid interplay between high and low quite like Vegas, and no place embodies Vegas quite like the Neon Museum (neonmuseum. org), it stands to reason that all brows can frolic here. Meditate on the cultural significance of changing sign designs, or just groove on the retro zest — you score either way. Speaking of zest: Zumanity! Cirque du So-
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leil’s long-running sexy Strip (and strip!) show (cirquedusoleil.com/ zumanity) at New York-New York is enjoyable as spectacle naughtytainment — as “an erotic thrill ride” for those happy to be satisfied on those terms — or it can be savored for its high-end artisty, the way Cirque employs its dreamlike narrative aesthetics and amazeballs physicality to explore human sensuality. SD
*** readers speak >>> Best Indian Mint >>> Best Noodles Monta Ramen D esert C ompan i o n
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best of the city
w e t la n d s : CH R ISTO P H E R S M ITH
Best family hike
hikers lope across open desert to the foot of the mountain, then make a steady ascent to the top of the ridge. The hike up has great views of Red Rock, and the view of Vegas upon reaching the Muffins is one of the best around. As an added bonus, the limestone rock of Blue Diamond Hill is rich in fossils dating back to at least the Mesozoic Era. AG