Southern Utah Bike Tour

October 7, 2001 - Las Vegas

Kerie wasn't too excited about hopping on the bikes for a 50+ mile ride in the desert sun. After a little negotiation, we decided to ride as far as we could without over doing it. Unlike some much larger cities and counties, Fairfax included, Las Vegas has made an effort to accommodate cyclists. Using the bike map produced by the Regional Transportation Commission of Clark County, we were able to follow the signed bike routes and one very good bike lane along Charleston St. I was surprised by the number of cyclists out on the roads on a Sunday morning. We must have seen over 100, so many that I asked someone if there was an event going on. I was told that it wasn't unusual to see so many out on a nice fall day. It shows the benefits of providing good cycling facilities.

By the time we reached Red Rock Canyon, where a 14-mile loop route starts, we were ready to head back to town. On the way out I had noticed a garden park, and we stopped there on our return to town. The Desert Demonstration Gardens are maintained by the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Various desert garden cultivation techniques are used with a wide range of plants, It's an intensely cultivated small space with a surprising amount of wildlife including some rather large lizards and a number of birds. We had the added bonus of seeing the bonsai exhibition. Afterwards we rode through the old part of Las Vegas. The main street, I think Fremont St., is covered with a metal and glass enclosure, and is now a pedestrian mall.

The rest of the day was spent packing the bikes and getting ready for the flight the next day. Thankfully the return trip was uneventful despite some long check-in lines.