West Las Vegas
The LVAM provides popular educational programs on contemporary art through exhibitions, publications, and lectures. The City of Lights Jazz Festival is held every year in April at Desert Breeze Park. The ten-hour festival is full of picnickers, vendors and, of course, great jazz. The event might move to a different part of town next year to more easily accommodate the ever-growing crowds, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking it out. Another annual event in West Las Vegas is the Blue Sky International Film Festival. Established in 1997, it is the largest film festival in Nevada. The festival presents everything from documentaries to short films. Writers and directors hold workshops and seminars that are open to the public. People travel from all over the country to see its films, attend the workshops and engage in the seminars.
Mount Charleston is a year-round getaway from the fast pace of Las Vegas. In the winter you can ski, snowmobile, sled or snowboard. And when the snow melts, it is just as nice to get out and enjoy nature. Horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing are popular activities in the spring and summer. It only takes about 45 minutes to drive up to Mount Charleston from the Strip so you can easily make it up and back the same day. If you decide to stay the night, then the Mount Charleston Lodge is the best place to go for those who don’t own their own condo. The nightly rates vary depending on the season. Rates at the lodge are highest during the winter and on holidays. Their individual cabins are equipped with a two-person hot tub, king size bed, fireplace and private deck. Some of the rooms have DVD or VCR players. You can also rent one of the four family cabins with similar amenities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily and the lounge is open until midnight.
