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Local Las Vegas Valley breaking news from Nevada's most reliable source. Read about the latest updates happening in your region at Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Submerged St. Thomas now historic lesson along scenic drive

For more than 60 years, the town of St. Thomas was a legend — Nevada’s Atlantis, lying deep under the surface of Lake Mead. But after drought lowered the waters in 2002 and uncovered the old settlement, it has become an interesting and educational destination, with the bonus of a scenic drive to get there and back.

Preserved Utah ghost town a gorgeous excursion

Grafton, Utah, offers one of those sweet visual experiences that decorate a traveler’s memory like so many ornaments on a Christmas tree.

Explore close to home at Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail

Getting outdoors for some fresh air and exercise this weekend could possibly solve two problems at once: overeating at Thanksgiving and keeping your family and out-of-town guests busy.

Outdoors: Tarantula is often misunderstood desert dweller

Right now, you might be seeing a tarantula or two while driving or hiking around the back country. Rather than dissolving into a quivering pool of arachnophobia, try to focus on the interesting aspects of our eight-footed friends.

Outdoors: Alpaca ranch near Kingman worth a side trip

Ahhh, the elusive alpaca! Prolific producer of fine fleece for luxurious clothing, patient poser for photos in geography books, whose very name regularly rescues crossword puzzle devotees, the animal itself rarely seen in North America.

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Keepers of the Wild one roadside attraction worth its own trip

For travelers along Route 66 in Arizona, stopping for a brief visit at the roadside attractions is an essential part of this traditional American experience. But one of them, Keepers of the Wild, deserves more than a brief visit.

Virgin River hike a must this time of year

The Zion Narrows attracts hikers and adventurers from many parts of the world, but Southern Nevadans are fortunate enough to live within a few hours of this marvelous and unusual hike.

Kershaw-Ryan State Park offers rich Nevada history, camping

Kershaw-Ryan State Park, just outside of Caliente in neighboring Lincoln County, makes a great summer destination for a day trip or to camp. This oasis in the desert, with elevations ranging from 4,312 to 5,080, offers temperatures 10 to 15 degrees cooler than in Las Vegas and features lush vegetation, hiking trails and even a spring-fed wading pool.

A few hours’ drive offers higher elevations, cooler climes

For outdoor lovers in Southern Nevada, summer temperatures can bring out severe cases of cabin fever. It is difficult locating a hiking or biking destination with moderate temperatures that isn’t crowded and isn’t too far away.

Feast the eyes in cooler climes at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, is such a feast for the eyes that more than a million people from around the world visit every year. Located on the eastern rim of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, the park features natural amphitheaters filled with a colorful landscape of spires, pinnacles and pillars called hoodoos.

See arches, spectacular scenery at Natural Bridges National Monument

Getting to Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, takes a little more time and trouble than some weekend jaunts, but the rewards are also a little bigger. You’ll not only see three of the nation’s most impressive natural bridges, but on the way there, you will see some more of the Southwest’s most spectacular scenery.

Stay buoyant at salty Mono Lake

Just east of the Sierra Nevada range, near the small tourist town of Lee Vining, Calif., is one of the most unusual bodies of water you’ll ever visit. Mono Lake is one of the oldest in North America and has no outlet, and for that reason, mineral salts have become so concentrated in the lake that fish cannot live in it. These high concentrations combined with other local conditions to form towers of rock tufa, extending high above the water surface and are equally beloved by birds and photographers.

Northern Nevada adventure never disappoints

With the arrival of warm weather and school almost out, this is the time to think about a summer visit to the cooler climates of Northern Nevada. One of the most stunning areas you can visit lies just east of Elko: the Ruby Mountains.