These 5 road trips from Las Vegas will take you far beyond casinos and glitz

Under a blazing morning Las Vegas sun, billionaire Wes Edens and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg threw a party this week to mark the start of construction of Brightline West, the first private high-speed railway in the U.S., driving yellow spikes into a section of track.

Backroads, a longtime leader in adventure travel, has made its reputation by catering to changing traveler needs and shifting demographics. In 2024, that means focusing on the increasing number of multigenerational families eager to travel together.

Construction of a high-speed railway between southern California and Las Vegas officially broke ground on Monday, bringing the West Coast one step closer to a sustainable transportation option between the two states.

In Help Me Choose we ask our expert writers to help us make the best decision for our trip. In this edition we asked Las Vegas expert Jesse Scott to help us narrow down all those amazing Vegas shows. 

What’s more American than a road trip? Like blue jeans and apple pie, it's so embedded in the culture that travelers from around the world plan a road trip just to experience our open highways and byways. From the iconic Route 66 stretching across the heartland to the rugged beauty of the Pacific Coast Highway, the US has no shortage of scenic routes. What sets the American road trip apart is the sheer diversity of experiences on offer, from camping under a star-spangled sky to exploring epic parks like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. “Road trips offer an opportunity to venture out and connect with a multitude of people and experiences,” says Samantha Brown, the television host behind Samantha Brown’s Places to Love on PBS. At its most basic, Brown says, road tripping is about freedom.

Great road trips define Canada.

American Airlines is adding a new domestic city to its route map.

In Lake Tahoe, the peaks of the Sierra Nevada rise above turquoise waters so clear you can peer more than 70 feet below the surface. In winter, skiers prize the Tahoe Basin’s 14 ski areas, while in summer, people flock to beaches, hiking and biking trails. Perhaps the best time to visit Lake Tahoe is the shoulder seasons in spring and fall when the region is less crowded and hotel rooms are more affordable. 

Planning an accessible road trip is getting a little easier for people with disabilities. There are more resources created by and for the disability community, and the tourism industry is starting to recognize the value of accessible travel. As a disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent person, I take road trips every year and have learned some tips and tricks along the way.

Where-oh-where does a “top things to do in Las Vegas” list end?

Did you know the City of Las Vegas is not the Las Vegas Strip? For that, you would have to go to the unincorporated City of Paradise.

Let’s be real here: Las Vegas is always on. Be it the international culinary pizzazz, 24/7 gambling euphoria or entertainment in every form humanly possible, you can get it year-round in Sin City.