Las Vegas, Nevada

Mandalay Bay Beach is a tropical oasis with eight pools, a three-story casino, adult pool with "toptional" dress code, a lazy river, and a white-sand beach. Come here to chill, party or spend a day with your family. Mandalay Bay Pool is free for all hotel guests. If you're not staying at Mandalay Bay Hotel, you can rent one of the 100 cabanas to enjoy the pools.

Pinball Hall of Fame is an interactive museum with popular and rare pinball machines and arcade games from 1950s to the present. It's basically a cozy warehouse full of pinball and video games that you can actually play! There is a Change machine in the front of the building that you could exchange dollar bills for quarters with you will need to play the games. Since Pinball Hall of Fame is a non-profit, excess revenues go to charity.

The Grand Canyon is one of America’s most majestic natural wonders, with its layered bands of red rock revealing millions of years of geological history. The Grand Canyon itself is 18 miles (29 km) wide, and a mile (1,6 km) deep. It is possible to hike 9 miles (14,5 km) down the Bright Angel Trail to the very bottom, and this quite tough walk is most certainly worth it! There are many spots where you can stop to appreciate the Grand Canyon National Park's beauty. Viewpoints include Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Station and architect Mary Colter’s Lookout Studio and her Desert View Watchtower. Lipan Point, with wide views of the canyon and Colorado River, is a popular, especially at sunrise and sunset.

Las Vegas is not called 'Sin City' for nothing! There is no doubt about — gambling is Las Vegas' most advertised attraction. There is a level for every visitor: experienced and first-timer, as most casinos offer free lessons that usually take place in the morning hours on table games such as Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette. The new penny slots are probably the most popular among the recreational gambler as to the bonus games within the games themselves. While the jackpots are, of course, not nearly as large as dollar slots, these games are fun and entertaining anyways, and you can still win some money or at least have fun gambling it away. Be confident, learn the games you want to play, look up some basic casino etiquette and remember to limit your losses.

The Bellagio Fountains at the quarter-mile lake in front of the Bellagio Hotel & Casino display a choreographed dance of water and light set to 29 different opera, country, or pop musical selections. Each show is different, lasting from 5 to 10 minutes with water blasting hundreds of feet into the sky. And the best time to see this is at night, standing on the street side of the lake. Crowds start to gather about 5 minutes before each show, so head here a little early to get an unobstructed view.

Only 10 miles south of Las Vegas — about 25-30 min from the Strip — you will find the Seven Magic Mountains. A fascinating public art installation, by the internationally renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, featuring seven pillars of brightly colored boulders stretching up into the desert sky. It is an excellent spot to take some really cool photos as well as take a break from all the gambling in Vegas. An insider's tip: come during sunset, when it looks even more magical. Also, remember to bring some water and sunglasses to keep the sand off your eyes, and do keep an eye out for snakes.

The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada's Mojave Desert offers scenic desert cliffs that reach up to 3,000 feet (914 meters), spectacular rock formations, and abundant wildlife, including hawks, squirrels, and lizards. Even if you are not a fan of the outdoors, you should definitely pay a visit here for its stunning geological features, such as towering red sandstone peaks, the Keystone Thrust Fault, and Native American petroglyphs. Recreational activities here are camping, hiking, cycling, and whatever you can think of.

Death Valley is a low, hot and dry national park of over 3 million acres within the Mojave Desert, east of the Sierra Mountains and close to the border of California and Nevada. This area holds the record for the hottest July temperature ever recorded at Furnace Creek. On July 10, 1913, temperatures reached stunning 134 °F (56.7 °C). So, do not forget to pack your sunscreen and a couple of water bottles. And do watch out for rattlesnakes!

Every hour, the Fall of Atlantis Fountain Show is presented in the Forum Shops next to the Cheesecake Factory, including the mythical King Atlas, sibling greed, a 20-foot winged beast, fire, floods, and best of all, giant talking statues. The story behind the show is that King Atlantis is unable to make a decision between his heirs, and about who will rule the kingdom, since they all want to destroy each other for the opportunity to be the next ruler.

With its great hiking trails, this area — only a 40-minute drive away from the Las Vegas Strip — is a perfect getaway if you want to escape the city for a while and catch your breath at one of the most enchanting places in Nevada. Charleston Peak is, with its 3,632 meters, one of the highest mountains in the Nevada area, and it promises you clean and crisp air, as well as serenity and a beautiful landscape for retreating from the smothering summer heat of the big city.

There are over 100 different tours offered by a variety of companies in Las Vegas, including sightseeing to the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, Red Rock, the Valley of Fire, and Mount Charleston. The tours last from 2 to 10 hours, and they can be taken by van, bus, aeroplane, boat, or helicopter. One of the most exciting tours is the Grand Canyon Sunset Tour: leave by helicopter, make a low-level flight over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, and land at the Grand Canyon for a Champagne picnic at sunset before returning to the lights of the Las Vegas Strip. If you have a car, it is an easy drive from the Las Vegas Strip to the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead (31 miles/51 km), Mount Charleston (40 miles/64 km), Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (15 miles/24 km) and the Valley of Fire (53 miles/85 km).

The Shelby Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Carroll Shelby, his cars, and his company. It's no wonder the Heritage Center features over 30 Shelby vehicles — both current and vintage — and is located just feet away from Shelby American's production facility. This 15,000 square-foot building features interactive exhibits, rare company archives, and a gift shop with limited edition Shelby automotive memorabilia.