15 Once-In-A-Lifetime Adventures You Can Only Have In Nevada
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Aleza
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Life in Nevada is a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure story. You can scare your pants off on an adrenaline-inducing thrill ride one day and stumble upon an old-timey wild west bar the next. Whether chasing little green men or mining for slivers of gold, once-in-a-lifetime adventures are spread throughout the state. Some involve Nevada’s vices while others are steeped in historical and cultural significance. Which one will you choose?
Talk about the adventure of a lifetime. See an Egyptian pyramid, a medieval castle, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and the canals of Venice all on one iconic stretch of road, the Las Vegas Strip.
Step off a platform from 829 feet above the Las Vegas Strip on SkyJump Las Vegas, a controlled decelerator ride at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino. You'll feel just like a superhero.
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Rumored to house extraterrestrials and their aircraft, Area 51 or Groom Lake is a secret military installation hidden near The Extraterrestrial Highway (State Route 375). Search for aliens, visit the Alien Research Center (pictured above) and chow down on some authentic alien jerky. If you don’t get abducted, be sure to hit up the Little Ale’inn in Rachel. It’s like the unofficial visitor’s center for alien conspiracy theorists.
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Go prospecting for minerals, placer gold and gems at Rye Patch State Recreation Area.
Tour outdoor murals and sculptures, which celebrate the city’s rich history, along the 11-mile Art Trail. Building the Charcoal Ovens (above) is a mural by Chris Keider. The ovens were used between 1876 and 1879.
The country’s oldest recorded petroglyphs (about 10,000 years old) are located at Pyramid Lake. Other places with rockin’ petroglyphs: Grimes Point Prehistoric Rock Art Site outside Fallon and the Valley of Fire in Overton.
For extra fun adventures, bring along your motorbike, ATV, or dune buggy, or simply hike on this massive dune comprised from sand from the ancient, dried-up Lake Lohontan.
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Very few gaming machines in Vegas take coins anymore. Sigma Derby is one of the few. This vintage, coin-operated horse racing game is even fun to play with friends. Only two originals remain: one at The D in downtown Las Vegas (pictured above) and one at MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip. Don't forget to bring quarters.
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Nevada (Reno, in particular) was known for years for its liberal divorce laws. Reno is no longer the only place to get a "quickie divorce," but its reputation remains.
The Pioneer Saloon is rumored to be haunted by old-west bar fight victims and an old miner. Even the Travel Channel’s "Ghost Adventures" team found evidence of ghostly activity inside.
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Zip line 77 feet in the air or zoom horizontally 114 feet in the air underneath the world’s largest LED canopy on Slotzilla's zip and zoom lines at the Fremont Street Experience. Jackpot!
Express yourself artistically (and burn stuff) among like-minded people at the annual Burning Man Festival ... and leave no trace behind.
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