From Las Vegas, it's a short drive to the desert, where Joshua trees and rocky peaks etch a jagged line across the sky and the distantly glowing Strip looks like a neon mirage. Red Rock Casino Resort Spa occupies 70 acres of this starkly beautiful landscape. Though situated about 25 minutes from the heart of Vegas, the resort has all of the extravagant offerings Sin City is known for. In addition to the casino and resort, there are a dozen dining options, a bowling alley, an IMAX movie theater, and a venue for concerts by popular artists such as Toby Keith and John Legend.

Nineteen cabanas surround the pool area, which features a swim-up gaming station and poolside bar serving cocktails and burgers. Indoors, the casino is equipped with more than 3,000 slot machines and video poker games, as well as tables for blackjack and roulette. No-limit poker tournaments take place 24/7, allowing gamers to start and end each day with a nourishing bowl of poker chips.

The resort's 12 restaurants cook up everything from burgers to haute cuisine. Some of the eateries, such as Hachi Japanese Restaurant, have been voted Best of Las Vegas by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The eatery can pair 30 different types of sake with signature rolls, including the Marijane made with crispy coconut shrimp in a mango puree.

National Geographic Adventure magazine named Las Vegas the #1 Place to Live Play, not for its casinos but because it has more outdoor adventure within a 200-mile radius than any other big city in the country. Twenty miles west of Vegas lies Red Rock Canyon, whose awe-inspiring sandstone formations developed millions of years ago. Around the canyon's varied terrain, scraggly shrubs brush against sand dunes that reach up to 3,000 feet high. The area is a favorite spot for hikers, mountain bikers, and hourglass makers.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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