Hotel at a Glance: The Retreat on Charleston Peak

With a new name and new ownership, The Retreat on Charleston Peak is getting a fresh look from top to bottom. Guests can experience the changes for themselves when staying in bridal and presidential suites, which have fireplaces and new furniture. What won’t change: the mountain views and cooler temps that make the resort a great year-round escape for those who want a little nature without venturing too far from the nonstop action Las Vegas is famous for.

• A taste of the Southwest: Canyon Restaurant and Bar serves hearty steaks and Nevada craft beers.
• For hikers: The area has trails from the easy to the truly demanding.
• Fun in the snow: In winter, Lee Canyon welcomes skiers and snowboarders.

Beyond the Las Vegas Strip: Old Vegas and Red Rock Canyon

It can feel like the entire city of Las Vegas revolves around the Strip if you never venture beyond that neon-lit corridor. But there’s plenty to see and do once you step off Las Vegas Boulevard. You can find a taste of Old Vegas on Fremont Street, where vintage signs and showgirls crowned with headdresses recall the days of Sinatra and Martin. Beginning at dusk, a canopy of more than 12 million LED lights erupts in a psychedelic light-and-music show every hour. For an aerial view, zoom down the center of Fremont Street on a zipline.

Nature puts on its own show at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a landscape of fiery-red sandstone formations and limestone cliffs just 17 miles outside the city. Motor down the 13-mile scenic drive or ditch the car and strike out on any of more than 20 hiking trails that course through the region’s otherworldly topography.