Would you believe that among the glitz, glitter and neon of the Las Vegas Strip you can find one of the most outstanding marine aquariums in the entire country? In fact, Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is the only North American aquarium that is specifically predator-based in focus and design. As you might expect, Shark Reef features sharks of all kinds but you’ll also see sawfish, giant rays, endangered green sea turtles, piranha, moon jellies and the rare golden crocodiles. In all, there are over 2,000 sea animals to experience in elaborate natural settings with stunning imitation coral reefs. The facility is especially well-suited for educational outings and the Shark Reef education team is very knowledgeable. Conservation is a central part of the Shark Reef mission and the 1.6 million gallons of seawater used by the facility is constantly recycled. Technologically speaking, Shark Reef is absolutely cutting-edge and staffed by marine biologists from all over the globe.

Rare Komodo Dragon Arrives at Shark Reef Aquarium

The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay will welcome the Komodo Dragon on June 20th. Known as the most deadly of all lizards and having no known predators in the world, the Komodo Dragon lives on the Southeast islands of Indonesia and can weigh up to 200 pounds. Shark Reef is open daily from 10am until 11pm with the last admission at 10pm. Surprised that the facility stays open until 11pm? Hey, this is Vegas and (if you’re doing it right) you don’t even wake up until one in the afternoon!

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area recently hosted the fifth annual Red Rock Rendezvous presented by Mountain Gear and North Face. This world-class rock climbing event and festival was attended by over 1,000 climbers from across the country, including some of the most accomplished climbers in the world. Las Vegas, Nevada is proud to play a starring annual role in the process of raising the profile of rock climbing as a sport. The majestic cliffs of Red Rock Canyon give us that opportunity!

Since its inception five years ago, Red Rock Rendezvous has offered clinics for advanced, intermediate, and beginning climbers. The 2008 climbing festival also raised more than $15,000 for various non-profit organizations including Friends of Red Rock. This terrific local event provides a great opportunity for Las Vegas residents to enjoy a beautiful weekend at Red Rock Canyon and to sample a sport they can enjoy in their own backyard year round. Next year’s event will feature an expanded version of the Intro to Climbing classes that will include all your gear! Las Vegas, Nevada is so much more than gambling and nightlife. The truth is, Southern Nevada is one of the best places in the country to enjoy outdoor recreation and sport. The Michelle Sterling Las Vegas Real Estate Team is always talking to clients about the Las Vegas that awaits new residents “beyond the neon”.

The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has recently completed a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new $23 million visitors’ center. Projected date for completion is 2010 in a location just north of the current center, which features informative multi-media exhibits and a staff of knowledgeable guides from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Don’t forget to stop-by the book store and gift shop where all proceeds go towards supporting this stunning national treasure.

Red Rock Canyon was actually the very first Congressionally designated national conservation area (1990) in the State of Nevada. Today, Red Rock Canyon is home to nature lovers, sports enthusiasts and anyone seeking outdoor recreation and adventure. The hiking and rock climbing is some of the very best in the western United States. Visitors can also enjoy a 13-mile scenic driving loop that is open every day from 6am until dusk. The Scenic Drive offers numerous parking areas for sightseeing and photography, including some truly spectacular overlooks. Additionally, several short hikes featuring a diversity of challenges and scenery are accessible from the scenic loop.

The Summerlin master-planned community has the distinction of being the next door neighbor to Red Rock Canyon on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley. Summerlin real estate encompasses 22,500 acres with about 9,000 acres still remaining to accommodate future growth, including the community’s urban core of Summerlin Centre. The Michelle Sterling Las Vegas Real Estate Team has been doing business in Summerlin for over a decade. Our knowledge and experience is at your disposal.

Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company came together back in 1962 to create Shelby Automotive, which in turn transformed the Ford Mustang into a muscle car of historic proportions. The magic continues right here in Las Vegas as Mr. Shelby celebrates his 85th birthday and the introduction of the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR.

Each Shelby GT500KR starts out as a GT500, built at AutoAlliance International Inc., in Flat Rock, Michigan. From there, the GT’s are shipped to Shelby Automobile’s facility at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Every GT500KR is then outfitted with a Racing Performance Pack, custom exhaust and a special short-throw shifter. Further additions and refinements create a hand customized product that gets delivered to each customer in an enclosed transporter. Pretty serious stuff!

First unveiled at the 2007 New York International Auto Show, the new GT500KR packs a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine with total output of 540 horsepower. The 500KR (King of the Road) is already being touted as the most powerful production Mustang ever produced. As you might expect, the new GT will be available (this spring) at specially selected Ford dealerships only. Pricetag? About $60,000 (if you can get one). Production is limited to 1,000 units so you really shouldn’t hesitate if you’re serious about owning this monster.

About Shelby Automobiles, Inc.

Shelby Automobiles operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in North Las Vegas. The company builds the Cobra 427 S/C, Cobra 289 FIA and street Cobra component vehicles, as well as a variety of pre and post-title Shelbys based on the current generation Ford Mustang. The website address is www.shelbyautos.com.

Would you believe that Las Vegas offers great skiing and snowboarding just 45 minutes from the MGM Grand? When I try to tell people this they think I’m just kidding around. But the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort is the real thing, with a base lodge that sits at 8,500 feet while two main chairlifts take skiers and snowboarders up another 1,000 feet. Believe it or not, you can see the snow capped summit from the Las Vegas Strip, provided you actually leave the blackjack table and go outside! The ski resort is located within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and operates under a special-use permit of the U.S. Forest Service.

Enough about the location, how are the conditions? For starters, even though Las Vegas receives 325 sunny days a year from mother nature, that still leaves 40 days a year for other weather conditions. Case in point; LV Ski & Snowboard reports 31 inches of new snow over the last 5 days! The current base is 57 inches of packed powder and February and March are the best months of the year for new snow. The resort also features The Big Horn Cafe, The Bristlecone Bar and The Sports Shop with a full selection of high-quality rental items. Snow enthusiasts can choose from 11 total trails and a 500 foot intermediate half-pipe.

Although many people don’t realize it, one of the best reasons to purchase a new Las Vegas home is the wide range of outstanding opportunities across Southern Nevada to enjoy outdoor sports. The Michelle Sterling Las Vegas Real Estate Team is fully prepared to present every facet of our outstanding city. Give us a call at 888-349-2595.

Please join with the Springs Preserve, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Christmas Tree Recycling Committee to protect our environment this holiday season by recycling your tree. The very worthy goal of this effort is to keep the holiday trees out of local landfills where they take up tremendous amounts of space. The recycling program runs until January 15th and there are 15 convenient locations to choose from. Many locations are actually open 24 hours a day! Have your tree recycled into mulch, which will be used for environmentally-friendly landscaping projects throughout the valley. Did you know that shredded trees become valuable organic material for use in projects that help conserve soil moisture and keep plants healthy? It’s certainly worth the effort to make such a positive difference in our community. Before dropping off your tree, please remove all non-organic objects, such as lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments and nails. Foreign objects can harm volunteers and chipping machines. The Michelle Sterling Las Vegas Real Estate Team urges you to call 702-822-7700 for more information and a list of tree recycling drop-off sites. Thanks so much!

It’s way past time to face the simple fact that “green grass” lawns are not compatible with a responsible and environmentally conscious lifestyle in the desert southwest. The Colorado River, water supplier to 25 million people in the western United States, is now in it’s eighth year of the worst drought in a century, with no end in sight. Fortunately for Las Vegas residents, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is taking a highly pro-active approach to the issue of water conservation. Despite the size and opulence of water-based attractions on the Strip, the truth is that residential use accounts for 59% of the drinking water absorbed in Greater Las Vegas. Unfortunately, a sizable amount of this usage is sprayed as irrigation water on “green grass” lawns.

For the last eight years, the SNWA has been promoting a voluntary program whereby residents of Las Vegas homes actually get paid to replace their grass with water-efficient desert landscaping. To date, more than 21,000 homeowners and 2,800 businesses have participated. How much progress has the Water Authority made? The SNWA program is responsible for eliminating 86 million square feet of grass in Southern Nevada at a cost of $76.6 million. Water conservation is serious stuff in the desert southwest as you can readily see from these numbers. Of course, the most important number is the 17.5 billion gallons of water that has already been saved by converting grass lawns to desert-friendly shrubbery and plants. Wow, talk about results.

One of the greatest privileges we receive in our professional lives on the Michelle Sterling Las Vegas Real Estate Team is the opportunity to assist members of the armed forces stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. Nellis is a member of the United States Air Force’s Air Combat Command and home to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. The base is also a vital and highly appreciated member of our local community.

This weekend Nellis Air Force Base presents the Aviation Nation Air Show, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the United States Air Force. According to the International Council of Air Shows, Aviation Nation is one of the top-five aerial and aeronautical special events in the entire world. This year’s show will be even more exciting due to the debut of the F-22 Raptor as a demonstration aircraft. The F-22 is designed to penetrate enemy airspace and achieve a first-look, first-kill capability against multiple targets while achieving supersonic cruising speed without the use of afterburners. Pretty exciting stuff!

Aviation Nation is a FREE two day event that begins at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. We’ll see you there!

A Long Time Ago, before the Las Vegas valley landscape was a sea of homes, there were springs. The spring fed the meadows. For many years the springs were a thriving place where the Paiute Indians would collect water, later Spanish explorers came upon our desert valley near the Spring Mountains and gave our city its name. Las Vegas means “The Meadows” in Spanish. In 1905 a land auction was the start of that city, and at the heart of it all were the springs. Over 100 years after the City of Las Vegas was founded around that very spring, the Las Vegas Valley Water District completed their 180-acre, $250 Million Dollar project; The Springs Preserve.

It boasts botanical gardens with over 30,000 plants; there are museums, educational galleries and the piece du resistance: the flash flood simulation that recycles 5,000 gallons of water as it rushes beneath your feet while you are standing atop a platform. Don’t worry! They recycle the water. There are only 2 ½ miles of trails, but more are planned. In 2009 a 79,000-square-foot Nevada State Museum will also open at the Preserve. Presently there are concerts being held at the 1,800 seat outdoor ampitheater with artists like Jewel and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Director Francis N. Béland plans to have about 750,000 visitors each year. He bases that on the 40 million annual visitors to Las Vegas and the 6% of those visitors that venture off the strip to see other sights. The Springs Preserve should prove to be another wonderful addition to the Las Vegas valley!

Facts and figures provided by Steve Freiss, LA Times.

Denise Willer is an outdoor enthusiast and a member of the Michelle Sterling Team at Prudential Americana Group, REALTORS®. In her free time she enjoys her family. If you are interested in more information about this article in particular, or Las Vegas real estate in general, please call Denise at (702)810-0082.

What do Locals do in Las Vegas for Entertainment?

Las Vegas IS the strip – 100 out of 100 people would say that if they don’t live here…but what do locals do for entertainment?

I am a 15-year resident of this fantastic, diverse city but I personally only go to the strip if I am showing a client property or if I have family in town…I know…hard to believe, right? There is so much to do here; most of which does not include Las Vegas Boulevard….really…

I live in South Summerlin and am less than 1 hour to skiing in the winter at Lee Canyon which is located on Mount Charleston. I also live less than 15 minutes from the best hiking in the west next to the Grand Canyon at the Red Rock Conservation Area and less than 45 minutes from the most amazing architectural wonder of the world at Hoover Dam. Would you believe that it’s only a four hour drive to the Pacific Ocean in California? I’m also fortunate to live just five minutes from one of the best restaurants in the world with world-class-chefs Michael and Wendy Jordan at Rosemary’s. No…not THAT Michael Jordan but this Michael Jordan is gaining nearly just about as much respect in the restaurant world as the other MJ gained in basketball!

Here’s a snapshot of this restaurant’s 2007 awards and accolades:

“Restauranteur of the Year” awarded to Chefs Michael & Wendy Jordan by the Nevada Restaurant Association.

“Best Gourmet Restaurant.” Awarded by the Las Vegas Review-Journal 2007 Best of Las Vegas Awards; Eight Years Running!

ZAGAT 2007 - Rosemary’s Restaurant keeps #1 spot in the Top Food, Las Vegas category.

Las Vegas Restaurants - Rosemary’s Restaurant

This fantastic restaurant is not on the famous Las Vegas Strip – not even close – it’s located about 8 miles west on Sahara Avenue; 1 mile from the best-selling master-planned community in the country from 2000 to present; Summerlin.

There’s also the amazing $1 Billion Dollar brand new Red Rock Casino, Resort, Spa that has 10 restaurants, a 62 lane bowling center, 10 movie theatres and all of the casino games one would expect on the strip.

www.redrocklasvegas.com

Over in Henderson (15 minutes south east of The Strip) there are many first-class restaurants and entertainment venues as well. Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa is home to the famous American Casino series which aired on the Travel Channel for 2 years. This luxurious hotel boasts 9 fantastic restaurants, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford’s “The Whiskey” bar and is connected to a cobble-brick, street of shops (over 60 boutiques) and 6 additional restaurants at “The District”.

www.greenvalleyranchresort.com
The District at Green Valley Ranch

With all the fantastic things to do on and off The Strip it is clear that Las Vegas has much, much more to offer for its locals and for people that want a second home in the most amazing, diverse city in the world!

Mike Antos is a member of The Michelle Sterling Internet Real Estate Team at Prudential Americana Group, REALTORS. If you are interested in more information about this article in particular, or Las Vegas real estate in general, please call Mike at 702-373-3240.