Despite the fact that Las Vegas real estate is going through a painful adjustment, the master-planned community of Summerlin homes continues to impress and inspire. Summerlin currently boasts more than 95,000 residents after commencing development 18 years ago. Master-plan amenities include nine golf courses, upscale shopping centers, high-end boutiques, restaurants galore in every price range, cultural facilities, prestigious office parks and more than 100 actively selling floor plans. The market for both new and resale Summerlin real estate is among the most active in Southern Nevada.

Outdoor recreation activities are the hallmark of the Summerlin residential experience. The community is home to more than 100 parks (many with fantastic ball fields) and nearly 150 miles of desert-themed trails for walking, jogging and cycling. Nearby Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area provides scenic and challenging hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. Ready to hang up the sports equipment and hang-out in the middle of some traditional Las Vegas action? Jump on Summerlin Parkway or the I-215 Beltway and it’s a 20 minute ride to the Las Vegas Strip. Once you hit Las Vegas Boulevard…anything goes…

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.

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.

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.

There are many locations to go hiking just outside of Las Vegas, like Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston and the Valley of Fire. If you are interested in venturing out in the desert, remember to bring some basic gear.

The Southern Nevada Group of the Sierra Club lists these items as The Ten Essentials:

1. Map of the area
2. Compass
3. Flashlight w/ spare battery and bulb
4. Sunglasses, sunscreen
5. Extra food and water
6. Extra clothing, raingear, hat, mittens, sweater, etc.
7. Waterproof packed matches
8. Candle for fire starting
9. Pocket knife
10. First Aid Kit

If you are new to the area and would like to venture out into new and exciting “outdoor destinations”, always be safe and never forget the cardinal rule for any wildlife area: “Pack it In and Pack it Out”. If you bring something with you into the desert, be sure and bring it back out again. Minimize your imprint on the environment you are enjoying by using the No Trace Principles:

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impact
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of other visitors

Related websites:
http://www.nevadawilderness.org
http://www.desertbighorn.com

Remember to use marked trails and have fun! If you are looking for a Las Vegas home that will enable you to get to your favorite destinations with ease, feel free to give me a call!

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.