Hike Desert Landscapes and Hit the Bright Lights of Las Vegas

Return to Ancestor Square for breakfast at Cafe FeelLove, a rustic environment of wood, brick and vintage chandeliers with an outdoor patio. The restaurant has a fantastic breakfast selection with egg burritos, Belgian waffles and fresh baked pastries, including New Orleans-style beignets. Vegan and gluten-free selections are well represented on the menu. A coffee bar serves a variety of lattes and other caffeine-fueled recipes, but if you want a beverage with even more strength, ask about the brunch cocktails served daily.

Walk off breakfast and wander downtown St. George. You'll see some impressive street art before turning around at Town Square Park, a lovely spot with an old-style carousel and unique water features.

The main road through Snow Canyon State Park is one of the most beautiful scenic drives in Southwest Utah. Begin at the north entrance, pay the park fee and head south, bypassing bright red sandstone rock formations along the way.
Pull over at signs for trailheads and scenic overlooks while exploring the area. You'll see petrified sand dunes, cliffs and lava from dormant volcanoes formed into rock. Parking and restrooms are easy to spot.

Pull over at Jenny's Canyon Trail. It's an easy hike for all levels and a uniquely short and simple way to explore a slot canyon (although it's technically a "box canyon" since it closes at one end). The roundtrip hike is less than half a mile and can be done in under a half hour. Look for a small parking lot and sign identifying the trailhead.

After cutting across the northwest corner of Arizona, you'll cross the border into Nevada and gain an hour from Utah time. Your first stop is Mesquite, a quiet casino town known for scenic golf courses. See one up close without swinging a club with lunch at 1880 Grille. The name honors the year when pioneers came to town and while the area has only grown since, the surrounding desert is as beautiful as ever.
The menu has something for everyone, from salads and sandwiches to fish tacos. Happy hour pricing is offered throughout the day on cocktails. Enjoy a seat on the patio, where you can best appreciate the views of the Conestoga golf course.
Call ahead (702-346-4292) to check on seating availability.

After a scenic drive through Moapa Valley and Overton, you'll enter the west gates of the Valley of Fire State Park, named after the bright red and pink sandstone formations. After passing landmarks like Elephant Rock, make a quick stop at the Visitor Center. It's almost like a mini-museum with a few exhibits to explain what the park is all about. There's also a gift shop.
Feel free to explore the land around the visitor's center. The rocky landscape is beautiful. You may even get an up-close look at a bighorn sheep. It's not uncommon for the animals to hang around the facility. Just don't try to distract, touch or feed them.

Mouse's Tank is named after a water basin known to collect rainfall. It highlights a short hike over red desert terrain that includes ancient petroglyphs (artwork carved into the stone by indigenous tribes hundreds of years ago). The hike is about 10 minutes each way.

The White Domes area is where the rock formations take on a creamy color that mixes well with pastel red and pink accents. The hike itself is easy and takes about 30 minutes. You may even spot the ruins of an old movie set from "The Professionals," a Burt Lancaster movie from 1965.
Make sure to wrap up your visit by sunset when the gates close.

The Cosmopolitan's casino has doors that open directly to the sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard. Walk over to the Bellagio next door (to the north) and watch the resort's iconic fountain shows, which take place in a nearly nine-acre lake out front.
More than 1,200 nozzles shoot water up to 460 feet in the air with 4,500 lights setting the tone. Shows take place every half hour (weather permitting). So arrive in time to see the 7:30 p.m. performance before dinner. (For reference, shows increase to every 15 minutes after 8 p.m.)

Drive down the Las Vegas Strip - surrounded by digital marquees and neon lights at night - and pull into the Wynn resort. Head to the valet (or free self-parking garage) and walk through the casino to Lakeside, one of the best places for seafood in Las Vegas.
The restaurant sits on the Lake of Dreams with an open-air patio to view shows on the water set to music every 15 minutes. However, the real show stopper is the fish, flown in direct from Hawaii, Japan, the Mediterranean and other global destinations. Pick out a langoustine from a live seafood tank.
Make sure to book a reservation well in advance.