Review of Out From Las Vegas

Title:

Out From Las Vegas: Adventures a Day Away

Author:

Florine Lawlor

Publisher:

Spotted Dog Press

Date:

2002

ISBN:

1-893343-07-3

Pages:

287

Price:

$16.95

Reviewed by Nick Christenson, npc@lvrevealed.com

October 23, 2006

Two of the great things about the desert southwest are its amazing landscapes and fantastic history. Within a few hours of Las Vegas are some of America's greatest national parks, a number of majestic state parks, and many more beautiful regions that would be major attractions were they located in a less scenic part of the country. The region is also interlaced with ghost towns, boom-and-bust mines, and the artifacts of several ancient civilizations. There are many books available on the major attractions, but little has been written about some of the less well-known attractions sprinkled across this vast region. Out From Las Vegas steps in to this void, describing an entire world of fantastic adventures sitting around the corner from America's Playground.

For those who live in Las Vegas or visit here regularly, eventually the Strip becomes familiar and the beautiful countryside beckons. The nearby national parks, the Valley of Fire, and Red Rock Canyon each provide a wonderful scenic retreat from the glamour of Clark County's resort corridor, but in time, these too become familiar. There are many other things to do and see, and most of these are unknown not only the to the transient population that makes Las Vegas its home, but also to those who have lived here their entire lives.

As a lifetime resident of the area and the daughter of regional gold miner, Florine Lawlor is well versed in the vast, untamed wilderness that surrounds Las Vegas. In her book, she provides descriptions of more than 60 attractions that are well off the beaten path. All of these are interesting as natural wonders or historical curiosities or both.

One consideration for the reader is that when we're talking about these sites being "off the beaten path", we're usually not talking about taking a seldom used freeway exit. In many cases, we're talking about truly desolate parts of the country. Only a handful of these trips are safely reachable in the family sedan. Most require at least a high-clearance vehicle with off-road rated tires, if not four wheel drive. Moreover, as the author points out, going out into the desert is not without risk. People can and do die out there, and meticulous preparation is a must.

As Lawlor moves around the region, the tone of the attractions she discusses changes markedly. The sites Lawlor describes that are nearby Las Vegas and to the north and east are predominantly natural wonders. To the south and west the book moves from natural travelogue to discussions of lost treasure and forgotten mine sites. Even later in the book some of the tales shift further to what I can only describe as "ghost stories". They're all interesting in their own way, but I have to admit I was expecting a lot more "Valley of Fire-lite" types of sites than stories of the "Lost Dutchman Mine".

Even if one never visits any of these locations, Lawlor's descriptions of them are interesting enough themselves to make the book worth reading by those interested in learning more about this remarkable region. If one has a four wheel drive vehicle, some stalwart companions, and a sense of adventure, then this book provides a nearly endless supply of weekend getaway ideas. Those without such equipment at their disposal will still find a number of interesting day trips in this book, but they'll have to content themselves with being entertained by the notion of most of these excursions rather than attempt them themselves.

Two shortcomings of this book in my opinion are the maps, even for the hand sketched variety, which can differ greatly with well-regarded topographic maps of the area with little or no commentary. Also, given how difficult some of these sites are to find, GPS-provided coordinates, including those of turn-off and intermediate stops, would be very helpful. It wouldn't surprise me to find that the author hadn't been back to some of these places since these devices had become commonplace, but it would be nice for this information to have been provided where it is available.

Even in places where this book isn't practical for everyone it's still entertaining. There is a lot of history here and a great deal of good information about some very obscure sites in and around southern Nevada. I recommend it for those who are interested in this fascinating area.

Capsule:

Out From Las Vegas provides a lot of information about some obscure but fascinating sites within a day's drive of Las Vegas. Most, but not all, of these adventures require four wheel drive and wilderness survival gear before someone would want to actually attempt them. Even if many of these treks are beyond one's capabilities, they're still entertaining to read about. I recommend this book to those who wish to learn more about this amazing region, but it's too bad that so much of it is inaccessible to so many of us.