Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/138830
GETAWAY G FROM NEW NAPA HOT SPOTS TO THE NEARBY NATIONAL PARKS, LATE SUMMER IN VEGAS MEANS GETTING OUTSIDE AND EXPLORING THE REGION. BY AARON RASMUSSEN L as Vegas is the gateway to a lot of things, but it's never been considered the ideal place to start your summer travels—until now. Tourists from around the world are increasingly choosing our city as a launchpad for exploring the region. "It is an iconic destination that sets the perfect tone for the rest of a guest's holiday," says Gavin Tollman, global CEO of the international tourism company Trafalgar. "We utilize Las Vegas as a round-trip gateway to start and end trips because of the fantastic availability of flights and the ease of accessibility for both our domestic and international markets." Trafalgar and other travel companies now arrange hassle-free multiweek tours out of Vegas that explore everything from California's Napa and Sonoma Valleys to Nevada's Great Basin, one of the nine national parks within a seven-hour drive of the city. 98 And with all these new options, locals hoping to escape the intense desert heat of late summer are also increasingly taking advantage of nearby offerings (which are often inaccessible during winter) rather than jetting off to some faraway beach. But regardless of the destination, once Vegas is out of sight, it's never out of mind, with travelers coming full circle—whether returning to the city to enjoy another night or two of gambling or to tuck the kids in bed after their first visit to a breathtaking national park. Take a Sip TOO HOT IN VEGAS? COOL DOWN AMONG THE IDYLLIC ROLLING HILLS OF NAPA. As temperatures in Las Vegas reach their almost unbearable late-summer heights, the lush, sunny valleys of California's Napa and Sonoma Counties VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 098-103_V_Feat_Travel_Sum13.indd 98 6/17/13 10:22 AM