iceblueshoes

Hello All,

I did a search, but the postings are rather old so I thought I'd make a new thread.
I'm going to Vegas in Jan for 3 days (I'll be in California prior) and was considering either doing a day trip to Area 51 or the Grand Canyon South Rim.
Now, seeing that the roads are sometimes closed to the Grand Canyon and my schedule is pretty tight, I've decided that it's probably best that I don't risk it, which had me thinking of doing a day trip to Area 51.
Is it doable as a solo day trip though? I was thinking of tacking on a quick visit to the Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon on the way back.
Is this doable or sheer insanity?

Also any preferences on gun ranges? Seeing as we don't have many here in Canada, I'd like to fire off some hand guns at a range. Def want to fire off a desert eagle but besides that, maybe a shot gun round or 3. Nothing major.

I'm a total noob when it comes to this sort of thing, so if someone can steer me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

fly2nrt

You can definately drive up to Rachel, NV and back in one day and swing by Valley of Fire. I'd recommend leaving Las Vegas before sunrise to catch Valley of Fire at day break and then heading up to Area 51. This ensures you'll be back in Vegas before sunset. (Days are short in January)

I'm sure you know but you're not going to see much other than a lot of empty desert, a mailbox and if you drive up to the gate a warning sign. Its a quirky place to "visit" but if you fancy some solo time it can be fun.

Lost

As far as the Grand Canyon, only the road to the north rim is closed all winter. The roads on the south rim are typically only closed immediately after a significant snowfall until they get plowed.

But as far as only having 3 days, I'd skip the Grand Canyon. That's a long drive just for a day trip.

Zorak

It's a long drive for a day trip, but this is also FT where people do things like mileage runs too, so it's not the most insane idea

Whether it's worth it or not on this trip depends on how bucket-list-y it is for you (although I personally think seeing the Grand Canyon should be on everyone's bucket list) and how important it is to do it on THIS trip or can you reasonably anticipate ever being back out that way and so on. Plus other factors like how often you've been to LV etc. because there's lots to do around there. Depending how much you like doing outdoorsy stuff and how the weather is when you're there you could easily spend a whole day at Red Rock, plus you mentioned Valley of Fire, there's Hoover Dam...

iceblueshoes

Thanks, I was wondering if I should go to Area 51 first or the Valley of Fire., but I'll be going there 1st then.

How far (long) is it from the Atle'inn to the black gate?
Thanks, I'll skip it then and do Area 51 first instead.
Milage run in a car? A bit much for me, but my idea of the Grand Canyon would have been to do it on a tour. It's a bit too much driving for me to do on my own alone.

This will actually be my first time to Vegas so while I do want to look around (and maybe $30-40gambling on slots) it's not going to be an all day thing.

What about the shooting ranges? Any suggestions?
I'm leaning towards the Strip Gun Club but mainly due to location., but again I am open.

Oh ya, is Groupon in Vegas a thing? And if so, is it worth it? Or too risky with being ripped off?

Thanks again!

Lost

I used Groupon for the High Roller and got about 75% off the walk up rate. They even have a seperate check in line just for Groupon purchases. I check it every time I go If I need ideas for something to do.

As long as the attraction you're buying has several positive Groupon/Yelp/Google reviews, I wouldn't hesitate on using Groupon again.

mradey

I've done Vegas -> Rachel a few times, including this summer. I normally stay the night at the inn. Night sky is amazing there, and you get to see and hear some jets.

You'll pass the Black Mailbox (not gate) before arriving to Rachel. It's about 10 miles before on the left. I would strongly advise going to the inn first. They are a friendly bunch and knowledgeable. They will be able to give you good advice if you want to see any of the gates.

We went to the nearer gate last time we were there.

Enjoy,
Adey

Lost

Is it still there? Multiple reports that it was stolen in 2015 and not replaced.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-black-mailbox

mradey

Yeah, the actual mailbox is no longer there (at least it was still MIA August 2017, when I was last there). The maps available in the inn still refer to it but also refer to the road junction where the mailbox was.

iceblueshoes

Thanks! I'll check it out 1st.

As for getting to LV, is leaving out of Oakville really that much better/less risky?

Looking at the flights, they're 3-4flights because of stopping elsewhere and not being non-stop.
Is it really THAT risky to fly out of SFO?

Sorry, for got to add, is Sacramento an option instead of SFO?

Lost

Do you mean Oakland?

If coming out of the Bay Area, Oakland is a good choice. Better weather than SFO and fewer flights means less delays.

Sacramento is an great option depending on where you're starting from. I prefer it as it's a nice airport with very few delays. The downside of SMF is airfares tend to be higher than the Bay Area airports.

I believe I saw you post in another thread that you're coming from the Napa Valley. If so, I would rank my preference of departure airports as: Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco (common delays), Santa Rosa (few flights and no nonstops), San Jose (too far away).

If you're going to be more in the heart of the Bay Area (ie, San Francisco/Oakland area) then I would rank them as OAK, SFO, SJC, SMF, STS.

iceblueshoes

Oops!
I meant to actually post this in the SF board.
I'll repost there!