From Red Rock To The Strip And Back: Bicycling And Seeing The Las Vegas Extremes Of Natural Beauty To Big Building Facade

 

This morning's bicycle ride was amazing.

It's a bike ride of extremes -- Red Rock Canyon and the Strip.

Incredible contrasts. Natural beauty. Over-the-top buildings -- and more to come with the Hard Rock Big Guitar hotel building and the Athletics stadium both under construction.

This above photo courtesy of A's

This is my "Big Rectangle" bike ride. The route is shaped like a big rectangle - ha!

I start from the outskirts of Red Rock Canyon and bike to Raiders stadium and the Strip, and head on Las Vegas Boulevard to Las Vegas' downtown. 

Click here for a look at bicycling the trip.

Then it's a left turn for a long ride out of the Vegas valley back through suburban Summerlin to Red Rock.

The F1 track is set up on the Strip. But it was clear sailing on my road bicycle on Las Vegas Boulevard at 9 AM. I was biking on the northbound side of the Strip that is not being used as part of the 3.8-mile race course.

The race that causes traffic problems in the Strip corridor during the 17-week track installment/breakdown and irritates locals should open the track to walkers, bicyclists and rollerbladers before the Nov 19-21 event. The F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix gives free tickets to teachers and has the Girl Scouts sell cookies to butter up the locals, but they can connect with local residents if they actually opened the track for local use.

Here's a video look at Las Vegas Blvd. and Sands Ave.   

This bike ride reminds me of my old bike commute from suburban New Jersey over the George Washington Bridge through midtown Manhattan to the Bed Bath and Beyond building near Union Square.

It's a bike ride of seeing extreme contrasts.

I bike west on Alta Drive for a long time all uphill and then take the 215 trail to Charleston, which becomes State Route 159 into Red Rock Canyon. I took the ,99 of a mile trail from the Sky Vista traffic light and biked on a shoulder that is an unpleasant experience for bicyclists because people driving cars will drift onto the SR 159 shoulder.

A paved trail is needed ASAP and there's a sign at the end of the ,99 of a mile trail that says work on extending the Red Rock Legacy Trail will start up again in 2027. This is Clark County, so I'm not holding my breath on this one.

At the Red Rock Loop entrance extending to the small village of Blue Diamond were orange cones along the SR 159's road white paint line to try and protect runners participating in a Red Rock Endurance event. It also made for a semi-protected bike lane, though there was some idiot parking her car in the bike lane.

Click here for a look at the 159 shoulder beyond the Red Rock Loop exit, so it was less hectic here.