Antenna Ride?
The premise: on a clear day, from most points in Las Vegas one can spot the various mountaintop towers that provide cellular and other wireless coverage to the city. That's why we refer to the "Vegas Valley", the whole thing is surrounded by mountains.
Each antenna is home to generators, power transformers, little electronics huts, and whatever else it takes to light up a modern antenna. More importantly, each tower has an access road that was created to get all that crap up the mountain. The access roads are still used occasionally, though little maintenance is done since there is no longer a need for monster haulers to get up the incline.
For the dualsport rider, an "Antenna Ride" is an excuse for a 2-6 hr. trip. It's a chance to explore the periphery of Vegas and some cool stuff that's hidden in the high desert. The roads are rarely challenging, but there are almost always a bunch of dirt trails nearby that are far more technical, if that's your desire.
STREET DIRECTIONS:
Go south on Las Vegas Blvd, way past the casinos. At about 10 miles south of Mandalay Bay, you'll cross St. Rose Parkway-- keep going. Another 3 miles of so and you'll see on ramps for the I-15 and a sign pointing to Sloan. Make a right and go under the expressway. Now you're in Sloan, population 99 as of 2003. Less than a mile up you'll see a double row of manufactured homes; go right onto their street and continue after the pavement ends. |