One of the most arresting things about Las Vegas is the incredible contrast between the city and its surroundings. Just minutes from the dazzling manmade environment of the Strip is a dazzling natural environment of steep pinnacles, desert washes, cactus wildflowers and iron-red canyons watched over by bighorn sheep.
An easy and enjoyable way for groups to experience the other side of Las Vegas is with Pink Jeep Tours (www.pinkjeep.com), a company that provides half- and full-day excursions that can include team-building activities, barbecues and other customized options. Up to 200 passengers can be accommodated on tours, utilizing a fleet of pink Tour Trekkers, 10-seat, all-terrain vehicles outfitted with leather seats and large vista windows.
“When you take people out to the natural places, they’re amazed that there is so much more than hotels and casinos here,” says Group Sales Coordinator Tara Schaup, who joined the company as a tour guide five years ago.
While Pink Jeep’s eight tour locations include such staples as the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, Schaup says some of the lesser-known destinations work especially well for group outings. Among them is Eldorado Canyon, about 30 miles southeast of the city, which is the site of a 19th century silver mine set deep in a rugged desert canyon that is a popular film location. The site includes an old barn and several other weathered buildings filled with the mine owner’s collection of cow skulls, antique soda bottles, tobacco tins and other items.
“It’s really like going back to the Wild West,” Schaup says. “Groups can tour the mine and play some Western games like the tomahawk toss. Then wrap things up with a barbecue.”
To the west of Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon and its stunning geological rock formations is another popular half-day excursion, one that can include a scavenger hunt with GPS units. Part of the 13-mile drive through the canyon includes a bouncing off-road ride up to a dramatic overlook.
Pink Jeep’s selection of Hoover Dam tours includes the chance to see the massive structure from an unusual perspective—a pontoon raft on the Colorado River at the base of the dam.
“I got chills when I first did this,” Schaup says of the experience. “The raft ride is very fun, but it’s really more about seeing the dam from the bottom up.”
She notes that a recent trend is for groups to want not just an excursion or team-building program, but to actually hold a small meeting session in a scenic location. One that works especially well is the Valley of Fire, located about an hour from Las Vegas.
“People are looking to get out of the boardroom and go to these memorable locations,” Schaup says. “So we’re looking at more places where they can do this.”
