I was invited to experience a three-day guide to Las Vegas without gambling.  Las Vegas is known for its high stakes, partying, and Elvis weddings. This was an opportunity to check out the other sides of Vegas: the adventure of rural Nevada and the finer side of the city. I have been to Las Vegas about a dozen times previously and I had goosebumps, smiles, and surprises the entire time.  I'm sharing my 36-hour itinerary to replicate my amazing trip. Here is your travel guide to the "New" Vegas.

Hiking through the McDowell Mountains. We never thought we would say that and JD in the same sentence. Previously, we shared the story of JD's initial hikes through her new surroundings in Arizona, and how her reluctance turned to a love to trek up rocky terrain and explore.

Our goal was to go wine (ing) on the Pacific Coast Highway: wine tasting through the California Winery Region, however no wine for us. Let me explain because I'm sure you were expecting a lovely article about the California Wine Trail and picturesque ocean scenes; so were we. It didn't happen.

After Denmark and Paris, the next destination on M's European adventure was Germany.  Here...

The sky reflected our moods, and we could see the white-topped peaks just out of our reach, lining the ring around our valley. I convinced my husband to go for a drive "to the top of the hill" just to get a better view. It will get us out of the house. We had been stuck inside for days because of rain. The same rain was making snow just 10 miles north of us. Why not?