Right Outside Of Las Vegas Is A Quieter Artsy City Full Of Charm, Shops, And Outdoor Adventure

One of the best day trips from Las Vegas doesn't even require you to lose sight of the big city's gleaming lights. Henderson, Nevada's more peaceful second-largest city, which is only a 20-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip, carries its historical record in an incredible collection of art. The region's earliest native ancestors can be seen in 300 rock panels of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (2998 Nawghaw Poa Road). Centuries later, modern American settlers founded a magnesium plant, Basic Magnesium Incorporated, that grew during World War II to employ 14,000 people manufacturing wartime parts. But it wasn't until a post office arrived in 1944 that the postmaster christened the town, which was then just an extension of the magnesium plant, with the name by which it's known today.

After the war, the use for magnesium dwindled and the plant's workforce shrunk. What could have become a well-preserved Nevada ghost town after the exodus of workers was instead incorporated in 1953 with a population of 7,410. You can still see echoes of the city's early magnesium start with signs and businesses called "Basic," and most of all, in the sculpture of the BMI's mascot, Magnesium Maggie, at the corner of Water Street and Basic Road. Today, Henderson has grown to a population of 343,000, which is about half the size of neighboring Las Vegas. It's easily reached from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (14 miles away), and best to visit from mid-September until late May, when temperatures are below the sweltering 100 degree-Fahrenheit range.

As you might imagine, a town founded in the 1950s deep west has the casual look and feel of a surreal oasis in the desert, with public art on its streets and museums catering to that era's nostalgia. Visit the showroom of classic cars at Atomic Motors on 704 West Sunset Road to watch gearheads at work restoring and renovating vintage vehicles. You can also take a tour of the cars and facilities any day except Sunday. For free corn dogs and soda, come on a Saturday.

In the central Water Street District, visit the City Lights Art Gallery on 3 East Army Street, a co-op that hosts student shows at its gallery (open noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday) and organizes arts training and funding for young people. The College of Southern Nevada's Henderson Campus (700 College Drive, Student Union Building and "C" Building) also displays galleries of next-level student work that is free and open to the public.

For a hit of retail therapy, head to The District at Green Valley Ranch at 2240 Village Walk Drive. It's an outdoor mall with popular shopping outlets for clothes, fitness wear, outdoor gear, and more. For something with more of a desert flair, check out Ethel M Chocolates & Botanical Cactus Garden at 2 Cactus Garden Drive. Self-guided factory production tours are available for free on weekdays, but it's the cactus garden boasting over 300 prickly, flowery, misshapen, and bizarre proliferating species that you'll find most magical. Stop by at Christmastime to see these humble desert creatures strung out with lights for a jazzy holiday.

In the nearly 50,000-acre Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, southeast of the city, there's more than mesmerizing rock art. Explore trails amidst hardened lava flows of an ancient volcano, culminating in the 8-mile Black Mountain Loop. It takes you up elevation-gaining switchbacks and a challenging scramble up to a breathtaking peak revealing an unparalleled southwestern landscape view of all of Henderson and Las Vegas. The Bureau of Land Management publishes maps for biking, hiking, and horseback riding trails at their website and at the field office on Nawghaw Poa Road.

For a less-epic hike, the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve on 350 E. Galleria Drive has paved and soft surfaces from which to observe birds on elevated viewing platforms and at the edge of large ponds. You'll see curious desert birds native to the region, as well as the migratory water birds heading south for the winter and north for the summer. Guided walking tours for up to 10 guests can be joined on the weekend, or scheduled upon request.