The ninety-foot-high Fremont Street barrel vault canopy stretches for four blocks (1,500 feet). Formerly the favorite street for cruising, Fremont closed to cars in 1991, and 1995 was the first New Year's Eve party under the canopy. The area is an alternative to the Las Vegas Strip, with historic casinos, restaurants, and other attractions in walking distance. Learn more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_Street_Experience. Included in the Fremont Street Experience is the Slotzilla Zip Line. The rider above is on the lower track, seventy-seven feet up; the superhero track is 114 feet up (slotzilla.showare.com). Originally named Lady Luck, the Downtown Grand (two towers above) is just a block north of the Fremont Street Experience. The Grand has an infinity pool and bar on the roof. The original sign for the Downtown Grand Hotel is now a prized relic in the Neon Museum.* When you're in Downtown, visit the Mob Museum (themobmuseum.org), across the street from the Grand Hotel. Simply Pure is a vegan restaurant, a short walk from Fremont Street (simplypurelv.com). They also serve fresh green juice. Vege Nation is another vegan restaurant walking distance from Fremont Street (vegenationlv.com). One of the employees snapped this photo of me with Chef Donald Lemperle. Grass Roots is a green juice bar, close-in to Fremont Street (grassrootslv.com). Another Restaurant near Fremont that serves fresh green juice is Rachel's Kitchen (rachelskitchen.com). If you need a Whole Foods Market, there's one on Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of the Strip and McCarran International Airport. Smith Center is the new marble and glass art deco symphony hall in Downtown Las Vegas. Find out what's playing at the Smith Center (thesmithcenter.com). Ride the Las Vegas Monorail for a fun overview of the Strip. Then unwind at an MGM resort spa: Spa & Salon at Aria, Espa at Varda, or Bathhouse at Delano (mgmresorts.com). Another gem of Las Vegas is the Springs Preserve (springspreserve.org). Located just west of Downtown, it features botanical gardens, a restaurant, gift shop, events center, amphitheater, butterfly habitat, solar demonstration house (DesertSol), children's play area, bike rentals, museums, wetlands, and hiking trails. The Springs Preserve is in harmony with nature, including LEED certified buildings, wind towers to moderate interior temperatures (above), rammed earth walls, bamboo flooring, recycled wooden beams, and a weekend farmers' market. The gully (below) is watered with gray water from the visitors' complex. Take a guided tour of the old Las Vegas neon signs at the Neon Museum, known to locals as the Boneyard (http://neonmuseum.org). The Strip, seen from the patio at the World Market Center (lasvegasmarket.com). Nevada holiday destinations - more photos and a map - click here!