On Saturday we decided to take my youngest son, and my wife’s nephew, on a few fun adventures. First though, the wife and I started the day with a run along the Las Vegas wash. This is the canal that brings all the rainwater from the city out to Lake Las Vegas, which eventually feeds into Lake Mead.

One of the coolest things about running alongside the wash is that you’re surrounded by a dichotomy. On the one side you have barren desert with hills and scrub brush. On the other side, next to the water, you have thick vegetation, wildlife, and even bugs. There is even a noticeable air difference when you step just ten feet to one side. The main path moves towards and away from the wash as you travel along it, and as soon as you cross over the threshold, you suddenly feel cool, moist air, instead of hot, desert air.

We managed about 6 miles, out and back, and then got cleaned up for the rest of the day. Our first stop was at Red Rock Canyon, a favorite of ours. We had forgotten that it was a weekend, and so the traffic near the site was heavier than we’ve had before, but we managed to get in after about 10-15 minutes. We stopped by the visitor center and then headed out on the scenic drive around the canyon. About half-way around we stopped to take a small dirt road out to a path that we could walk around. This dirt road was barely serviceable, and I was thankful that the rental car I was driving was a gigantic QX80. Even in such a large vehicle it was slow going.

We eventually made it to a parking spot, and got out to stretch our legs a bit. We found a cool spot to take some pictures and soak in the view. The heat of the day would soon be upon us, so we headed back down to head into town for some lunch. After our quick stop for food we hit the Pinball Hall of Fame and let the boys each spend a few bucks of quarters in the machines. My youngest is a retro gaming fan, so he really enjoyed some of the old original cabinets like Tron and Ms. PacMan.

By this time it was getting to be mid-afternoon and it was time to get back. We dropped the kids off in their rooms and then headed out again for some adult time at a couple of new local taprooms. Our first stop of the day was at Lovelady Brewing, right in old downtown Henderson. They had a food vendor there, so we ordered up an appetizer sampler and a full flight of their beers.

Overall, their beer was strong. They had a great pineapple sour that I grabbed a six pack of so I could bring some home. They also had a spicy brown ale that intrigued my brother-in-law and I, but was WAY too spicy for my tastes. This didn’t stop me from taking a giant swig as a way to show off my manly-ness. This inspired my brother-in-law to follow suit, and for the next few minutes the two of us were talking in raspy voices and downing tons of water and food. Fun times.

Once we finished at Lovelady we headed over to Crafthaus, also in Henderson. There we got a full flight on their beers on tap, minus their imperial stout. I’ve had Crafthaus before, and it’s good stuff. In particular I liked their sour table beer and their saison. I grabbed a six pack of the sour table beer as something unique to share with friends at home. After sampling we decided it was time to hit the apartment again and take some naps.

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and hanging out with family, which a band played in the village. It was a very busy day, but was certainly a good time and a lot of great memories.