Lunch at Mt. Charleston

It's funny that this blog is intended to rave about how much I love living in Las Vegas, yet I'm going to begin by talking about escaping the city. If you need a break from neon and desert, then the best cure is a quick drive up to Mt. Charleston. From where I live in the south valley, it's about a 45 minute drive. As you approach, you are surrounded by cactus and dirt, but you can see the beautiful snow-capped peaks in the distance. It's a striking contrast.

As you keep driving, gradually the cactus turn into small bushes.
And suddenly, you're surrounded by tall pine trees. To think that on the other side of these mountains there's a bustling city. It is so peaceful up here, but you do see many other people driving up here to enjoy the hiking and scenery.
When I come up here, I always eat at the Mt. Charleston Lodge. It's a quaint lodge with a fireplace in the center of the room and a nearly panoramic view of Kyle Canyon. The food is fabulous. I always have a cup of their french onion soup to warm me up - it's usually 30 degrees cooler here than it is in the valley. The lodge elevation is about 7700 feet while the peak of Mt. Charleston is about 12,000 feet high. Someday I'll hike up there, but for now I'll just enjoy a nice lunch at the lodge.