Things To Do In North Las Vegas

Las Vegas is known for its top-notch golf courses, with more than 60 scattered throughout the Vegas Valley, complete with spectacular water features, views and challenges. While most experience courses in the environs of the city limits, two golf facilities are out-of-the-way hidden gems, nestled in picturesque settings off the beaten track and away from the hustle of the Strip. Located 35 minutes south of Las Vegas near the California border, the Primm Valley Golf Club offers two Tom Fazio-designed courses. The 6,945-yard par-71 Lakes Course is lush enough to make you forget you are in the desert, with tall pines, thick orchards, green ryegrass and acres of lakes and river systems. While the 7,131-yard par-72 Desert Course similarly contains five lakes and vibrant greens, it also spotlights the natural beauty of the mountain peaks and desert valleys. Palm trees, mesquite and a variety of cacti and native desert wildflowers can be seen, giving a sense of isolation while appreciating the beauty of the Mojave Desert. Best of all, your greens fees include the use of a rental cart and full access to the 22-acre practice facility, which offers a driving range, putting greens and more. About 25 miles northwest of the Vegas Strip at the base of Snow Mountain, the Paiute Golf Resort is a master-planned, multi-course facility built on Native American land. It offers three Pete Dye-designed courses suited to players of all skill levels, with panoramic views of the Vegas skyline and the nearby snowcapped mountains in the Spring Mountain, Sheep Mountain and Mt. Charleston ranges. At an elevation of 2,800 ft., temperatures run eight to ten degrees cooler than the city, providing a respite from the 100 degree heat that often blankets Sin City. The 7,146-yard 72-par Snow Mountain course features a desert landscape, wide ryegrass fairways, railroad tie bunkers and seven water hazards. The 7,112-yard 72-par Sun Mountain course is the least difficult and most scenic of the three, with Joshua trees, wildflower blooms, four large lakes and the best vantage point for viewing the mountain ranges. The 7,604-yard 72-par Wolf Course is the longest in the state of Nevada, and the most difficult of the three courses, thanks to tricky fairways and sloping greens. And if you need a little extra help, PGA-certified instructors are available for lessons.

On this week’s agenda: a survey of lady painters at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, a trip aboard the Magic School Bus, a night with Rudy (the Rudy), the rumble of vintage motorcycles, and the first open-mic night of the rest of your life. Enjoy yourself and, as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Las Vegas. The Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm Downtown | Through September 1 Miss Frizzle just pulled into town, and class is in session. The colorful inhabitants of The Magic School Bus come to life in this interactive exhibit, teaching engaging lessons about weather to kids and parents alike. True to its ever-changing form, the exhibit’s recreation of the Magic School Bus doubles as a flying weather observatory, helping kids master the scientific concepts of the water cycle, air mass, and more. (Discovery Children’s Museum, 360 Promenade Pl.; free with price of admission) Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Strip | Through October 17 Georgia O’Keeffe. Mary Cassatt. Berthe Morisot. This summer, some of the most iconic works from these legendary artists make their temporary home at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Produced in conjunction with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the show traces the evolution of female painters from the early days of fine-arts training in the 1870s to the modernist explosion of the mid-20th century. (3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S; free) Voices of Rudy: The Journey to the Movie Downtown | Saturday, August 9, 7 p.m. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger not only accomplished his dream of playing football for Notre Dame; he also convinced Hollywood to make a movie about it (that you’ve probably seen). The former walk-on and current motivational speaker shares the Rudy experience firsthand at The Smith Center's Troesh Studio Theater during his entertaining and inspiring one-man show. (361 Symphony Park Ave.; $34–$39; buy tickets here) "Human Experience" Open-Mic Night Downtown | Every Monday, 7:00 p.m. At The Beat Coffeehouse and Records, you can catch local musicians over a coffee or beer almost any night of the week, but on Mondays, the mic might get passed to you. Dubbed "Human Experience," this popular open mic (for humans aged 21 or older) produces an inviting DIY show out of a mix of spoken word, poetry, music, and comedy. Got a sonnet about Honey Nut Cheerios? Your mic, your rules. (520 Fremont St., Suite 101; free) Vintage Bike Night Downtown | Friday, August 15, 6 p.m. Presented by Las Vegas DynoTech, Vintage Bike Night fills The Arts Factory’s BarBistro with the proud rumble of classic motorcycles, scooters, Harleys, and the loyal owners who love to show them off. In addition to scoping out custom bikes and whispering sweet nothings to a particularly cute Vespa, guests can also take advantage of an art show, live body painting, and music. (107 E. Charleston Blvd.; free)

On this week’s agenda: a musical spin on menopause, standup comedy at the Laugh Factory, a ride on the Nevada rails, a (funny) tour of the Hoover Dam, and a book event with Michael Jackson’s security-team-turned-authors. Have fun, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Las Vegas. Menopause the Musical The Strip | Nightly through October Menopause is hilarious. At least, it is during Menopause the Musical, appearing through October at the Luxor Hotel and Casino's Atrium Showroom. The show tells the story of four women whose chance meeting at a lingerie sale leads to spontaneous (and uproarious) song-and-dance routines about mood swings and hot flashes. (3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S; $39 and up; buy tickets here) Comedians Dom Irrera, Mike Saccone, and Frazer Smith at Laugh Factory The Strip | Sunday, August 31 at 8:30 or 10:30 p.m. LA comic Frazer Smith welcomes award-winning headliner Dom Irrera for this week’s show at the Laugh Factory. Irrera brings with him more than three decades of joke-making experience, which includes a Cable Ace Award for Best Standup Special and memorable guest spots on Seinfeld and King of Queens. Featured comic Mike Saccone opens the night. (801 Las Vegas Blvd. S; $32 and up; buy tickets here) Ride the Nevada Southern Railway Boulder City | Every Saturday and Sunday Ride the rails into the past every weekend on the Nevada Southern Railway excursion train. Departing from the Nevada State Railroad Museum, the train pulls its authentic Pullman coaches and open-air cars along an historic branch line built in service of the Boulder Dam project in the 1930s. (600 Yucca St., Boulder City; adults are $10, children are $5) Comedic Hoover Dam Tour Lake Mead | Daily A Hoover Dam tour hasn’t been this funny since the days of Clark Griswold. Led by Comedy on Deck Tours' comedian guide, tour-bus riders travel from Las Vegas to the Hoover Dam, where they enjoy PG laughs during a 45-minute trek atop the dam. The tour also includes lunch and a pit-stop at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory. (Bus tour departs from several Las Vegas locations before arriving at Hoover Dam; $79 and up; buy tickets here) Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days Book Event Northwest | Saturday, August 30 Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard were present for the passing of a legend, working as members of Michael Jackson's security team at the time of his death in 2009. At Barnes & Noble, they'll recount their experiences and sign copies of their book, Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days. (2191 N. Rainbow Blvd.; free)