Things to Do in Winchester

After noticing a lack of guided outdoor-excursion opportunities, James Dingess founded Desert Adventures in 2004 to help locals and visitors to take advantage of Nevada’s stunning natural landscapes. What began as a small paddling outfit with a handful of kayaks and a single employee has since expanded to include ATV, mountain biking, and time-travel adventures led by knowledgeable guides. Desert Adventures stays true to its kayaking roots with a fleet of 125 shells and half- to four-day Colorado River runs. Guides also lead multiday, multisport excursions combining various activities, as well as high-speed ziplining tours that careen from the top of Red Mountain to the base of Bootleg Canyon. Most adventures accommodate all skill levels, but some carry experience or age restrictions.

Awesome Adventures' knowledgeable guides shepherd participants through the scenic beauty of the Valley of Fire State Park during rappelling excursions and photo-op-rich journeys through cliff-lined deserts. Red rock formations jut out against a crystal-blue horizon emblazoned in historical petroglyphs drawn by the indigenous people of the region and celebrities who got lost on the way to Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Following a stop at the visitors' center, groups hike through the picturesque valley on their way to the rappelling cliffs reaching heights of 60–150 feet.

The year 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of guided rafting tours through the Colorado River's Black Canyon. Created by volcanic activity over the course of millennia, its walls rise more than 2,000 feet above the Colorado River’s edge. Rafters glide between these walls on the company’s assorted rafting tours, which also incorporate visits to sites such as the Hoover Dam or the Techatticup Mine, where they learn about area mining history.

At one lab station, an interim investigator carefully examines bullet casings. At another, single strands of hair deliver the DNA samples necessary to send a suspect to imaginary prison for a long, long time. Around every shadowy corner of CSI: The Experience, the latest recruits in forensic science slide into the latex gloves or behind the majestic mustaches of popular TV characters to solve crimes through interactive detective work.

A total of 15 lab stations harbor the evidence of three murders, each of which throws multiple suspects into the mix to trip up investigations. Videos featuring cast members and real-life scientists provide guidance throughout analyses, and afterward, newly established sleuths receive certification by prying an official CSI: The Experience diploma from the cold, lifeless hands of their email inbox.

With designated drivers at the helm of luxury tour buses and knowledgeable party hosts schmoozing with bouncers, Maxim Travel’s groups of guests travel up and down the Strip to partake of Vegas’ top nightclubs. Partygoers select one of Maxim Travel’s party packages, some of which include transportation on an elegant party bus, and commence the revelries at A-list clubs such as LAX, SHe and Chateau Nightclub and Lounge at Paris Las Vegas. Thanks to the company’s many connections, their clients glean VIP status and admission to the clubs without waiting in long lines, paying costly covers, or performing mandatory Macarenas.