Sleigh riding probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Vegas (well, at least not unless the sleigh comes equipped with strippers), but while Las Vegas is located in the desert and can get to be 120 degrees in the summer, in winter it can dip below freezing. Last winter it even snowed. About an hour Northwest of the Strip is Mount Charleston (elevation 12,000 feet), which has forests, a ski lodge and yes, even sleigh rides. Today some friends and I went sleigh riding (for 15 bucks each) and then went out to lunch at a lodge nearby.

Though there wasn’t much snow, it was still nice to get out of the city and the desert for an afternoon. Though I’ve lived in Vegas for over a year now, it still amazes me that such a place exists in the middle of a desert.

Reannon Muth

Reannon Muth is a full-time writer, social media consultant and owner and manager of the Taken by the Wind travel blog. Born in Hawaii, Reannon has lived in five countries, at Disney World and on a cruise ship. She currently lives in fabulous Las Vegas.