Editorial: Getting out and about in Southern Nevada

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005 | 7:08 a.m.

While Nevada officials court tourists from China, those charged with bringing visitors to Boulder City are looking for them a little closer to home.

A lot closer, actually. Hoping to lure Southern Nevadans who long for a little adventure close by, Boulder City officials have launched a campaign claiming their town is "A world away for a day."

It's a big step. Just a few years ago, Boulder City's historic Main Street was a checkerboard of struggling retail shops and empty storefronts. Shopkeepers in 2001 told the Sun that 14 businesses had opened and closed in two years' time.

But the historic area has slowly regained footing and become a hubbub of activity, with eclectic shops, antique stores and restaurants. With the Nevada State Railroad Museum and Bootleg Canyon, which offers some of the best mountain bike trails in the country, just outside of town, Boulder City is the perfect little getaway destination for a day or weekend.

And the city's tourism officials are getting serious about promoting that image. To prove it, they have engaged the services of R&R Partners, the firm that devised the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's successful "What happens here, stays here" campaign.

Boulder City is to kick off its "world away" campaign early next year. But there's no reason to wait for the TV ads to air. Southern Nevadans can take advantage of this little back yard jewel right now. Just get in the car and go.