Be prepared to pay a small entrance fee when entering Valley of Fire State Park. Almost everyone pulls over at the bright red rock formations shaped like beehives. They're easy to spot and offer the first taste of what the park is all about. Parking is close by, any climbing is near beginner level, and the unique shapes of the landmark are perfect for eye-catching photographs.

A quick stop at the visitor center is great way to maximize your trip through the Valley of Fire. It's almost like a mini-museum with a few exhibits to explain what the park is all about. There's also a gift shop for buying last-minute supplies (like sunscreen, if you forgot to bring some) and products made from the surrounding elements. The local desert honey is delicious. Fuel up with a nutrition bar if you forgot to have breakfast before hitting the road this morning.
Feel free to explore the land around the visitor's center. The rocky landscape is beautiful. You may even get an up-close look at a bighorn sheep—it's not uncommon for the animals to hang around the facility. Just don't try to distract or feed them.

The White Domes Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Valley of Fire. It's where the rock formations take on a creamy color that mixes well with pastel red and pink accents. The hike itself is easy and takes about 30 minutes. You may even spot the ruins of an old movie set from The Professionals (a Burt Lancaster movie from 1965).
The trail is a convenient route from the visitor's center and offers plenty of stunning visuals along the way. Pull over at Rainbow Vista and walk through deep red, Mars-like terrain, or walk Petroglyph Canyon trail, which leads to ancient tribal carvings and Mouse's Tank, a water basin known to collect rainfall.

Circle back to the Valley of Fire Highway and head east while driving past even more landmarks (like Elephant's Rock) before exiting the park and taking 169 north to Overton. Pull over at the Lost City Museum, an adobe structure that houses artifacts recovered from ancient sites flooded by the creation of the Hoover Dam.
The only archaeological museum in Nevada offers fascinating insight into how tribes lived off the land with tools, pottery, baskets and other items hundreds of years old. You can even see true-to-life examples of Pueblo architecture behind the museum.
It's not uncommon to browse through the exhibits in 30 minutes or less.

Cablp brings an unexpected dose of celebrity star power to the small desert town of Overton. The name (pronounced "ka-blip") stands for Criss Angel's Breakfast, Lunch & Pizza, a restaurant founded by the magician who performs regularly on the Las Vegas Strip. The renovated sports bar is now an elevated diner with a focus on breakfast and lunch dishes, as well as New York-style pizza.
Grab a seat for lunch or place an order at a walk-up to-go window. Cablp also serves coffee, featuring Angel's own line of Central American coffee beans and more than 100 flavors of Italian Ice desserts.

Arrive at Camel Safari Las Vegas for a VIP sunset tour. Spend three hours on the grounds of the accredited zoo, which take up 176 acres along the Virgin River. In addition to more than 30 camels, the property is home to alpacas, llamas, burros, porcupines, sloths and other exotic creatures kept in comfortable living conditions.
Ride by tram while an experienced guide shares information about the animals and environment. As the sun sets, you'll get to enjoy s'mores by a fire pit. (Just save room for dinner later on.)
The tours begin at 03:30 p.m. during summer hours, but times fluctuate during other parts of the year based on when sunset falls. Call them for questions about scheduling or customizing a tour. Don't wait until the last minute.

Mesquite is a quiet tourist town that's best known for its golf courses and casinos. Almost everyone agrees the best place for dinner is Katherine's Steakhouse inside the CasaBlanca resort. The restaurant specializes in a throwback dining experience with classic dishes like a caesar salad or cherries jubilee prepared tableside. Even the dover sole is deboned and portioned in front of customers.
Ingredients are the key. The restaurant uses dry-aged prime steaks from Chicago stockyards and stone crabs from the Florida Keys when in season. However, the customer service has a personal old-school touch that keeps regulars coming back year after year. You couldn't pick a better meal for wrapping up your road trip.
After a full day (and a full belly after dinner), it's time to head back to Las Vegas. You'll travel the entire way on Interstate 15 without any stops, but you can always pull over at a gas station to fill the tank or stretch your legs.