Vegas on Two Wheels: Mt. Charleston Lodge
One of the wonderful things about Las Vegas is how you can literally find all the seasons within or just out of the city limits. You can also ride out of the hustle and bustle of the city to a beautiful quiet desert or mountain landscape with only the sound of the wind blowing through the cacti or trees. There is a place just outside of Las Vegas I love to visit especially during the holidays. It’s a place that is as warm and inviting as your grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve. The Place is called Mt. Charleston Lodge and it’s this week’s Vegas on Two Wheels!
The ride to the lodge is a fun and fast cruise. Just take the I-15 north and exit for the 95 northbound out of Las Vegas. Just as you exit the city limits, a sign for Kyle Canyon Rd. pops up! It’s small and brown, and sort of blends in with the desert landscape so look carefully for the sign and turn off. Take Kyle Canyon Rd. and follow it right up the mountain straight up to the lodge! These roads are all well kept, and the speed is great! Speed limits will range from 50 to 70 mph for most of the ride but once you get up to the communities on Mt. Charleston, the speed limits drop back to 30mph. It’s always a great ride up the mountain for me. I love the winding lefts and rights with a few decent switchbacks dusted in for flavor to make the ride more fun and interesting.
The scenery change as you increase in elevation is another incredible visual experience that you cannot compare. From sand, dust and cacti to rocky cliffs and pine trees all drizzled with snow over branches, cracks, and crevasses. It’s truly beautiful but make sure you’re wearing the right gear! I triple layered my upper body and double layered my lower body, and I was still freezing my butt off! Remember, the high you go up, the colder it gets and by the time I reached the little town on the mountain, the temperature was about 35 degrees!
It astounds me every time I visit this part of the mountain during the winter season. Down in the valley, everything is still sunny and clear; a little cool but nothing seems to change. Up here on the mountain it looks like a winter wonderland with a little Christmas cottage town scattered amongst the cliffs. Snow covered roofs to my left and right with every other cabin billowing white smoke from their chimneys. Many of them even have their Christmas lights up blinking bright and bouncing their warm glow of the ice and snow hanging from the roofs and tree branches. Utterly beautiful and for a moment the warmth of the holidays filled me as I rode the last mile or so up to the lodge.
The Lodge is a restaurant that serves to locals and tourist on or coming up the mountain. It sits on a cliff overlooking a ravine thousands of feet wide. On the other side of this ravine are the cabins and cottages that perch on the cliffs on the Spring Mountain range. A truly beautiful site.
The lodge itself looks like a moderately size ski lodge that reminded me of the lodges found in the ski resorts in Aspen. The outside is quaint; not overdone; simple and inviting. It’s the inside that will stir up the holiday butterflies filling you with the spirit of the season!
Once you open the old pine doors to this place, you are transferred to a whole new world. The first thing you feel is a mild warmth that seems to wrap around you; it cradles you feeling almost nurturing. The next is the smell of hot coffee, cocoa, and food from French fries and burgers to sizzling peppercorn sirloin. My mouth begins to water as a smile strikes my face growing larger and larger feeling as if it may stretch ear to ear.
I make my way through the restaurant towards the bar. A massive fireplace sits roaring in the middle of the dining floor.
I can hear a soft roar and the occasional crackle of wood burning over the men and women, boys and girls talking, laughing; telling stories of places that remind them of this lodge from their past. Under a wagon wheel lamp light, I find a warm, cozy seat at the bar. The tender is kind and with a warm smile he asks me “what will it be today friend.” I ask for something hot to warm my bones but with a little kick, this is a bar after all.
He hands me a menu and points me to my desired treats. I could not believe the drinks they had for the season! I chose what they called a “Butterfinger” which consists of butterscotch schnapps and hot cocoa! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!
Exactly what I needed after a cold ride up the mountain. I have been many times before and have sampled the food, which, might I add, is hearty, delicious, and sticks to your bones. I must recommend the fish and chips, but I have never tried their mixed drinks before, and if I didn’t have to get down the mountain for another event, I would have sampled a couple more drinks from their menu for sure!
If you ever visit Las Vegas and find yourself in town during the Holidays, you MUST head up to the Mt. Charleston Lodge! Hands down an incredible experience that you cannot miss!
[Images: Greg Bennett]
Some pics are in this article, but you can see them all in the gallery:
Greg Bennett is the morning meteorologist on KTNV’s Good Morning Las Vegas newscast. He is an avid Harley rider but also is a huge classic car fan and loves to work on both. In his free time, you can catch Greg riding his bike around town, working out at the gym, hanging out with his Pit Bull (DewPoint), or getting his hands dirty by volunteering across the city of Las Vegas.
