ENJOY THE SEASON: Things to do in spring

Skateboarding, visiting a park, off-roading, catching a race are ways to get outdoors, take advantage of mild weather

View File photoJason Majdanski, 11, skates on the half pipe during the official opening of Sandstone Ridge Park, 1661 W. Hammer Lane, in March. Jim Miller/ViewVolunteer Thomas Cook prunes an apricot tree at the Master Gardener Orchard, 4400 Horse Drive, to ensure better growth of the fruit. At the orchard, people can browse the plants and get tips on how to grow their own. Larry Cruikshank/ViewAfter renting a dune buggy from Sunbuggy, 6825 Speedway Blvd. Building B, Suite 101-B, Las Vegas visitor Ken Watkin rips through the sand for a day of desert fun. Advertisement

With the beginning of spring comes the beginning of warm weather in the Las Vegas Valley. It's the perfect time to enjoy outdoor fun before the heat sets in.

KICK UP YOUR HEELS

Mild days of sun, balm and blossoms are features of spring in North Las Vegas, but when halcyon days need a little shaking up, the city's newest spot for recreation, Sandstone Ridge Park, is the springtime destination of choice.

The $5.9-million project opened March 13 at 1616 W. Hammer Lane, and in addition to baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts and play equipment, the park features North Las Vegas' first skateboard park.

"It's really the jewel of North Las Vegas," said Tim Thurtle, owner of Area 702 Skateboard Shop, 6010 W. Cheyenne Ave.

"I know a lot of professional skateboarders who film out there. We've just completed filming there ourselves," said Thurtle, whose Area 702 Skate team took part in the park's opening celebration. "It's the Mecca of skateboarding."

Thurtle stressed the cardiovascular benefit skateboarders derive from the sport, but along with the shake-n-bake of the kickflip or the grind, visitors to Sandstone Ridge Park also can take a leisurely walk. The park is a trail head for the Las Vegas Wash Regional Trail System.

Hollywood Skate Park, at 1650 S. Hollywood between Charleston Boulevard and East Sahara Avenue, is a great destination all year-round, said Leslie Mihalko, public information coordinator for Clark County Parks and Recreation.

"It's awesome," Mihalko said.

An 11-foot kidney bowl and 18-foot full pipe offers skaters of all levels a state-of-the-art skating experience.

"We do charge a small fee, simply because we keep people who love to skate on staff to watch the skaters," Mihalko said. "They give tips and advice. We're very safety conscious."

The 29,000-square-foot skating park includes a full plaza with a 10-stair step with two ledges and fun boxes.

"And when you're done with skating, you can go into our 40,000-square-foot facility and cool off. What's really cool, is that when you're in our dance rooms, or the yoga room, you can look down and see the whole city," Mihalko said.

Skate park hours are Sunday through Thursday 2:30 to 8:15 p.m., Friday 2:30 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Helmets are a must while using the skate park. All visitors 17 and under must have a release form from a parent or guardian. For more information, visit www.accessclarkcounty.com/Parks/Skateparks/Hollywood_Skate_Park.htm.

SPEED INTO SPRING

When asked what makes the Nellis Dunes a must-stop destination for spring, Robert Wandel, parks and recreation planner for the Bureau of Land Management's Las Vegas Field Office said simply: "10,000 acres of unrestricted, off-highway vehicle use. You can take your ATV, motorcycle, Rhino or Jeep and just go out there and ride all over the country."

Located 17 miles northeast of Las Vegas off Interstate 15 at the Apex exit, the picturesque quality of acres upon acres of sand has drawn media attention as well devotees.

"Visitors come from all over the world," said Scott Bradford, operations manager of Sun Buggy Fun Rentals, 6825 Speedway Blvd. "We've had crews shoot videos and commercials. MTV's the 'Rob & Big' show filmed an episode where they came out here. You can bring your own truck, rent an ATV, camp overnight. And it's free."

Bradford is a Toronto native, whose shop provides tours as well as rentals. For more information about rental vehicles for a spring jaunt through the dunes, visit www.sunbuggyfunrentals.com/lasvegas.

Up the road from the dunes, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 7000 Las Vegas Blvd. South has been become known as the "Diamond of the Desert." The 1,200-acre facility offers multiple tracks for professional and local amateur racing, and according to Jeff Motley, LVMS senior director of public relations, is one of the best spots this spring for a family night out.

"We race almost every Saturday," Motley said. "And what you have is a great night out for a family of four, with three or four hours of continuous racing excitement for just 10 bucks to get in."

Motley said the Saturday night races go on through spring with a break during the hotter months.

"The local professional racers bring their cars and have an opportunity to train as well as kids just starting out in the younger divisions. Kyle and Kurt Busch got their start here," he said, speaking of the Las Vegas native NASCAR drivers.

Saturday night races offer $1 hot dogs, $1 sodas and $1 beers.

"You come into the Speedway have dinner and enjoy the races," Motley said.

For more information about the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, call 644-4444 or visit www.lvms.com. The 2008 Midnight Mayhem series resumes Friday evening at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with street-legal drag racing from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Gates will open at 8 p.m. Entry fee is $10 to race and $5 admission for spectators. For more information about Midnight Mayhem, call 632-8213 or visit www.lvms.com.

GET INTO THE BLOOM OF THINGS

Master gardeners are available virtually right in your own backyard at the Master Gardener Orchard in northwest Las Vegas.

Though apple and pear blossoms are coming to an end for this season, pomegranate and persimmons are beginning their debut. Visitors can feast their eyes on the more than 600 fruit trees. But while the public is invited to pick the brains of the 30 master gardeners, gardener apprentices and volunteers within the one-and-a-half acre orchard, they cannot pick the fruit.

"You can come and learn how to re-create what we have here in your own backyard," said Bob Morris, horticultural specialist for the University of Nevada's Cooperative Extension.

"Drop in on any Saturday or Tuesday morning and ask our gardeners any question you might have," Morris said. "And you can also volunteer."

Morris writes a weekly column for the View Neighborhood Newspapers. In addition, he pens a weekly column titled "Xtreme Horticulture," which addresses the unique conditions of plant and fruit tree cultivation in the valley. Sharing the site with UNLV's Center for Urban Horticulture and Water Conservation, the orchard offers demonstrations and classes throughout the year, with gardeners available Tuesday and Saturday mornings from 7 a.m. to noon.

The orchard is located at the base of the Sheep Mountain Range at 4400 Horse Drive, in proximity to Shadow Ridge High School. It will host a wine event, Vino, in the orchard on May 17. For more information about University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, visit www.unce.unr.edu. Inquiries about the orchard can be sent to Bob Morris at morrisr@unce.unr.edu.