As the weather warms up and desert blooms unfurl, many of you will be heading down Blue Diamond Road to enjoy the natural wonders of the desert. Along the way, stop to sample the rustic charms of Blue Diamond, a small town suffused by the natural grandeur of Red Rock Canyon — and (🎧) possibly threatened by massive development.
Cottonwood Station
A lovely, cosmopolitan eatery in a rural setting. I’ll vouch for the breakfast pizza and the coffee. The atmo is comfy, and at this time of year the patio seating should be hella nice. Intriguing mix of people, too, with BD locals, Las Vegans, and tourists. You might even see former Clark County poet laureate Heather Lang-Cassera, who likes to write there.
Get Outdoors
The Blue Diamond Loop is a great introduction to the biking and hiking trails in this area. Don’t have a bike? You can rent one. Or hike the 7.7-mile Blue Diamond Hill Trail.
Poke Around
“I adore tiny town post offices,” says City Cast Las Vegas lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson, and Blue Diamond’s post office meets her expectations for quaintness: “It looks like a little cabin, it’s so freakin’ cute!” Need to restock your nightstand book stack? The Blue Diamond Library has an ongoing book sale. As you tool around town, buy a drink or a snack at the Village Market, and park yourself outside on the shaded seating beside the groovy Western mural. And because the surrounding landscape is so compelling, there’s some fine architecture out there, like this house and this house, both designed by local architect C.J. Hoogland.
Cactus Joe’s
Cactus Joe’s is a longtime, beloved desert plant nursery — and more. Its seven-plus acres offer plenty of atmosphere to explore on a leisurely stroll, plus a gift shop, a wedding-slash-events space … and, now, on Saturday mornings, yoga.
A small, rural town just beyond the bombast of Las Vegas. (Google Maps)
