The following first appeared as part of Live & Play, a special section in the June issue of Military Officer magazine. The magazine is available to all MOAA Premium and Life members. Learn more and access the digital edition here; learn more about joining MOAA here.) 

By Todd Gilchrist

Nearly three quarters of Nevada’s population lives in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas-Paradise metropolitan area, but there’s plenty to do across the entire state.

The Hoover Dam is not only a tremendous power source, but a great destination for spectacular views. Lake Tahoe offers 22 miles of fresh water for swimming, fishing, and more, and it’s surrounded by campgrounds, hiking trails, and ski slopes. Lake Mead similarly features miles of opportunities for boating and beaching.

Las Vegas is currently developing plans for a professional football team to debut in 2020, but the city already has a terrific WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, and the National Hockey League’s Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup finals in the franchise’s first year.

For more adventuresome types, there’s Burning Man, the annual event in Black Rock Desert where people can let their freak flag fly and explore nature at its wildest. In Tonopah, there’s the Clown Motel, a fascinating — or, depending on your reaction to clowns, frightening — place to stay. And in Rachel, which is near the infamous Area 51, there’s Little A’Le’Inn, a temporary residence for UFO chasers and folks eager to get a good look at the night skies.