Nearly all people are not aware that Vegas has a lot more to offer visitors than simply gambling, drinking and showgirls. Entertainment options are extensive and the natural splendor surrounding the city draws a lot of people to explore the great outdoors. Grand Canyon bus trips are used often by travelers who want to take a break from the hectic pace on the world famous Strip.

Companies located in Vegas offer package deals that come with transportation, meals and guided tours with stops at important sites en route for a more detailed look and photo opportunities. Routes, stops and destinations will be different according to company and package.

Travelers will go to their destination on a luxury coach with restrooms, padded reclining seats, and huge windows for easy viewing of the passing scenery. Many of the buses come with flat screen televisions and even DVD players.

The principle route from Vegas to Arizona features travel across the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, a structure that opened to traffic in late 2010. The bridge is among the highest in the world and supports a four-lane road almost 900 feet over the Colorado River. Riders will get views of amazing Lake Mead, cavernous Black Canyon and the legendary Hoover Dam from the bypass bridge.

All-day excursions depart early in the morning and come back to town in the evening. Most companies provide pick-up and drop-off service to most local hotel-casinos. Ample time is given at each site to enable everyone to leave the motor coach and look at the area on foot.

A tour to the canyon's West Rim could make a stop at Hualapai Ranch. The ranch offers a petting zoo, cowboy re-enactments and wagon rides. High Point Hike is a short walk to Guano Point where 360-degree views of the gorge stretch out as far as the eye can see. The Glass Walk at Eagle Point offers perhaps the most fascinating views of all. The u-shaped bridge has a glass bottom and juts out from the canyon wall. Native American guides lead visitors over the walkway, suspended 4,000 over the ground.

Mather Point is just one of many sites located on the canyon's South Rim. The visitor center has interpretive exhibits in the plaza area and a theater with an orientation film showing every 30 minutes. Picnic areas and a stone amphitheater are perched along the rim. Informal ranger lectures are presented in the amphitheater.

Yavapai Point is found at the northernmost point of the South Rim. The observation point there has panoramic views of creeks, buttes, the Colorado River, gorges and hidden canyons. Notable landmarks include the Shiva Temple formation, the Cheops Pyramid mesa with its distinctive flat top and a summit called the Isis Temple.

Visitors to Vegas can choose from various entertainment options and not all of them involve neon lights, dice and slot machines. Exploring the great outdoors is yet another item to include in the itinerary. Pick one of the many Grand Canyon bus tours and get ready to explore a completely new world.