Nevada travelers choose from 18 Best Western hotels.

Downtown Reno Nevada

Get cultural this summer in northern Nevada. Silver State cities like Reno, Elko, and Carson City host art museums, science centers, and historic sites. The second largest city in Nevada, Reno – known as the Biggest Little City in the World – features some amazing sights, including The National Automobile Museum, the Fleischmann Planetarium & Science Center's interactive exhibits . Visitors's to the state capital, Carson City, learn about Nevada itself at the Nevada State Museum. Carson Valley and Topaz Lake are paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, and Elko plays host to some great festivals - northern Nevada ideal for your summer travels in Nevada.

Carson Valley kicks off spring late April with Genoa's Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival. Gardnerville, 8-miles south of Genoa, hosts Carson Valley Days, a sure sign summer is here in the Carson Valley. The 2012 festival is June 6th through 10th at Lampe Park in Gardnerville. This family friendly event has been a Carson Valley and Gardnerville tradition for over 100 years; enjoy the hot air baloon launch, music, games and arts and crafts market. Join the fun at the Carson Valley Walk, Jog, Run on Saturday followed by the Carson Valley Days Parade. Kick off your summer in Gardnerville at 2012 Carson Valley Days.

Don’t miss the museums of Reno. Open Wednesday through Sunday, downtown Reno’s Nevada Museum of Art is free to children 5-years-old and under, and offers free parking to boot. Catch exhibits like “Jacob Hashimoto: Here in Sleep, a World, Muted to a Whisper” through July 1, or Tim Hawkinson’s Totem on display outside of the museum, all the way through October. At the Nevada Museum of Art, enjoy a self-guided tour of the exhibits – or wrangle up one of the museum’s trained docents to show you around – and even grab lunch at the onsite Café Musée.

Less than a mile from the Nevada Museum of Art – and just 10 minutes from the Best Western hotel in Reno, the National Automobile Museum is a treasure of Reno’s many attractions, and you’ll soon know why. Open daily, and also free to children 5-years-old and under, the National Automobile Museum is home to exhibits like Celebrity Automobiles – featuring the cars of Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, and Elvis – and cars from movies like Titanic and Rebel Without a Cause. Check out the gold-plated DeLorean DMC-12s, and get lost in a sea of Ferrari, Jaguar, and Rolls-Royce during your summer stay in Reno.

Just 30 miles south of Reno past Washoe Lake, Carson City is another fun city set in northern Nevada. Visitors to the Silver State capital can explore the Nevada State Museum. Just north of the Nevada State Capitol, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday and features the former Carson City Mint and natural history displays like the Nevada's Changing Earth exhibit and America's largest exhibited Columbian mammoth. Catch the Exquisite Miniatures exhibit starting in mid-May, and French Travel Posters from the Merci Train Collection, on display though mid August.

Set in northeast Nevada, Elko is a festive city found just north of Ruby Valley. Try your hand at the many nearby casinos, or check out the 2012 National Basque Festival, happening July 6th through the 8th. For those motorcycle enthusiasts, don’t miss the 2012 Elko Motorcycle Jamboree – known as the Rumble in the Rubies – in mid June in Elko’s Old Town corridor. Shop, eat, and ride this summer in northern Nevada.

Colorado River & the Hoover Dam

Spice things up in southern Nevada. Whether you’re planning a spring break getaway, or just looking forward to summer vacation, consider the outdoor recreation and historic sites of the Silver State. History buffs, check out the Lost City Museum near Mesquite for a look at artifacts from Lake Mead and the Anasazi Indian people, or soak in the beautiful surroundings of Valley of Fire State Park – the largest state park in Nevada. Enjoy a stop in Pahrump – known for “Sunny Days and Western Ways” – for golf, casinos and the Pahrump Valley Museum. Or if you find yourself in Tonopah, explore the Tonopah Historic Mining Park during your stay in southern Nevada.

Set in southern Nevada, just an hour southwest of Mesquite near the town of Overton, the pet-friendly Valley of Fire State Park is a stunning spot for your summer getaway. Nevada's largest state park at 35,000 acres features everything from scenic hikes and picnic spots, to interactive visitor centers and viewable petroglyphs. Take a relaxing drive down Valley of Fire Road – a Nevada Scenic Byway – and get a good look of where Total Recall was filmed. Don’t miss the 2012 Car Show, on April 21st, keep an eye out for desert wildlife, and enjoy a family picnic near Atlatl Rock – all happening at the Valley of Fire State Park.

Southwest of Mesquite, just west of Las Vegas, Pahrump is a playground for any visitor of southern Nevada. A small town with the self-applied motto of “Your Base Camp to Adventure,” Pahrump features everything from golf in the mountains to the 193-acre Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. Enjoying a romantic spring break? Head to the Pahrump Nugget Casino, or treat your loved one to an evening at the Pahrump Valley Winery & Symphony's Restaurant. Traveling with kids? Take the little ones to the Pahrump Valley Speedway, or let them run wild at the nearby Spring Mountain National Recreation Area.

And there’s still plenty more to do in Pahrump this summer. Enjoy a round of golf at the Lake View Executive Golf Course or the Mountain Falls Golf Club – one of the more scenic courses in southern Nevada – or grab a cup of coffee with the Pahrump Valley Roasters. Take the history buff in your family to the Pahrump Valley Museum & Historical Society, or get some well-deserved rest at the Best Western hotel in Pahrump.

For more history in southern Nevada, check out the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. A small town set at the confluence of U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 95, Tonopah is nicknamed the Queen of the Silver Camps, thanks to this legendary attraction. Open daily, the Tonopah Historic Mining Park allows visitors to explore the depths of underground Nevada through guided tours. Walk over the Mizpah Mine, take a peek inside the free visitor center, and don’t miss the Nevada State Mining Championships over Memorial Day weekend. Mountain bike and ATV trails are also available at the Tonopah Historic Mining Park – more activities to add to your southern Nevada itinerary.

The Strip - Las Vegas

It’s spring in the Entertainment Capital of the World – so act accordingly! Las Vegas – whether you’re on spring break, a family vacation, or a romantic getaway – is bound to show you the time of your life. The largest city in Nevada, Vegas features legendary attractions like Fremont Street, the Neon Museum, and of course, the Las Vegas strip. Catch the fountain show at the Bellagio, grab a seat on the roller coaster at New York New York, and fill up on the buffet at the MGM Grand. Of course, Vegas has even more to offer than the strip – discover the museums, parks, and kid-friendly activities of Las Vegas.

Although known for its nightlife, Las Vegas is home to a number of great museums and cultural centers. One quirky stop in Vegas happens to be the National Atomic Testing Museum – an interactive institute focusing on the nuclear testing of the Nevada Test Site. Think Hills Have Eyes. Open daily, the museum covers 1951 to present day, with documentation, artifacts, and fascinating exhibits. Don’t miss the experience of Ground Zero Theater, and look forward to the Area 51: Myth or Reality exhibit on display now. Sign up for a guided tour – offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays – and grab yourself an Einstein souvenir from the National Atomic Testing Museum store.

As we all know, Vegas is not that much of a Sin City. Children are always welcome to check out lavish shopping malls, fun-themed restaurants, and a plethora of other kid-friendly activities in Las Vegas. Treat the kids to a day at the All-American Sportpark – where they can check out the NASCAR SpeedPark with its NASKART Stock Car. For more fun with the kids, let them explore the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum – open daily and featuring a number of exciting exhibits for the 2012 season. Check out Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! – on display at the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum until May 13th.

For a little outdoor recreation in Las Vegas, discover the many nearby state parks and conservation areas, all but a day trip away. Take a stroll through the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park, or pump up the volume and visit the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area – found just 15 miles west of Las Vegas. At Red Rock Canyon, you can look forward to a day of hiking, biking, and horseback riding along the area’s many designated trails. Sport climbing is available in the Calico Hills and the Sandstone Quarry – while the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area also offers many climbing walls perfect for beginners.

Reap all the benefits of your spring trip to the Entertainment Capital of the World, and enjoy your stay in a Best Western hotel in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, or Henderson.