Next time you're driving to or from Vegas on the 15, indulge your curiosity and take the Zzyzx Road exit, drive 5 miles to the east, and visit the former Soda Springs Resort, now part of the Mojave National Preserve. This site is open for hiking, relaxing and enjoying the landscape, including the natural springs. (The former resort buildings are currently the Desert Studies Center and not accessible to the public.) But you can tour the springs, hike around the area, birdwatch, and enjoy the facilities including picnic tables and a restroom. The site is right next to a dry lake, adding unique scenery. The springs were previously well-known to the Native Americans, who kindly shared the location with the Europeans, only for it to be turned into a business that then went under due to a con man. Sound familiar? Free admission, free parking. Beautiful spot to take a break on the way to Vegas. read more