Travel Nevada has partnered with Travel Agent Finder to reward two Aussie advisors with the chance to “Get a Little Out There” on a famil hosted by industry icon Anna Shannon.
The winning agents Elyse Palmer and Lisa Thomas, both from Travel Managers, were chosen to travel alongside Anna on an eight-day itinerary in February 2026, to explore the Silver State beyond the famous Las Vegas Strip.
The experience provided the advisors with the opportunity to deepen their product knowledge enabling them to better sell Nevada to Australian travellers, whilst also discovering why the Silver State is one of the USA’s most compelling self-drive destinations.
Beginning in Las Vegas, the advisors explored the city’s culture and history in the Downtown region with visits to The Mob Museum and The Neon Museum, before setting out on a Nevada road trip through the diverse desert landscapes and historic towns that define the state.
Driving sections of Nevada’s famous Free-Range Art Highway, the group visited the open-air installations at Goldwell Open Air Museum and explored the preserved boomtown of Rhyolite, one of the state’s many historic ghost towns.
The journey continued through the mining heritage towns of Goldfield and Tonopah, where the advisors toured historic mining sites on a UTV, and experienced Tonopah’s famous dark skies, before travelling along the legendary Extraterrestrial Highway, stopping in Rachel, at the iconic Little A’Le’Inn near the mysterious Area 51.
Along the Neon to Nature route, the trio also cruised on Hoover Dam, explored nearby Boulder City and Lake Mead, before venturing to Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada’s oldest and largest state park where dramatic red sandstone formations and ancient petroglyphs showcase the state’s extraordinary natural landscapes. Here, they kayaked the emerald waters of the Colorado River near Emerald Cave.
“Many Australians know Las Vegas, but this trip showed just how much more Nevada has to offer,” Shannon said. “From ghost towns and quirky art installations to kayaking through glowing green caves, the variety of experiences makes Nevada perfect for adventurous travellers and road trip lovers.”
For Palmer Nevada delivered the classic American road trip experience.
“Wide open highways, quirky small towns and landscapes that change dramatically every few hours,” she said. “It’s easy to package with Las Vegas but offers something truly unique for clients wanting to explore further.”
“One of the most memorable moments was driving the Extraterrestrial Highway and stopping at tiny desert towns that feel frozen in time,” Thomas added. “Add in incredible stargazing, historic hotels and places like Valley of Fire, and you have a destination that really surprises people.”
Said Travel Nevada Australia director Corey Marshall: “Nevada is a road-trip destination like no other, with mountains, deserts, historic mining towns, and more than 600 ghost towns,
“Australian travellers can replicate Anna, Elyse and Lisa’s experience and explore wide-open landscapes and unique nature-based adventures in addition to the bright lights of Las Vegas.”
