Sometimes it seems we don’t live in a city so much as some neon-clad media specimen, one constantly under the prying gaze of countless authors, columnists, bloggers, tourists and a million grammar-torturing Yelpers. It’s fun enough — until the haters show up.

My name is Alan Gegax, and I am the chief of the Las Vegas Hiking & Outdoors Meetup. We are the hiking group that Branch Whitney singled out, without naming, in his essay in Desert Companion’s April 2011 issue (“Twenty-one is a crowd”).

Our well-traveled Las Vegans share their top stops and hot spots in their favorite cities (after Las Vegas, of course) BOSTON The Garment District It’s like: Savers + Fremont Street – booze Traveling to vastly different climes inevitably means forgetting some vital piece of clothing. For those who partake in the Savers scene in Sin City, a trip to The Garment District is a must.

The Beehive State has been busy reinventing itself. Stuffy and staid? Not so much anymore What a difference a few focus groups — and a major boost in tourism funding and some relaxing of liquor laws — can make.

Artesia lip balm I’m a lip balm addict. If the thin veneer of civilization we share suddenly disappeared and we all reverted to savage brutes, I’d probably just hoard sticks of balm and continuously apply it to my lips in a never-ending, increasingly glossy and widening circle to eventually encompass my whole head.

Camping out? Holing up in a hotel? Our travel gear picks keep you moving in comfort and style Sock value Boldly colored or boldly patterned socks are sensual. So it is no surprise that men avoid them, which is a shame.

‘The images pull at you. I had to go and help.

You can’t have a travel issue without some kind of nod to the curious fact that we ourselves live in Las Vegas — one of the most visited, blogged, reviewed, navel-gazed, philosophized-upon and Facebooked destinations in the solar system. And among those clamoring hordes: Writers! With Important Thoughts! Even in a flatlining economy, Las Vegas continues to be a subject of fascination, commentary and, yes, howling ridicule.

Typically seen as the pretty but prudish state, Utah has quietly been working hard to market itself over the last half-decade as a place to … play hard and even party a little? Yes. “Our brand is ‘Life elevated,’” says Clayton Scrivner, spokesperson for the Utah Office of Tourism and Film.

Remember water? Dive into our writers’ favorite beachy retreats Living and playing in the desert is great. But there’s nothing like a little contrast to liven things up.