Flagstaff or Las Vegas?

Neither city is a beach destination, as both lie far inland. What differs is the kind of water. Flagstaff's swimming is in the cold, rocky creek pools of Oak Creek Canyon, crowded at weekends. Las Vegas has the warm gravel shore of Lake Mead and, more usefully, big resort pools with sand-lined wave pools and lazy rivers for an afternoon out of the heat.

Las Vegas eats far better. The Strip gathers outposts of famous chefs, classic steakhouses and tasting menus. The real interest lies on Spring Mountain Road, where kilometres of Sichuan, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese kitchens stay open late.

Flagstaff is a beer town before it is a food town. Its craft breweries around downtown and the Southside are the highlight, with diners, Mexican cooking and Navajo frybread filling in. That is fine after a day on the trails, but nothing to plan meals around.

Flagstaff has the more rewarding sights, though neither city has many. The Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was found, and the Museum of Northern Arizona's Hopi, Navajo and Zuni collections give it real substance. The railroad-era brick downtown on Route 66 has history you can walk through.

Las Vegas offers spectacle instead of heritage: themed resorts, the fountain show and the light canopy over Fremont Street. The Neon Museum and the Mob Museum tell the city's story well, but after those a sightseer runs short.

Las Vegas is one of the world's great places for a night out. Its casino bars never close, the world's best-known DJs play resort nightclubs and dayclub pool parties fill weekend afternoons. For something cheaper and less polished, Fremont Street and the arts district have dive bars, cocktail lounges and craft beer.

In Flagstaff, an evening out means a stroll between brewery taprooms, a few cocktail bars and old Route 66 saloons downtown and in the Southside. Students liven up term-time weekends, but most places are quiet long before Las Vegas gets going.

Flagstaff is the stronger base for the outdoors. It sits under volcanic peaks rising to 3,850m inside a vast ponderosa forest, with trails from the edge of town and a ski area on the mountain. Sunset Crater's lava flows, Sedona's red rock and the Grand Canyon are within easy driving, and its skies are among the darkest anywhere.

Las Vegas has striking desert close by: Red Rock Canyon's sandstone and climbing routes, the flame-coloured rock of Valley of Fire and Mount Charleston's pine forest. The catch is summer, when the heat closes desert hiking to all but dawn, while Flagstaff's altitude keeps its trails open.

Flagstaff has far more varied outings. Cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle, Sinagua ruins at Walnut Canyon and Wupatki, the hillside mining town of Jerome, the historic railway from Williams and the Hopi mesas all lie within a drive, each quite different from the last.

From Las Vegas the obvious outing is Hoover Dam with Boulder City, a good half day. After that the choices are long journeys to the landscapes of Zion, Death Valley or the Grand Canyon. Both cities need a car for almost everything.

Flagstaff is the more relaxed choice with children. Beyond the observatory and museum there are the Oak Creek pools, a drive-through wildlife park near Williams and the steam-era train to the Grand Canyon. Its drawbacks are practical: the altitude tires small children at first, nights are cold and drives are long.

Las Vegas can fill a day or two with an indoor amusement park, a shark aquarium and the Discovery Children's Museum. Still, the city is built for adults, and the summer heat makes walking with young children a struggle.

Las Vegas is somewhat easier without a car. Buses run the length of the Strip and on to downtown day and night, a monorail runs behind the eastern resorts, and taxis and ride-hailing are everywhere. Even so, the giant resorts make walking slower than it looks.

Flagstaff's downtown and Southside are compact and walkable, with paved urban trails for cycling. Its local buses stop well short of the mountain, the monuments and the canyon, though. In both places anything out in the wild needs a hire car or a tour.

Las Vegas is the place to shop. Major fashion and jewellery houses fill the resort malls, and a big department-store mall and two outlet centres add more, all open late. What it lacks is anything made locally.

That is exactly Flagstaff's strength, on a much smaller scale. Its galleries and trading posts sell Navajo rugs, Hopi kachina carvings, pottery and silver and turquoise jewellery. Beyond those come outdoor gear, bookshops and Route 66 souvenirs.

Flagstaff is somewhat easier on the wallet. Chain motels on Route 66 and reasonable brewery meals keep a stay within reach, though summer weekends push up room rates, and a hire car and park fees add up.

Las Vegas can look cheaper midweek, when large rooms are a bargain. Weekend and convention rates jump, though, resort fees appear on almost every booking, and drinks, shows and Strip dining are expensive. Staying Sunday to Thursday and eating in Chinatown makes a real difference.

Las Vegas has a stage scene few cities match. Acrobatic and water-based spectacles play in purpose-built theatres, magicians and comedians perform every night, and stars who rarely tour take long residencies. The Smith Center adds touring Broadway musicals, the Philharmonic and ballet.

Flagstaff's calendar is modest and local. The symphony and university musicians play on campus, the restored Orpheum hosts folk and indie acts, and there is community theatre and summer concerts in the pines. It rounds off an evening rather than shaping a trip.

Las Vegas has the better spas. Its huge resort spas offer thermal circuits, saunas, salt rooms and long treatment menus to day visitors, and they are at their most peaceful on a quiet weekday morning, before the casino noise takes over.

Flagstaff has only a few day spas, and its calm comes from cool, pine-scented evenings and bright stars instead. Anyone there who wants proper treatments drives down to Sedona's resort spas and yoga studios, about an hour away.