Any visit to Las Vegas demands the suspension of disbelief the moment you start to take it too seriously you miss the point. It’s glitz for the sake of being glitzy, over-the-top hustle and flash as means and end. It’s crowds of people, staring at neon signs and spinning lemons like deer hypnotized by headlights.
Not that Vegas doesn’t have a serious side: billions are at stake on the craps and blackjack tables and in the battle of the theme parks but you’re given enough distractions to ignore it until you lose. If you tire of pulling the handle on that one-armed bandit and drinking watered-down (albeit free) screwdrivers, the surrounding area has some of the region’s most beautiful scenery, and the entire area is architecture that is unseen and unheard of in the world. Replicas of Paris landmarks, King Tuts tomb as well as the Roman Palaces are there to be viewed and wandered through, while Dolphin learning centers, Mandalay Bays Shark Tank and some of the most amazing gardens in the world are also part of the down town scenery.
Viewe of Las Vegas from floor 26 of the Flamingo Hotel
Introduction
Las Vegas demands the suspension of disbelief the moment you start to take it seriously you miss the point. It’s glitz for its own sake, over-the-top hustle and flash as means and end. It’s crowds of people, staring at neon signs and spinning lemons like deer hypnotized by headlights. This is not to say that Vegas doesn’t have a serious side: billions are at stake on the craps and blackjack tables and in the battle of the theme parks but you’re given enough distractions to ignore it until you lose. If you tire of pulling the handle on that one-armed bandit and drinking watered-down (albeit free) screwdrivers, the surrounding area has some of the region’s most beautiful scenery.
Mandalay Bay is famous for the shark tanks that surround you with living fish and sharks.
Las Vegas is in the southern part of the state of Nevada, about 50 mil east of the California border and 30 miles west of the Arizona border. The city is divided into two main parts: a compact downtown called Glitter Gulch, centered on the intersection of Highway 95 and Interstate 15; and the Strip, a corridor of hotels and casinos lining Interstate 15 a few miles south of downtown.
Lionfish displays nicely in Mandalay bays aquariums
The casinos are divided between downtown’s Glitter Gulch and the Strip; most hotels are on or near the Strip. McCarran International Airport is located at the southern end of the Strip, about 5 miles south of downtown. The Greyhound bus and Amtrak railway stations are downtown.
History & Culture
The only natural feature to account for the location of Las Vegas is a spring north of downtown. Once used by Paiute Indians on their seasonal visits to the area, it was re-discovered by a Mexican scout in 1829. The area became known to overland travelers as a place with reliable water and feed for horses. Las Vegas became a regular stop on the Spanish Trail, the southern emigrant route to California. Mormons built the town’s first structures in the 1850’s, a small mission and fort. But there was little development until 1902, when much of the land was sold to a railroad company. The area that is now downtown was subdivided when the tracks came through, with 1200 lots sold on May 15, 1905 alone a date now celebrated as the city’s birthday. As a railroad town, Las Vegas had machine shops, an ice works and a good number of hotels, saloons and gambling houses.
Part of Hotel Flamingo's world famous bird habitat
The huge Boulder Dam (eventually to be known as the Hoover Dam) project commenced in 1931, providing jobs and growth in the short term and water and power for the city’s long-term growth. Also in 1931, Nevada legalized gambling, paving the way for first big casino on the Strip El Rancho which was opened in 1941.
The next wave of investors, were mobsters like Bugsy Siegel, who built the Flamingo in 1946 and set the tone for the new casinos big and flashy, with lavish entertainment to attract high rollers. The glitter that brought in the high rollers also attracted larger number of smaller spenders.
The Bellagio sets ifs fountains to music each night leaving the tourists awestruck
Thanks to air conditioning and reliable water supplies, Vegas has become one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. And recently, Vegas has worked to remake itself into a family resort destination with theme parks inside its hotels. Hotels have outdone each other with working volcanoes, million-gallon fishtanks and miniature Manhattans and Venician canals.
Attractions
Downtown
The blocks around the intersection of Fremont and Main Streets in downtown Las Vegas are known as Glitter Gulch. The first neon sign in the city went up here in 1929; now millions of lightbulbs and miles of neon tubing bathe the Gulch in perpetual daylight. This is where you’ll find Vegas Vic and his pal Sassy Sal two of the best-known neon icons in the country. Some of the city’s most famous casinos are in the Gulch, including the Golden Nugget and the Gold Spike, as are most of its strip clubs. Aside from slowly cruising down Fremont Street and basking in the multicolored glow, there’s little to do apart from gamble or drink.
The Mirage
The Mirage is interesting for the action going on outside: a fake volcano, surrounded by an artificial lagoon, erupts every half hour, belching smoke and fire and 54 artificial waterfalls cascade down the exterior. Not that there isn’t glitz galore inside. You enter through a miniature tropical rainforest, complete with Siegfried and Roy’s white tigers. And for a small fee you can watch dolphins frolic in a giant tank. Should you actually check in, you’ll do so at a counter backed by a 60 foot long aquarium filled with over 1000 fish.
Circus Circus
One of the original casino/theme parks, Circus Circus is tackiness incarnate. You can take in free circus acts in the tent-like interior, a ‘midway’ with carnival attractions and a roomful of video games. Grand Slam Canyon is a mini amusement park in a giant dome behind Circus Circus. It boasts a rollercoaster, flume rides, fake dinosaurs and a water slide. Circus Circus is located on the northern half of the Strip and attracts a lot of families, either head for or avoid it accordingly.
Imperial Palace Auto Museum
Car buffs won’t want to miss the Imperial Palace Auto Museum, which includes rare models and dozens of vehicles once owned by the rich and infamous. There’s Czar Nicholas II’s 1914 Rolls Royce, Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s 1935 Packard and Adolf Hitler’s 1939 Mercedes. You can also see the cars of several US presidents and Howard Hughes’ 1954 Chrysler (the air purifier cost more than the car). About 200 vehicles are on display. The museum is located in the Imperial Palace Casino, on the Strip about 3 miles south of downtown.
Mormon Fort State Historic Park
The remains of Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park may pale in comparison to nearby Glitter Gulch, but this is where it all started. Beginning in the 1850’s, this adobe quadrangle provided refuge for travelers along the Mormon Trail between Salt Lake City, Utah and San Bernardino, California. Some of the original walls are still standing and displays of artifacts and photographs illustrate mid-19th century life on the frontier. There’s an ongoing archaeological dig outside. The fort is a mile north of downtown.
Recreation
Hiking
The rough-hewn areas around Las Vegas offer great hiking. Red Rock Canyon, about 20 miles west of the city, has multicolored sandstone scenery. Toiyabe National Forest, further west, features 12,000 foot Charleston Peak and trails that wind through pine forests and desert scrub. Camping is allowed.
Water Sports
For boating and water-skiing, smear on the sunscreen, slither into your wetsuit and head over to Lake Mead, about 30 miles east of Las Vegas. You can even scuba dive here. The lake’s 500 miles of shoreline offer plenty of sunbathing spots.
Winter Sports
There is even some skiing to be enjoyed at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort is located in the Toiyabe National Forest, 50 miles northwest of Las Vegas via Route 95 north to Route 156 west.
Another example of the awesome architecture is this castle hotel on the Vegas strip
In The Area
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
Few dams are artistic achievements, but Hoover Dam is an architectural gem. Seen from below, the sensuous geometry of the 725 foot high concrete wall contrasts sharply with the rugged red rock of the canyon walls. You can see exhibits on the dam’s construction and inner workings at the visitors’ center. A 50-story elevator ride takes you down to the turbine room at the bottom of the dam. The view from the base brings home the fact that the dam is one of the highest in the world. Guided tours are available.
Stretching to the north and east of the dam is the artificial body of water it created: the 110 mile long Lake Mead. It’s a good spot for boating, water-skiing, fishing and even scuba diving. Hoover Dam is an hour’s drive southeast of downtown Las Vegas, where several companies offer bus tours.
Red Rock Canyon
Fewer than 20 miles west of the Strip, Red Rock Canyon is everything Vegas isn’t: raw, natural and very old 65 million years old. A 3000 foot escarpment rises on the western edge of the valley. The canyon’s most striking features Joshua trees, multicolored sandstone, jagged peaks can be seen from a 13 mile loop drive. There are many spots for picnicking, hiking and climbing along the way. There’s a good visitors’ center at the start of the loop.
Overton
If the flashing lights of Vegas blow your circuits, the funky, laid-back little town of Overton is less than two hours’ drive from Glitter Gulch. Settled in the 1880’s, Overton hasn’t changed much since. Aside from a few motels, bars and stores, there isn’t much to do here aside from the museum, but it’s a good place to escape the hubub of the Strip.
Just north of Overton are 1000 year old Anasazi Indian pueblos actually, they’re reconstructions on the original foundations. The pueblos are part of the Lost City Museum, which features a collection of locally found artifacts dating back 10,000 years. Overton is about 50 miles northeast of downtown Las Vegas.
Grand Canyon
Just a few hours’ drive east from Las Vegas is America’s most popular national park. The south rim of the Grand Canyon is an easy overnighter from the Strip (the north rim is an additional five hours). The canyon is 277 miles long and over 10 miles wide in places and the multicolored rock strata go down a mile to the Colorado River below. You may think your life is complete just to stand at the edge and look down at one-third of the earth’s geologic history, though from the top you can’t see the 1.7 billion year old rocks at the bottom. The canyon offers excellent hiking, horseriding and rafting.
Grand Canyon Tour Co. offers the BEST tours at the BEST price from Las Vegas.
When To Go
The summers are hot and the winters are cool, making spring and fall the best times to visit. The daily high averages over 100 degrees F from June to September and around 55F from December to January; the rest of the year is temperate. It’s pretty dry most of the time, but thunderstorms are most common in the summer (June to August) and can cause dangerous flash floods.
