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Nevada,
Las Vegas Territory
Las Vegas Territory: -
Las Vegas is becoming an increasingly elaborate holiday destination. Each new hotel-casino tries to outdo the last for sheer spectacle. Laughlin, on the Colorado River, has become the second most popular holiday destination in Nevada, owing largely to the reasonably priced accommodation and restaurants, and the fact that it has unusually sunny summers and mild winters considering its location. A US$100 million development on the Laughlin Bay Marina opened in 2005 and is the hub of entertainment in the Laughlin area; a plan to add housing to the area is currently underway. Mesquite and Primm, on the Nevada border with Utah and California respectively, are also becoming popular new resort towns.
Climate: The average temperature is 66°F (19°C ) and the average yearly rainfall is 10.7cm (4.2 inches). There are 212 clear days annually, 82 partly cloudy days and 71 cloudy days.
Las Vegas: Las Vegas is Spanish for ‘The Meadows’. ‘Vegas’, as seen today, began after World War II when the idea of large hotels along the brand new Strip was developed. Tourism and gaming are the two major employers. Manufacturing, the Nellis Air Force Base and other government agencies, warehousing and trucking are secondary industries. The city proper is an 135,618 sq km (84,272 sq mile) enclave surrounded by Clark County. The Las Vegas Strip is best seen at dusk when it is lit up in neon lights. Children will enjoy Wet ’n’ Wild, a water park on the Strip, and the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum. Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian mall dominated by gaming with a spectacular light show every night. For something different, the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History houses exhibitions of the archaeology and natural history of the Mojave Desert, whilst the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort Historic Park is the site of the first settlement of Las Vegas, and the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society explains southern Nevada’s history. The Liberace Museum contains memorabilia from the world-famous pianist. The Guinness World of Records Museum is an interesting exhibition based on the famous book. The Circus Circus – Grand Slam Adventuredome theme park provides circus acts daily from 1100-2400 (free of charge) and thrilling theme park rides. Not to be missed is the stunning Fountains of Bellagio display of over 1000 fountains, choreographed with light and sound at the Bellagio Resort (Mon-Fri every 30 minutes 1500-1900 and every 15 minutes 1900-2400; Sat and Sun every 30 minutes 1200-1900, and every 15 minutes 1900-2400). Bellagio also boasts a Botanical Garden.
Hotel-casinos: The 3044-room Mirage Hotel-Casino displays a man-made volcano. Nearby, the Treasure Island features Buccaneer Bay with a full-scale pirate ship and British frigate engaged in battle. The MGM Grand Hotel & Theme Park is the largest resort hotel in the world. The recently opened New York, New York duplicates the Big Apple’s skyline, while the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel & Casino offers an interactive Star Trek experience with virtual reality stations, a themed bar and Star Trek memorabilia. There is also The Excalibur, with 4008 rooms, built in the style of a medieval castle, and the Egyptian-themed Luxor, a full-scale pyramid watched over by a sphinx.
Getting married: More than 45 wedding chapels operate throughout the metropolitan area, including some in major hotels in the city. The Little White Chapel, 1301 Las Vegas Boulevard South, where Joan Collins was married, has a 24-hour drive-through window.
Food & Drink: Las Vegas is becoming world-renowned for its restaurants and every conceivable taste is catered for, from a seven-course gourmet meal to a custom hamburger. Diners can choose from seafood, steak, southwestern, Brazilian, Chinese, Continental, Italian, Japanese and Mexican cuisines. The ultimate eating experience is the Las Vegas buffet: the Golden Nugget Buffet, the Las Vegas Hilton Buffet, the Palatium Buffet at Caesars Palace, and the World’s Fare Buffet at The Riviera are all worth trying. Picasso at the Bellagio and Renoir at The Mirage have been ranked among the top 17 restaurants in the world. Roxy’s Diner is a 1950s-style diner, serving thick milkshakes in tall, frosted glasses, sandwiches, burgers and a selection of blue-plate specials. The Stage Deli of Las Vegas is at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Speciality items are flown in from the world-famous New York Stage Deli, offering a full line of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Spago features celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s ‘California Cuisine’, which emphasises fresh, locally produced ingredients incorporating the cuisines of Europe, the Orient, Latin America and the USA to create an eclectic menu. The themed Harley-Davidson Cafe, Star Trek: The Adventure and Motown Cafe provide a fun atmosphere for dining.
Shopping: Vast malls display a wide range of products: the Forum Shops at Caesars, the Fashion Show Mall, the Desert Passage at the Aladdin Resort, the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Resort (includes a reproduction of Venice’s Grand Canal – complete with gondolas), the Boulevard Mall (the largest shopping centre in Nevada), the Meadows Mall (with 140 shops and restaurants), and the Belz Factory Outlet World are all popular. The Fashion Outlet Stores (south of Belz Factory Outlet World) recently opened in Primm.
Special events: The following is a selection of special events occurring in Las Vegas in 2005:
Jan 30 Las Vegas Marathon. Mar 4-6 East Meets West (Celtic Faire and Moroccan Festival), Las Vegas. Apr 1-2 Big League Weekend (baseball tournament), Cashman Field. Apr 7-10
Clark County State Fair and Rodeo, Logandale. Apr 20-24 Laughlin River Run. May-Jun Laughlin River Days (powerboat racing). May 6-7 Cars, Stars and Guitars Motorhead Festival, Las Vegas. Jul 4 Rockets over the River, Laughlin. Sep
Laughlin Professional Bull Riders Series. Sep 24 Las Vegas Triple – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Night Race. Dec 2-11 National Finals Rodeo, Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas. Dec
The NFR Experience (rodeo festival), Las Vegas.
Travel: McCarran International (LAS) (website: www.mccarran.com), with slot machines in the terminal, is 1.6km (1 mile) from the Strip, and 8km (5 miles) from central Las Vegas. There are more than 965 taxis, 325 limousines and 16 bus and/or charter firms serving the district. The Citizens Area Transit (CAT) is a public transportation company that operates 31 routes throughout the Las Vegas metropolitan area, and one route in Laughlin.
Outside the city: There is plenty to see in the Las Vegas Territory outside Las Vegas itself. The Spring Mountains offer back-country adventure, while Mount Charleston is good for winter sports and is home to the Las Vegas Ski and Snow Board Resort. Lake Mead and Lake Mohave are contained in the vast (600,000 hectare/1.5 million acre) Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Hoover Dam has a new visitor centre, where tourists can see right over the edge of the Black Canyon precipice. At the north of Lake Mead is the Valley of Fire State Park, with its fascinating landscape of naturally carved red sandstone. The Desert National Wildlife Refuge complex, incorporating the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge, is the largest wildlife refuge in the USA. Moapa Valley was the site of Nevada’s first city.
In Boulder City, the Black Canyon River Raft Tour is a 19km (12 mile) rapid-free raft trip, beginning at Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam itself was completed in 1935, and is the highest dam in the western hemisphere. The Hoover Dam Museum houses historical artefacts relating to the workers, and construction of the dam and Boulder City. The River Mountain Hiking Trail is an 8km (5 mile) round-trip route with spectacular views of Lake Mead and Las Vegas Valley.
The Ethel M Chocolate Factory & Cactus Garden in Henderson shows how chocolates are made; the cactus garden includes 350 species of cactus. The Davis Dam in Laughlin is a 61m- (200ft-) high earth-filled dam. The USS Riverside is a luxury casino cruiser which has been designed to pass under the Laughlin Bridge. Bonnie Springs in Old Nevada is an old Western town. The Lost City Museum in Overton houses exhibitions featuring the Anasazi Indians and early Moapa Valley settlers.
Special events: The following is a selection of special events occurring in the Las Vegas Territory in 2005:
Apr 1-3 Native American Arts Festival, Henderson. May 7-8
Spring Jamboree and Craft Fair, Boulder City. Jul 4 Annual Fireworks Display and Boulder City Damboree, Boulder City. Oct Nevada Heritage Festival and Gem & Mineral Fair, Henderson.
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