Las Vegas
It is difficult to understand why anyone would establish Las Vegas, Nevada in such a hot, dry place. It was created in 1905, offered adult entertainment and for that reason quickly grew. Just as quickly, organized religions built a high number of churches.
Located in the southern tip of Nevada, many a fortune has been lost in “sin city” but aside from the live shows, the slot machines and all the other forms of gambling, there is a world of things to do and see.
The Las Vegas strip, complete with millions of outdoor lights, stretches 4 miles (6.4 km) and in the summer the temperature can easily reach 104 degrees. However, every place you go from the airport to the corner grocery is air conditioned.
The easiest way to see this glamorous and exiting city is to arrive by air and then use the grid of public transportation to go from place to place. Live shows often include David Copperfield, Sinbad, Tony Bennett, Donny & Marie, Don Rickles and Wayne Newton, with intermittent performances by other entertainers.
A “do not miss” attraction while in Las Vegas is Hoover Dam. Shuttle buses take visitors to see the massive concrete arch that holds back the Colorado River, and is the main water supply for all of southern California.
Completed in 1936, it is also a hydroelectric power plant and the water mass created by Hoover Dam was named Lake Mead after the man who oversaw the construction.
One hundred and twelve men died during the construction of the dam. One story claims a particular man was the first to die and his son was the last. But aside from its ghoulish history, the very size of this man-made structure will take your breath away. It was built in a narrow part of Black Canyon which is the western most part of the Grand Canyon. Therefore, visitors can also enjoy looking down into the canyon from high above.
Two different tours take visitors along the top of the dam and inside the structure to see the generators, the visitor center and the observation deck.
But for some, nothing is more fascinating in Las Vegas than the pawn shops. A person down on his or her luck will pawn anything to keep gambling, from grandmother’s old Singer sewing machine to a cherished wedding ring. If it exists, it can be found in a Las Vegas pawn shop. There are almost as many pawn shops as there are casinos and finding them all long the strip is easy.
And that is not all; wedding chapels, golf courses, and every kind of restaurant can be easily found in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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by Marti Talbott
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Check these out !
The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2010 (Unofficial Guides)
Fodor’s Las Vegas 2010 (Full-Color Gold Guides)
Celine Dion: A New Day – Live in Las Vegas
