Las Vegas

Driving south through the Mojave Desert on Highway 15 or Route 95 you would be struck by the harsh lifeless terrain that surrounded you. Indeed as you descend into Vegas Valley with the Sierra Nevada and Spring Mountain ranges looming in the distance you would begin to wonder. That is until you spot the brilliant neon brightness of the largest and most exciting city in Nevada: Las Vegas.

Spanish for ‘the meadows’, Las Vegas didn’t even exist at the start of the 20th Century. Now it houses over 1 million residents, caters for over 37 million tourists each year, and boasts 14 of the worlds 15 largest hotels.

The city is a thriving den of activity with an infinite supply of casino’s, shopping to suit every taste, and probably the most famous stretch of tarmac in the world; The Strip.

Attractions

As the focal point of Las Vegas, The Strip speaks for itself. From spewing volcanoes, pirates waging war in mock sea battles, an Eiffel Tower complete with luxury restaurant and an Egyptian pyramid to name but a few, the legendary Strip is the only place to start when exploring the city.

The Strip contains a plethora of hotels which offer enough entertainment to keep a punter busy for a lifetime. Acts like master magician Lance Burton playing at the Monte Carlo, the Blue Man Group at the Venetian and the musical Mamma Mia, now entering its fourth year at Mandalay Bay all add to the exotic cocktail of Las Vegas entertainment. If your stay is brief then Mystere at Treasure Island is a spectacle definitely worth making a priority. This fabulous Cirque du Soleil showcases acrobats, trapeze artists, pole climbers, strongmen, clowns and is a genuinely breath-taking experience whatever your age.

The Liberace Museum is one of the best museums in Las Vegas, giving a real insight into this musical legend’s life, with a collection of his jewellery, pianos, rare cars and outrageous costumes. Furthermore it is easily located just 2 miles east of the Strip. If it’s visual delights you’re after then the Freemont Street Experience is a wonderful nights entertainment. As well as being an amusement park its ‘Celestial Vault’ houses over 2 million differently coloured light bulbs and is choreographed by computer during the dazzling displays.

Though the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon is 270 miles from Las Vegas by road, many of the hotels feature helicopter trips which offer panoramic views of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead as well as the utterly stunning Canyon, itself, the size of which parallels Northumberland. If this is too far a journey or too weighty on the wallet then the rather less well known but impressive and exceptionally beautiful Zion National Park is well worth a visit. Amongst the tallest dams in the world at 726 ft the Hoover Dam was designed and completed in 1936 to block the Colorado River and supply low cost electricity to the cities of the Southwest. In close proximity to Las Vegas the Dam is backed by the crystal blue waters of Lake Mead and remains a popular place to sail and fish and alone receives over 10 million visitors annually.

Shopping

The Strip is the place to be when flashing your plastic in Las Vegas. As well as up-market boutiques you will also find the higher end designer shops in many of the hotels. For those of you with more modest tastes and like it all under one roof Boulevard Mall is the place for you. As the second largest mall in Nevada it features 150 shops ranging from Applebee’s to Zumiez and features a magnificent food court where you can rest your weary feet and prepare for the next bout of shopping.

Nightlife and Eating Out

As well as the multitude of casinos which are all very inviting and intriguing, Las Vegas has recently become something of a clubbing capital in the United States. Clubbers are no longer regarded as a breed apart from the average tourist and therefore most of the hotels on The Strip offer their version of a club, with the best, such as Studio 54 in Luxor attracting some of the best DJ’s in the world.

Almost every casino offers an all-you-can-eat buffet. These range in quality with the high-end casinos like Bellagio and Paris providing true gourmet feasts for the more selective palate . Alternatively, if you want to escape the rigours of casino life for a night then Rosemary’s Restaurant, Andre’s and Hugo’s Cellar are popular with locals and tourists alike and offer an eclectic range of food at competitive rates

Tourist Information

• Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109
• Telephone: +1 702 892 0711
• Website: www.visitlasvegas.com
• Website: www.lvcva.com

Airport

The busy McCarran International Airport is situated only a mile east of the southern end of The Strip and four miles from the downtown area. Domestic flights run between Las Vegas and all state capital cities as well as other significant regions in the United States.