Las Vegas

Las Vegas, surrounded by the Spring Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, is located in Clark County, Nevada, which includes Boulder City, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Mesquite. Thousands of years ago, the region was inhabited by the Anazazi people; followed by the Paiute people. The Spanish explorers arrived in the early 1800's, drawn by the natural springs that created a lush oasis. Eventually, the springs were depleted, however, by then other assets took over.

When gambling was legalized in 1931 and divorce laws allowed marriages to dissolve in six weeks, a type of lawless reputation enshrouded the state. After the war, showy casinos sprouted in Las Vegas, many run behind the scenes by crime lords which only added to the city's allure. But like everything in life, change was inevitable. In the nineties, corporations bought up old casinos, blew them up and began the development of giant-size resorts with theme parks for the entire family.

Las Vegas caters to tourists, with luxurious accommodations, star-studded entertainment and the biggest and boldest and glitziest casinos in the world most of which are located on the "Strip" and in the city's downtown core. The strip is a stretch (literally) of highway leading downtown. Ingenious designs of the strip's string of casinos and front entrances exploding volcanoes, booming canyons, roller coasters create a bizarre playground effect. Traffic tends to slow down. Downtown was rejuvenated in 1995. Here it is the pedestrians who are dazzled by the surroundings. Called the Fremont Street Experience, part of downtown includes a section that is covered with a glass-like dome. The dome lights up with sounds and a kaleidoscope of animated scenes to entertain visitors as they move from casino to casino.