NEVADA, “THE SILVER STATE”
BY CLAY
LARROY
Regardless
of whether you are
traveling to a nearby location for the weekend or taking a
week-long destination vacation, you are always going to benefit from some tips
and ideas on how to make the whole process, more fun and less stressful. Take
time each day to alleviate stress while traveling or
vacationing and you will thank yourself for it when you get back home. With all
the chaos, jet-lag, partying and other excitement of travel comes a whole lot
of stress on your mind and body. By the time most vacations are over, another
one is needed to recover so taking a few minutes each day to rejuvenate will
make it easier for you to resume your normal life when it's all over. When you want to
plan a vacation contact me!
Las Vegas, “Sin City”
About
Las Vegas
Pulsing out of the sands like a neon-lit mirage, Las Vegas is the
world's capital of gambling, with 24-hour excess and glitzy entertainment also
reigning. Nowhere throws a party quite like Vegas, which has long been known as
a center of decadence that gives plenty of bang for your buck. But in recent
years, it has been developing more of a luxury feel, with world-class
restaurants and more elegant hotels cropping up.
As a fantasy-island escape from the ‘real world', the self-styled
city (out on its own near Nevada's southern tip) is almost beyond comparison.
The electric frenzy of The Strip flows through the center of an adult
playground of epic proportions. Since gambling was introduced here in the
1930s, Las Vegas has gone through several phases to reach today's realm of
sprawling hotel-casino complexes crowding the skyline.
Classier options have emerged in the city of late, with a slew of
Michelin-starred gourmet restaurants opening in place of the former
all-you-can-eat buffets. There are also several glamorous international hotel
chains competing to attract wealthier jetsetters, making some of the older dens
of iniquity look a little tacky and out-dated. The largest, most famous
hotel-casinos are worlds unto themselves with gambling, accommodation, shopping,
dining, circuses, and theme parks all rolled into one.
When cut loose in one of these self-contained emporiums, visiting
rookies can lose all sense of time and space. It might be midnight or midday -
the party doesn't stop. Complimentary drinks are offered to gamblers, and the
roulette wheel spins from dusk 'til dawn. There's invariably a group of
stragglers or early risers propping up the bar, while cabaret performances and
clubs run late into the night.
However, there's more to the city than hedonistic nightclubs and
blackjack tables. Venture away from The Strip, and Vegas hosts top-notch art
galleries, heritage museums and jaw-dropping nature. But the truth is that
you'll always be drawn back to the city's modern-day pleasure palaces. After
all, this is Sin City.
Tourist
Information Centers
Las Vegas
Visitor Information Center
·
Address:
3150
Paradise Road
Las Vegas
NV 89109-9096
United States
Las Vegas
NV 89109-9096
United States
·
Telephone: +1 877
847 4858.
·
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri 0800-1700.
Excursions
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
·
Located 56km (35 miles) south of Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam is one
of the most famous dams in the world. One of America's many public works
projects during the Depression, it is an unusually beautiful representative of
the era's engineering. The dam stretches 380m (1,247ft) across the Colorado
River, holding back the waters of Lake Mead. Constructed of a massive 2,486,250
cubic m (87,801,090 cubic ft) of concrete, its function is primarily a power
generator, supplying electricity to Nevada as well as nearby California and
Arizona.
·
Telephone: +1 702
494 2517.
Grand Canyon
·
For the first-time visitor to the region, it's near criminal to
forgo a trip here. It is possible to reach the Grand Canyon in a full-day
excursion from Las Vegas whether by land or air, including overnight stays and
two-day hikes. The 'Grand Canyon Deluxe' tour offers a narrated aerial tour of
Lake Mead, the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Upon arrival at Grand
Canyon airport, there is a coach tour through the Grand Canyon National Park,
with plenty of stops for staring at the stunning scenery. Believe everything
you've read – it's a phenomenal sight.
·
Telephone: +1 928
638 7888.
Zion National Park
·
Just on the other side of the Nevada Utah border, 251km (156
miles) east of Las Vegas, is the spectacular Zion National Park Named by Mormon
pioneers, who were awe-struck by the area's unique temple-like rock formation.
Zion is a favorite location for hiking and wildlife viewing, and there are
several hiking trails to explore. Less energetic visitors can experience the
park by local shuttle. The Zion National Park can be reached in just over two
hours from Las Vegas via Highway 15, to Utah SR-9 and Utah SR-17.
·
Telephone: +1 435
772 3256.
Tours
Bus tours
·
Gray Line Las Vegas offers a five-and-a-half hour 'Neon Lights
Tour', an evening sightseeing excursion around Las Vegas. The tour starts at
around 1830, and operates six days a week (not Saturdays). The tour includes a
narrated guide to the Strip and various other renowned landmarks, including a
visit to the Special Memory Wedding Chapel, and ends at the Fremont Laser Light
Show, Downtown.
·
Telephone:+1 702 739 7777.
Helicopter
Strip Tour
·
When evening falls and the neon carnival of the Strip reveals its
full colors, there's arguably no greater vantage point than from a helicopter
performing a full circuit above the screens, roller coasters and skyscrapers
that make up Las Vegas' heart. Numerous operators such as Papillon and Sundance
Helicopters offer such trips, as well as longer journeys into the desert.
·
Telephone:+1 702 736 7243; +1 702 736 0606.
REFERENCE SITES:
“Las Vegas is a 24-hour city.
It never stops.”
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