photo by gusto

Las Vegas is a cocktail of entertainment, on tap 24 hours a day. It was the Spaniards who first used this unique desert oasis as a pit stop on the Old Spanish Trail between California and Santa Fe. Now it is a resort oasis for millions of tourists. Its pleasure spots never cease to spin in the hotel palaces along Las Vegas Boulevard, known locally as “the Strip.” The 6-mile tract is a gambler’s paradise where more than $10 billion is dropped annually into the gaming industry’s coffers.

Framed by both the Sonoran Desert and the Great Basin Desert, Las Vegas is one of the hottest and driest cities in America. It is also one of the richest, where money flows without obstruction. The city’s casinos are creations with grandiose themes, and its skyline a variety of fanciful architecture. These structures and the miniature cities of Paris, New York, and Venice are a traveler’s El Dorado. The cityscape is constantly evolving with magnificent new hotel-casinos continually being built. There are 52 hotels that dot the Strip.

A creation of the early twentieth century, Las Vegas grew around the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1905 the community largely comprised makeshift tents. The promise of fast fortunes from the nearby gold mines of Tonopah lured many new settlers. However, it was the region of Black Canyon, now the location of the Hoover Dam, that gave Las Vegas its solid economic foundation.

Coinciding with the construction of the dam, gambling was legalized in 1931. With the roulette wheel came the Mob and endless greenbacks. In 1946, notorious gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opened the lavish Flamingo off old Hwy 91, introducing Las Vegas to a new level of luxury and vice. He became the neon city’s custodian of gaming and prostitution and set a precedent for his successors. Following his death in a gangland “hit,” the Mafia moved in and controlled the town for the next 20 years. But by 1967, things began to wane for the underworld. The FBI initiated raids and shut down the racketeers.

Also, billionaire Howard Hughes unwittingly changed the dynamics of the city’s respectability when he bought the Desert Inn. After that a battalion of corporations followed suit, and casinos and high stakes took on a new edge with the focus shifting to big-name entertainers to lure more conventional crowds. “The Rat Pack” (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) kicked off at the Desert Inn before making their way to the Sands and the Sahara. The Las Vegas Hilton introduced Elvis to a new generation of fans in a series of electric shows. A sparkling Liberace shimmered in sequins over at the Riviera. By the late 1980s, entrepreneur Steve Wynn had built the opulent Mirage, bringing with it fantasy entertainment; from its incredible success came a host of visionary casinos rivaling Disneyland in themes. The Egyptian-designed Luxor; Caesar’s Palace; New York, New York; and the medieval Excalibur fulfilled every gambler’s whims.

By the late 1990s the Strip saw a new level of opulence soar into the stratosphere. Mandalay Bay—where the House of Blues resides—is located south along the Strip. Further north is the neon fantasy of Excalibur and the MGM Grand, igniting a pedestrian frenzy at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. A large number of veteran properties remain nestled in with the new. Paris-Las Vegas, the Venetian, Bellagio, and Caesar’s Palace lead the line-up of plush hotels, with standard trappings fit for a sultan. A stay at New York, New York takes visitors on a roller-coaster ride through the Big Apple. The Manhattan Express races past 12 skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty, and a more pedestrian-friendly Central Park. A great view of Las Vegas, home to 210,000 residents, is presented from the Eiffel Tower at Paris-Las Vegas. Its cobblestone streets also lead to the city’s premier French restaurants—a welcome change from the endless hotel buffets. At the Venetian, gondolas in the canal add to the splendor of the hotel, with its plush guest suites and ornate casinos. Treasure Island, an annex of the Mirage, boasts a smoking volcano and a Buccaneer pirate show. Shopping in Vegas is just as serious as gambling. Beneath the jaws of Bellagio’s casinos lies Via Bellagio, a labyrinth of dazzling boutiques. The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art and Conservatory features “the best of the best,” with the masters Picasso and Monet leading the line-up in its $350 million collection. The beauty of the conservatory belies the glitz outside on the street. Covering more than 12,000 square feet, the botanical garden features a lush collection of scented blooms underneath a glass canopy. At Caesar’s Palace, eye-catching centurions and toga-clad hostesses raise the casino’s temperature while its ornate portico nurtures the titans of fashion in the Forum Shops. The forum also houses the Omnimax Theater, which showcases the Race to Atlantis, a 3-D IMAX simulator ride.

At night, the Strip is a spectacle of fountains and flashing neon amid a valley of twinkling lights. The laser beams are reserved for the extravaganza performances that dazzle the Strip. Siegfried and Roy have long entertained visitors at the Mirage; their big cats can be seen in the tropical enclave of the Secret Garden. Circus Carnival Midway goes one step further by scaling down the size of performing felines for their Housecats performance. Next door is the Canyon Blaster, which features a stomach-wrenching roller-coaster ride. And the suffering doesn’t stop there. The more congenial Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton is ideal for land lovers wanting to blast off into space with other Trekkies.

The Imperial Palace Auto Museum has a fascinating collection of vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz driven by Adolf Hitler and one of John F. Kennedy’s presidential limousines. At the Sahara Speedworld, a 3-D simulator keeps racing buffs in good company with NASCAR drivers. The best way to enjoy the city is to take a 30-minute helicopter tour from McCarran International Airport. The next best thing is to ride what can only be described as a G-force elevator to the top of the 1,149-foot Stratosphere Tower. Offering panoramic views, the tower is the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.

Getting “hitched” in Las Vegas is part of the city’s lore. For a modest fee, a wedding license can be purchased from the Clark County Marriage License Bureau if the bride and groom are single and over 18. The variety of wedding chapels is endless. The best are the Little White Chapel, where lovebirds can “drive-in and drive-out,” and the Graceland Wedding Chapel, where an Elvis impersonator can walk the bride-to-be down the aisle while singing “You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog.” The Liberace Museum pays homage to “Mr Showman.” Liberace’s glittering costumes, more than 30 pianos, and an elaborate candelabra are only part of the exhibit; there is also a musical toilet, which plays the melodies he once played.

Growth is expected to continue over the next 10 years. Currently accommodating 120,000 hotel beds, Las Vegas is expected to host a staggering number of new arrivals with primarily one thing on their agenda—to gamble. What will be Las Vegas’ next flamboyant theme? One thing is certain, there will never be a shortage of Elvis impersonators along the Strip.

McCarran International Airport is located 4 miles south of the Strip. Las Vegas is located at the intersection of I-15 and Hwys 93/95.