Las Vegas & Surrounding Area

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada. Nicknamed Sin City and claiming to be the Entertainment Capital of the World, it is situated in the midst of the southern Nevada desert landscape.

Compared with other cities in the West, Las Vegas is a relatively recent arrival. It was founded in 1905, and for many years it was merely a small settlement in the middle of the desert. However, several pivotal events would come together in less than 20 years to make Las Vegas what it is today:

    * The construction of Hoover Dam in 1928 brought thousands of workers to the area.

    * Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, and what is now downtown Las Vegas became an

      entertainment center for the dam workers, with casinos and speakeasies.  

    * In 1941, the luxurious El Rancho Vegas resort opened on what would later become the Las Vegas Strip.

      Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel later opened the Flamingo Hotel in 1946, starting the building boom and one-

      upmanship that would continue largely unabated for the next 50 years.

To learn more about the History of Las Vegas, click here.

Opportunities to gamble are found in most places in Las Vegas, even at McCarran International Airport and supermarkets. However, please be advised that it is state law that all gamblers must be at least 21 years of age. Even if you are at least 21 years old, you are required to bring to the casino a valid ID that shows your current age. In-house security makes rounds of inspections to check compliance. If you are under age or without a valid ID to prove your age and found in the gambling premises, hotel staff will ask you to leave. There is a curfew for anyone under the age of 18.

In Las Vegas alone, just under 100,000 couples tie the knot each year. Perhaps it is because Nevada's wedding-friendly requirements make it easy to get a marriage license. There aren’t any blood tests or medical procedures and there isn’t a waiting period after a license is issued. And after obtaining the legal paperwork, you can make it official in a ceremony as informal or formal as you’d like. For more information, click here.

Experience Nevada and all the state and the Las Vegas area has to offer. There are many outdoor activities from hiking to golf to snow sports. The State parks illustrate the beauty of the desert and provide historical significance. For more information, click here.