Leave the ordinary behind-you are Vegas bound! Get to know this neon oasis like an insider, exploring opulent casinos or sightseeing with the family.Find the best lodging and dining options and still have cash to play with.From spectacular floor shows to hikes in the desert, this guide covers it all.

HISTORY

Contrary to legend and Hollywood movies,there was a lot more to Las Vegas than a dumpy gambling house, some tumbleweeds and cacti the day mobster Benjamin Siegel drove into the Mojave Desert and decided to build a glamorous, tropical-themed casino under the searing sun. People had been living in Las Vegas Valley an entire millennium before the celebrated gangster opened the Flamingo in 1946.

The Paiutes Tough It Out

It was a full thousand years ago-or at aboutthe time Byzantine monarch Basil II orderedthe blinding of thousands of Bulgarian prisoners and Asian king Machmud of Ghazniretained 400 poets to entertain him-that asmall band of weary Indians followed a bendin the Colorado River to Nevada's BlackMountains, where they crossed the juttingbeige peaks and settled in the valley below.These hard-bitten Indians were SouthernPaiutes, members of the Uto-Aztecan language family that also contains the betterknown Shoshones and Utes of Wyoming andUtah, respectively.

The Paiutes pitched tents near an oasiswhere the city of Las Vegas now stands. Thedesert Indians spent their days roamingabout the Mojave in small groups, harvesting everything they could eat. Nearly 40varieties of seeds were gathered and storedin tightly woven baskets. Wild celery, sweetsage and the blazing star were eaten, as werethe roots and bulbs of the sego lily, camasand wild caraway. Insects such as cricketsand locusts, and their larvae, were relished.The rattlesnake was a special treat.

 As time passed, the Paiutes came to occupy the mountains and valleys spreading for 50 miles in all directions from Las Vegas, and they became expert hunters. The Sheep Range, the Spring Mountains, the El Dorado Mountains and the Black Mountains ringing Las Vegas Valley contained elk, bear, deer and antelope, which the Indians felled with arrows and clubs. To protect their skin against the blistering desert sun, the Paiutes smeared red paint on their faces and bodies. To protect their soles from the broil ing earth, they wore moccasins made of yucca leaves.

Despite the rigors of their surroundings,the Paiutes were a disciplined people who adhered to certain practices without waver.Births took place in circular brush enclosures. Boys were required to surrender firstkills to parents. Though marriage was unimportant, funerals were four-day affairs involving cremation or cave burials, the killingof eagles and abandonment of homes.Elected headmen discoursed on moralityand had advisory, not authoritative, functions. In the unforgiviing desert, the Paiutesnot only endured, but they advanced as aculture.

Just how forbidding was their territory?The Spanish, who were the first Caucasians to claim jurisdiction over southern Nevada,skirted this region during their extensive exploration of North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were content to leave this section of their 'domain' uncharted,calling the blank space left on their maps the 'Northern Mystery.' Despite its proximity to well-trodden Mexico and California, Las Vegas Valley and the land around it in all directions for at least two weeks' hike was the last part of the US to be penetrated and explored by white settlers.

THE AUTHOR

THIS BOOK

THANKS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

FACTS ABOUT LAS VEGAS

History

Geography

Climate

Ecology & Environment

Flora & Fauna

Government & Politics

Economy

Population & People

Education

Arts

Religion

Language

FACTS FOR THE VISITOR

When to Go

Orientation

Maps

Responsible Tourism

Tourist Offices

Documents

Embassies & Consulates

Customs

Money

Post & Communications

Digital Resources

Books

Newspapers & Magazines

Radio & TV

Photography & Video

Time

Electricity

Weights & Measures

Laundry

Toilets

Luggage Storage

Health

Women Travelers

Gay & Lesbian Travelers

Disabled Travelers

Senior Travelers

Las Vegas for Children

Libraries

Cultural Centers

Dangers & Annoyances

Emergencies

Legal Matters

Business Hours

Public Holidays

Special Events

Work

GAMBLING IN LAS VEGAS

GETrlNG THERE & AWAY

Air

Bus

Train

Car & Motorcycle

Hitchhiking

Organized Tours

GETIrlNG AROUND

To/From the Airport

Bus

Las Vegas Strip Trolley

Downtown Trolley

Car

Motorcycle

Taxi

Bicycle

Walking

Organized Tours

THINGS TO SEE & DO

The Strip

East of The Strip

West of The Strip

Downtown

Activities

PLACES TO STAY

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