Escape from reality in the psychedelic city of Las Vegas, where you can visit the world in a day on the famous Strip.
As New York, Monte Carlo, Venice, Egypt and Paris jostle for attention on the neon-lit Vegas strip, inside there is a lively mix of high octane gambling and non-stop entertainment.
Vegas –the ultimate Disneyland for adults – offers all or nothing. You can soak up the stifling temperatures and soak by the pool all day, or gamble your life away at one of the hundreds of casinos and play the one-armed bandits at their own game.
Sporty types may want to venture away from Vegas itself and take a day-trip to hike in the Nevada Desert or take in the spectacular Grand Canyon. Red Rock Canyon, less than 20 miles from Las Vegas, is also perfect for hiking, biking and having a picnic lunch. Set in 197,000 acres within the Mojave Desert, it is an area of geologic interest and beauty, and was designated as Nevada’s first National Conservation Area.
The name Las Vegas means ‘the meadows’ in Spanish, and was founded by Mormon missionaries. It is hard to believe that only 70 years ago this thriving metropolis, now the fastest growing city in America, was a backwater with less than 1,000 inhabitants.
With 300 days of sunshine a year and amenities matching those of LA and New York for a fraction of the population; Vegas is popular with holidaymakers from all over the world, with more than 40 million visitors sweeping into Vegas each year. It’s also becoming a sought after place for British expats to emigrate to – more than 50,000 new residents are making Las Vegas home yearly.
Vegas has lots more to offer than gambling. Escape the heat – which can spiral to 100 degrees most days in July and August – and head over to the cool shade of the Cactus Botanical Garden, one of the largest collections in the world of cacti and other desert flora, which lies around 15 minutes from the Strip.
Next door is the famous Ethel M Chocolate Factory, which offers hands-on tours and free samples. The city is not short on museums either – choose from the kitsch Liberace Museum, dedicated to the late entertainer, the Guinness World of Records Museum, the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and the Las Vegas Art Museum.
The restaurant scene in Las Vegas is as you would expect: loud, lively and colourful, with every taste catered for. Check out The Market Grille Cafe in the Centennial Centre, which serves fresh and healthy Mediterranean food, or America, in the New York, New York Hotel, which offers specialties from certain states, such as Philly cheesesteak sandwiches from Pennsylvania, and Buffalo wings from New York. Living the American dream, indeed.
Photo credit: Mastery of Maps
