With its incomparable charm and its almost unhealthy side, Las Vegas is probably the city that represents the United States the most. While everyone knows it for its massive casinos, Las Vegas has so much more to offer that it would be unfair to limit ourselves to its gambling industry. In this article, we present 10 things you absolutely need to know about the American city of Las Vegas.
The first tourists from Las Vegas came to admire the atomic bombs:
Even for Las Vegas, the idea of using nuclear explosions during the festivities seems abused. Yet that is what was happening there not that long ago. During the 1950s, when the nuclear arms race was at the heart of the US-Soviet conflict, nearly 80 miles outside of the city, visitors to Las Vegas casinos could admire the large mushrooms of nuclear smoke in the distance. .
Some events have been created following this “tradition”, such as the Beauty Pageants contest, where the new “Miss Atomic Bomb” is selected, in celebration of the American domination in nuclear weapons. If nuclear Las Vegas interests you, consider checking out the song by The Killers, released in 2012, and titled Miss Atomic Bomb. There is also the National Atomic Testing Museum which will allow you to learn more about this dark period in American history.
Las Vegas is a much younger city than you might think:
If Carson City became the capital of Nevada in 1864, it is precisely because Las Vegas was only created 152 years earlier, and it was not added to geographic maps until 1905. At the beginning, the town was just a relay for the UPR (Union Pacific Railroad). As you can imagine, she has made tremendous progress since then.
A naughty museum in Las Vegas?
From the roof of the Trump International Hotel, you can certainly contemplate the railway lines. If you look further to the left, your gaze will inevitably land on one of the city’s most unique attractions. It is, in fact, the Erotic Heritage Museum, which is located opposite Donalds Vegas Bolthole, at: 3275 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive. This majestic establishment is colossal, and has a surface area of over 24,000 m².
The museum proudly exhibits works of art that deal with the theme of sex and love. Nudity is a natural recurring theme here, and the Erotic Heritage Museum is the first of its kind to open in the entire state of Nevada.
A more recommendable museum for families:
When we consider the changes that the city of Las Vegas has gone through since its inception, we can easily detect its exponential evolution which constantly pushes it towards extremes; always bigger, stronger, higher, etc… This is what makes Vegas a particularly attractive city, especially for tourists.
However, during all these years of evolution, an interesting story has been born, and it turns out that the State of Nevada has decided to dedicate a whole museum to it. Currently, the Neon Museum houses several components that have made Las Vegas so charming for decades. Among the most prominent artefacts are the old illuminated signs of casinos, restaurants and bars, such as those of:
- Lady Luck
- Stardust
- Yucca
- Sahara
- Sassy Sally’s
- red Mill
Las Vegas has trains, but not for you:
Ironically, for a city that was originally at the heart of the prosperous rail sector, it is not possible to reach it by train. Today there are no active lines, although the Union Pacific Railroad still exists. The latter follows the path parallel to The Strip from Las Vegas Boulevard, but it is located a little further west.
If you stand on the roof of the Trump International Hotel, you will be able to see the rail lines looming beyond the road. Unfortunately, the railways are no longer in good shape and even the private companies that have taken an interest in them have not seen their reactivation as an investment opportunity.
The most famous Las Vegas brand is NOT located in Las Vegas:
Indeed, the poster which is located at 5200 Las Vegas Boulevard and which announces to newcomers their arrival in the metropolis is, in reality, nearly 6.4 km from the borders, on the territory of the neighboring city Paradise. Here is some info that could earn you money in bets that you can throw in a night out with friends, even if it will never be worth a good one. no deposit bonus casino which you can find online.
You can ski, a few miles from Las Vegas:
When we speak of Las Vegas, we immediately think of drought, arid weather, and heat. So when you are told that you can ski, you can imagine a dome specially designed for this activity, as is the case with the Mall of the United Arab Emirates. Yet on the Lake Tahoe side, a few miles west of Las Vegas, you can find a whole resort dedicated to winter sports. The latter includes nearly a hundred tracks and includes unique challenges, such as Outlaw and Cloud Nine.
You can see breathtaking natural landscapes:
The Grand Canyon and Las Vegas are among the must-see destinations for all visitors to the state of Nevada. It is for this reason that tours almost always include them together. That said, if you are visiting the city of Las Vegas, you won’t need to fly to the Grand Canyon to be able to admire the region’s most beautiful scenery.
Indeed, all you need to do is go to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is located a little over 25 km west of the city. You will discover wonderful landscapes. The latter are distinguished by their colossal mountains of sandy stones, among which we find the mountain La Madre, whose highest point reaches nearly 2,500 m above sea level.
Las Vegas is not the capital of Nevada:
Although it is certainly the most famous and largest city in this state, Las Vegas is not its capital. Yet she has all the necessary qualifications. Las Vegas has a population of over 2.3 million, placing it at the 27th position of the largest cities in the United States. It is also the economic heart of the state, thanks to its tourist attractions and its countless prestigious casinos.
However, it is Carson City which is the capital of Nevada, with only 54,500 inhabitants, and this, since its creation in 1864. The various States of the United States are well known to maintain their capitals, even when these last are eclipsed by larger cities. Here are some other examples of state capitals that are in similar situations:
- Sacramento: California
- Springfield : Illinois
- Austin : Texas
- Baton Rouge : Louisiana
- Olympia : Washington State
- Albany : New York State
- Tallahassee : Floride
Not to be confused with the other Las Vegas:
The other Las Vegas? What can that mean? Indeed, there is something to be confused about. However, if you take a closer look at the map of New Mexico, you can easily see a city that is also called Las Vegas. In addition, unlike the other city, this one has an operational railway facility, which means you can visit it by train.
The more curious among you will have no trouble getting to Las Vegas from New Mexico, since the latter is located a little over 1,000 km from that of Nevada. Moreover, you will not risk getting bored, since during your trip, you will cross magnificent places, from the very heart of Arizona, to Santa Fe, via Albuquerque.
