Renowned worldwide for its glittering casinos, exotic entertainment, and lax marriage laws, Las Vegas is the most distinctive resort-focused city in the world. Despite its location in the heart of the sizzling Mojave desert mid-way between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, the small railroad town has never looked back since 1931, when the state of Nevada legalized gambling. The city once considered as exemplifying garish bad taste has spruced up its act in recent years, promoting itself as a family destination, with lavish resort hotels themed on Paris, Venice, and many other world-renowned places. The ritziest resorts and casinos line The Strip - a five-mile avenue that is a staggering, non-stop whirligig of neon and color. Many visitors make a point of visiting The Bellagio, a class-act resort known for its light and fountain shows. For a bird's-eye view, ascend the elevators to the top of the 1,150-foot Stratosphere tower. And who can leave Vegas without thrilling to the battle of pirates and British war ship at Treasure Island at the Mirage? Beyond the city limits, the Hoover Dam is a must visit - this 800-foot-tall monument to civic engineering simply awes! And Red Rock Canyon thrills hikers.
- Christopher Baker for Triporati
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