Las Vegas, NV

We are just completed our first leg of our journey to the East Coast.  We are in Las Vegas, NV and since I have not been here in 30 years boy, has it changed!  Las Vegas is the most populous city in Nevada and is internationally known as a major resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining.  The city calls itself the "Entertainment Capital of the World".  It is famous for it's casino resorts and associated entertainment. The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment has earned the title of Sin City. The population of Las Vegas is 583,456 with a median income of $53,000 and a median age of 34.  Las Vegas was established in 1905 when the railroad built tracks through the area.  It also became a staging point for all the supplies that were needed for all of the mines that surrounded the area during that time.  The railroad continued to bring more and more residents to the area and in 1911 it became a city.  In the late 1930's, after the completion of Hoover Dam (1935) tourism began which led to a big growth spurt for Las Vegas.  Wih the development of the Dam it also created the U.S.'s largest man made lake and reservoir Lake Mead. Both did and still do bring tourists to the area.  The legalization of gambling in 1931 led to the building of casino hotels.  The first casinos to open was on Highway 91 in  Las Vegas in 1931.  They were the Northern Club which to is known as La Bayou today and Roll O Dice.  The first casino to open on the strip was Hotel Last Frontier in 1942.  The Las Vegas strip runs 4.2 miles long and it is where most of the resorts are located.  We are going to visit the strip today and check out all of the new resorts.
On our way into Las Vegas we drove through the Mojave Desert.  Once we crossed the Nevada border we came across our first casino resort, Buffalo Bills.  We passed it and were back in the desert again.  A few miles from Las Vegas we came across our second casino, Gold Strike, then hit the desert again.  We then rounded a curve on the highway and you could make out the buildings on the strip.  I snapped a few pictures of the strip as we drove past it.  I have posted a slideshow of our first leg to the East Coast.  We are in Vegas Baby and you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  Let's just wait and see!