Nevada, located in southwestern United States, is the seventh largest state of the union with an area of 110,622 sq mi. It has a population of 2,723,322 people. It is bordered by Arizona, California, Utah, Oregon, and Idaho. Most of Nevada is located in the inland drainage region of the Great Basin. The state features a diverse topography and is home to Lake Tahoe, the Mojave Desert, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Nevada joined the American Union on October 31 1864. It was originally the land of Native American groups such as the Paiute, Washoe, and Shoshone.
The state is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world.Tourism is the major industry in Nevada. It is a major tourist destination because of its varied topography, legalized gambling centers, lenient laws of marriage and divorce, and authorized prostitution. The state earns about $58 billion in revenue from tourism alone. Around 50,585,061 tourists visit Nevada each year. Brian Sandoval is Nevada’s current Governor.Important Cities in Nevada:
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, also known as ‘Sin City’ is the most populous city of Nevada. While in Las Vegas one must not miss the All American Grand Canyon Helicopter Flight at the Grand Canyon. Helicopter tours also include a trip to the Hoover Dam and night-flight to see the city in full resplendence. Las Vegas is known for legalized gambling in casinos such as Binion’s Casino, Circus Casino, Caesar’s Palace, or Casino Royale. There are also strip bars – Palomino, Babes Cabaret, Seamless Afterhours, or Talk of the Town. In Las Vegas one can unwind and shop at Crystals at City Center, The Forum Shops at Caesars, The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, or The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood among the numerous other options available. Nove Italiano at Palms Hotel, Serendipity 3, China Poblano, and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon are among the top restaurants of the city.
Reno
Reno also known as ‘The Biggest Little City of the World’ is situated in the Washoe County. Reno is famous for National Automobile Museum, also known as ‘The Harrah Collection’. It displays cars previously owned by Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and many other celebrities. The Wilbur D. Ray Museum houses T’ang Dynasty Pottery and Greek icons among other collectibles of Ray. The Pyramid Lake, fed by Lake Tahoe offers an excellent family retreat and a chance to look closely at the Native American History. The Rink on the River around Truckee River is an excellent place for ice skating. Reno’s well-known casinos are Atlantis Casino Resort, Peppermill Resort Casino, Eldorado Hotel Casino, and The Silver Legacy Casino. Tourists looking for a quiet walk in peaceful settings can visit River Promenade. The city offers Meadowood Mall, Windflower Village, The Summit, and Shoppers’ Square Mall catering to all shopping budgets. Microbrewery, Bertha Miranda’s, The Steakhouse, or Shang Hai come highly recommended among the restaurants.
Carson City
Carson City is the capital of Nevada. It is officially known as the Consolidated Municipality of Carson City. Here, one must visit the Nevada State Museum, a storehouse of Nevada’s natural and cultural history. The museum complex also houses the Carson City Mint. The Nevada State Railroad Museum displays the railroad heritage of Nevada. Visitors can ride the Virginia and Truckee Railroad tour on the Virginia City to God Hill Route. It provides visitors an insight into 19th century mining in the state. Another unique ride would be that of the Polar Express, based on the Tom Hanks’ movie of the same name. The prominent casinos are Carson Horseshoe Club, Slotworld, Carson Station Casino, and Casino Fandango. Visitors can shop at Brewery Arts Center & Artisan Store, Carson Mall, Northgate Plaza, Frontier Plaza, or Plaza 50. Carson City offers a rich selection of food joints for varied cuisines – Cactus Jack’s Casino Corner Cafe, Ghengix, Villa Basque, Z Bistro, and Garibaldi’s are among the popular ones.
Henderson
Henderson is located in the Clarke County. It is the second largest city of Nevada. It is the seat of Clarke County Heritage Museum which displays the history of Paiutes. Chololate lovers should visit Ethel M Chocolate factory owned by Mars Inc. and botany enthusiasts must not miss Ethel M Cactus Garden which houses 350 different varieties of cacti. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve migratory ponds are a treat for bird watchers. In Henderson, one can choose from gondola rides, fly fishing, Stand Up Paddling, or enjoy Lake Mead Cruises. The best place to shop in Henderson is Galleria at Sunset. Other prominent shopping centers include Target, Whitney Ranch Center, Eastern Commons, and Wagonwheel Marketplace. East Coast Eats, Todd’s Unique Dining, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, La Collina are among the favorite eating joints in the city.Other important cities in Nevada are Paradise Elko, Laughlin, Primm, Virginia City, and Sparks.
Places of Interest
Nevada is the site of more than 100 museums dedicated to cultural history, fine arts, natural history, Native American history, industrial history, and auto and aviation history. The prominent among these are the Atomic Testing Museum, Hoover Dam Museum, Erotic Heritage Museum, the Auto Collections, East Ely Railroad Depot Museum, Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum, Mark Twain Museum at the Territorial Enterprise, and so on.
Nevada has a number of water parks and resorts meant for family recreation – Las Vegas Wet Water Park Resort, Wild Island, and Splash Canyon Water Park are most popular. Unique Theme Parks in the state include Star Trek, Stratosphere Tower Thrill Rides, and the Adventuredome Theme Park.There are seven National Historic landmarks in Nevada. These are Francis G. Newlands Home, Leonard Rockshelter, Fort Churchill, Fort Ruby, Hoover Dam, Virginia City Historic District, and East Ely Yards of Nevada Northern Railway.
Trails and National Parks
The most frequented trails in Nevada include Hunter Lake Trail, Lake Tahoe Rim Trail, Whites Canyon Route, Mojave Desert Trails, Old Spanish National Historic Trail, Whites Creek, Logandale Trails, Pony Express National Historic Trail, and Jumbo Grade. Nevada has about 25 state parks and recreation centers. These include Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Death Valley National Park, Great Basin National Park, Cathedral Gorge State Park, Washoe Lake State Park, Lake Tahoe – Nevada State Park, and Valley of Fire State Park.
Travel Agents
Allegiant Travel Company (Tel 1-702-851-7300); Lake Tahoe Tours (Tel 530-448-8139); Adventure Travel (Tel 530-273-4477) are among the most sought after travel agents in the state.
