Las Vegas - Las Vegas

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state Nevada in the southwest of the United States. The city is sometimes referred to as Sin City (City of Sin).

background

Las Vegas is located in the middle of the Mojave Desert and is best known for its casinos and numerous shows. It is also a location for world-famous trade fairs and conventions as well as a popular conference location. Las Vegas is made easy with the help of the nearby Hoover Dam, which connects the Colorado River contain, supplied with water and electricity. Before the opening of the Hoover Dam Las Vegas was just a small train station in the desert. In 1931, gambling was legalized in Nevada, so that what was once a small desert settlement became a metropolis that is still growing after enormous growth rates in the second half of the 20th century. In the 1950s and 1960s, Las Vegas became a money laundering facility made up of the Mafia Chicago. In the last few decades, Las Vegas has increasingly tried to get away from the image of a pure gaming city, with the aim of building a more family-friendly image. Las Vegas lacks older buildings compared to other US cities. There are few buildings that are 100 years old or older. Therefore, the city lacks the historical charm of other cities in the southwest, on the other hand, the lively metropolis, which is brightly lit at night, has its own, globally unique charm thanks to its futuristic casino buildings on the Strip.

The first Las Vegas casinos were not built on the Strip, but in downtown Las Vegas. In the meantime, however, the Las Vegas Strip, which is about 6 kilometers south of downtown and actually mostly in the area of ​​the city of Paradise, has become the main attraction of the gaming city. Some casinos that still exist today sprang up in downtown Las Vegas in the 1940s. Parts of downtown Las Vegas seem a bit inanimate with their wasteland and abandoned motels, which politicians are now trying to counteract. Still, Downtown is the hub of the subculture and artist of Las Vegas with street art and lots of graffiti. In particular, the Fremont Street area is the preferred nightlife spot for the locals, who often avoid the touristy Strip.

Outside of the lively center around the Strip and Downtown, Las Vegas is mainly characterized by decades of suburbanization, so that the metropolis now extends over almost the entire basin of the Las Vegas Valley. In the entire metropolitan area of ​​Clark County there are about 2.2 million people (as of 2018) and thus almost three quarters of all residents of Nevada. As a major global tourism center, Las Vegas attracts around 42 million visitors annually (as of 2018).

Districts

The actual city of Las Vegas forms a contiguous urban agglomeration with the cities and towns of Paradise, North Las Vegas, Winchester, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor, Whitney, Summerlin South, Enterprise and Henderson. The town Boulder City represents the next larger spatially independent suburb.

getting there

Date of trip

The prices for accommodation, tickets for shows and many other attractions vary greatly, depending on the expected number of visitors, but it is generally much cheaper Monday to Thursday. On weekends, on American holidays and bridge days, as well as at large events such as trade fairs, congresses and sporting events, prices can be 100–150% higher. Much is then overcrowded and there can be long queues. Research on the Internet helps to avoid these inconvenient dates.

By plane

From Germany only Condor flies direct to Las Vegas three times a week. The flight time from Frankfurt / Main is about 11 hours and 45 minutes. Otherwise you have to change trains. All major airlines, including United, British Airways, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines offer connecting flights. You should definitely allow enough time to change trains, as it can take a long time to reach your respective gate due to the security checks and distances at large airports.

The McCarran Airport is right on Las Vegas Blvd and is close to Interstate I-15 ("Las Vegas Freeway") and I-215. Most car rental companies are in Rent-A-Car Center in a central building complex on Gilespie Street south of the airport, to which there is a permanent bus shuttle service. The hotels on the Strip can be reached by taxi, as from any airport, but depending on the route chosen (taxis often take a longer detour via freeway I-15) or the frequent traffic jams on the Strip, the trip can be expensive. The cheapest way to get from the airport to the Strip or downtown is from Terminal 1 (accessible from Terminal 3 via a free shuttle service) on the lowest level Level 0 to take the bus. The bus route goes to Downtown Las Vegas (Fremont Street) WAX (Westcliff Airport Express), as well as the bus routes around the clock 109 and 108 (northbound towards Bonneville Transit Center (BTC)). The fare for a "single ride" is 2 USD, which can be paid directly to the driver in cash, correctly counted. In order to reach the Strip directly with the buses that run parallel to the Strip, you have to change on lines 109 and 108: for example, bus route 109 southbound towards South Strip Transfer Terminal (SSTT), and there change to the line Deuce or SDX, or if heading northbound, change at the Bonneville Transit Center. Instead of single journeys paid for in cash, you can buy a 2-hour ticket (USD 6) or a 24-hour ticket (USD 8) with a credit card at the machine at the bus station, which is valid for all bus routes including the Deuce and SDX routes on the Strip. There is also a private minibus service from the airport to the hotels on the Strip or Downtown (USD 6.50 / USD 8 per trip).

By car

Every casino has a multi-storey car park or a large parking lot where you can park your car yourself (“self-parking”). Most of the parking garages are directly connected to the hotels or casinos and can be reached directly from the Strip via a driveway. In the few cases where the parking spaces are outside the hotel, there is also a driver service. While until 2016 it was generally the case that all casinos on the Strip could use the parking garages free of charge, many casinos now charge parking fees between 9 and 12 USD, usually from the second hour. The casinos whose parking garages are still free include (as of 2018) the Venetian, Palazzo, Circus Circus, Planet Hollywood, SLS Las Vegas, Tropicana and Treasure Island. In downtown Las Vegas around Fremont Street, most public parking spaces are chargeable.

By bus

Greyhound buses run several times a day in 4–6 hours between Las Vegas and the southern California coastal centers, and there is also a longer connection from Denver via Grand Junction, Colorado. The Greyhound Bus Terminal is located near Fremont Street.

By train

See also:Rail travel in the USALas Vegas has a train station near Fremont Street, but there has been no passenger train to or from Las Vegas since the mid-1990s. Amtrak only offers a bus from some of the train stations in the extended area as well as from Los Angeles.

mobility

Some of the casinos can be reached by monorail. This is definitely a good idea during the day in the hot temperatures. However, the monorail is at the back of the casino, so you have to go through the casino every time to get from the strip to the monorail. Otherwise you can walk the strip with all the casinos, provided you have good shoes.

Contrary to popular belief, the city has a developed Bus network. The main lines operate around the clock. The line's double-decker buses open up the Strip Deuce (24-hour operation) and the express buses of the line SDX (Strip & Downtown Express, 09: 30–00: 30), which also open up the old center on Fremont Street. For these lines, tickets for 2 hours (USD 6), 24 hours (USD 8), 3 days (USD 20) and 30 days (USD 65) are only available in advance sales, not sold by the driver. The other lines are cheaper (single trip from USD 2). Almost all bus stops along the strip are equipped with ticket machines that accept cash (no change!) And credit cards. Just a ride on the upper deck of a Deuce bus relaxed from stepping on the pavement and still sightseeing. However, the Deuce buses are often full to overcrowded and rarely on time due to the heavy traffic on the Strip.

Since the city is quite flat and the attractions are all centrally located, you can also easily use the bicycle come through town. The bike is not recommended on the strip. The traffic on the Strip is usually very dense, there are no bike paths and very few parking spaces.

Tourist Attractions

Every casino is a sight in itself! No matter whether the Mirage, in front of which an artificial volcanic eruption takes place in the evening, or the Treasure Island, in front of which a sea battle is re-enacted, or the so-called "theme hotels", which recreate well-known cities and places - e.g. Paris (with Eiffel Tower), Bellagio or the New York. It's unbelievable what you can come up with in Las Vegas. And you can return to Las Vegas every few years - you keep finding new hotels, but you can't find the old ones anymore.

Sights on the strip

All casinos are worth seeing in and of themselves - many have a theme.

• The Luxor is a pyramid and decorated in the ancient Egyptian style.
• The Excalibur (The first large hotel of recent times (opened 1991) with a theme (fairy tale castle) is nice to look at from the outside. On the first floor there is a baking street of Krispy Kreme donuts (to watch through glass windows and then to buy / eat fresh).
• in the New York New York there is a promenade on the lower floor that is modeled on the port of New York. There are more individual snack options here than the food chains that can be found everywhere else. A roller coaster runs around the hotel.
• The MGM Grand is under the sign of the roaring lion and that is why you could admire a couple of dead big cats behind glass in addition to memories of classic films. Unfortunately, the lions no longer exist. Magician David Copperfield can also be seen here from time to time.
• The Park Las Vegas, formerly the Monte Carlo Las Vegas, shows art by Burning Man, viz Bliss Dance.
• The shopping mall around that Planet Hollywood is currently being remodeled, but houses many small shops and some good restaurants.
• Next door is that Paris with the Eiffel Tower (about 1/3 the size of the original) which you can drive up to.
• The Bellagio is an absolute highlight !!! Inside there is a small luxury shopping mall: Chanel, Armani etc. But outside are the Fountains of Bellagio - water fountains that are choreographed to pieces of music (e.g. "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis, but also classic with Andrea Bocelli). Absolutely worth seeing (especially at night when they are lit).
• in the Caesars there is also a shopping mall that is becoming more exclusive from year to year. A few years ago there were also funny little shops where you could rummage - now Chanel and Co. are also spreading here.
• The flamingo is the oldest remaining casino on the Strip and is known from numerous films.
• in the Venetian there is also a huge underground mall with canals on which you can ride in gondolas (and the gondolier sings too)
• The Circus Circus in a tent-like structure shows short acrobatic performances around the clock and also has a small indoor amusement park.
• The Mirage has a fire-breathing volcano that erupts regularly. You can also watch white tigers and dolphins in "Siegfried and Roy's secret garden".
• The Wynn has a huge waterfall.
• The Encore With its nightclubs XS Nightclub, Encore Beach Club and Surrender Nightclub, it is aimed primarily at a young audience.
• The Stratosphere Tower is an approximately 350 meter high tower of the hotel and casino Strat Las Vegas. Here you have the best view over the whole of Las Vegas to the surrounding desert and mountains. A visit is also very impressive at night when the whole city flashes and lights up. At the top you can no longer ride a roller coaster, but let yourself be hung over the edge by a robotic arm, occupy the Freefall Tower or dying on a rope towards the strip. This is in the top of the tower Top of the World Restaurant.

• Some of the great Las Vegas hotels
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  Circus Circus

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  flamingo

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  Bellagio

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  Paris

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  Cesars Palace

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  Mirage

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  Venetian

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  Encore

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  MGM Grand

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  Mandalay Bay

Downtown sights

• Fremont Street Experience Downtown Las Vegas, old Fremont Street was roofed over with a huge video screen. Tourists and street performers cavort on the street below. The cheaper and older hotels such as the "4 Queens" and the "Golden Nugget" can also be found here. The oldest hotel in town (opened in 1906) is the "Golden Gate Hotel" with the telephone number 001.
• Fremont East The entertainment district closes south of the covered Fremont Street Experience Fremont East at. Here are numerous bars and music clubs and the Downtown Container Park, a family-friendly outdoor attraction.

• Neon Museum The Neon Museum is an open-air museum north of downtown, where you can see the neon lighting systems of historic casinos. Regular admission is $ 20. When taking photos, you should be careful not to step over the stone borders at the edge of the path so as not to damage the sometimes fragile historical exhibits.
• Mob Museum The Mob Museum takes a look at the underworld of mob bosses and how they influenced the development of the city of Las Vegas. Also has a speakeasy and whiskey distillery. General admission is $ 26.95.

activities

Play, shop and sweat! Oh yes - and eat: almost every casino offers cheap breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets, all you can eat Naturally!

If you stay in one of the big hotels, you shouldn't miss the swimming pool. The swimming pools are very nicely done with rivers to float on and drinks service right up to the pool.

Play

The first slot machines greet the arriving guest at the airport. In the city's casinos there are whole batteries of slot machines, often grouped by type. The one-armed bandits, still known from films from the 1950s and 1960s, have disappeared, as have the associated paper cups for the coins. Everything now runs fully electronically as a video. The types of machines differ with regard to the determination of winnings: there are 'one line' and 'multi line' versions, i. In other words, in the first case the matching symbols must appear on a line, in the other case different cross-over variants can bring a profit. The machines can be fed with amounts from 1 cent - the scale is open to the top.

Various other games are offered at the gaming tables.

In contrast to the German Gambling Act, you can also gamble online in Nevada.

In principle, the game winnings are tax-free for non-US citizens and should be paid out in full. In many casinos, foreigners, as is the case with US citizens, are automatically deducted and withheld 30% tax on winnings of $ 10,000 or more. Foreign nationals from overseas can use the U.S. Tax Services Form 1042-S to reclaim these taxes paid. It is advisable to keep all receipts carefully.

Marry

In Las Vegas you can get married very quickly and easily. In a county clerk’s office, with a valid passport and at least 18 years of age, you can usually get married without waiting. Opening times daily from 9:00 am to 12:00 am. Cost per person $ 60. Afterwards, if you want something a little more romantic, you can be married by a person of your choice (pastor, priest, rabbi, shaman ...) with this marriage license. However, the marriage must be reported to the responsible registry office after the return journey.

Most of the major hotels and wedding chapels in Las Vegas offer wedding packages for wedding ceremonies, and everything you need, such as wedding dress, Cadillac, entertainment, and even the wedding guests can be rented.

Festivals

• Electric Daisy Carnival The Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in Las Vegas is one of the largest festivals of electronic dance music in the world with up to 400,000 participants. The three-day festival takes place annually on the last weekend in June. It takes place on the Las Vegas Speedway, half a stude north of Las Vegas.
• iHeartRadio Music FestivaliHeartRadio takes place on the Strip in September.
• Life Is Beautiful Music FestivalLife Is Beautiful (LIB) takes place in downtown Las Vegas in late September or early October.

shop

Las Vegas offers excellent shopping. In and near the hotels there are malls and shopping areas with everything tourists would like to buy. That means clothes, accessories for teddy bears, kitsch, etc. The malls are lavishly designed and made according to a theme, e.g. B. Arab city or Roman mall. There are also cabaret performances or artificial rain in the malls. There is also the large shopping center, which specializes primarily in fashion, right on the strip Fashion Show Mall.

Much cheaper than in the shops of the casinos can be bought in the various outlet malls.

• Las Vegas South Premium Outlets, 7400 South Las Vegas Blvd, accessible on the SDX bus route
• Premium Outlet Center, 875 South Grand Central Parkway (pay attention to the temperature here, as the paths are all outdoors. Depending on the weather, it can be extremely hot and stressful)

Those looking for inexpensive DVDs and CDs will find several pawn shops in Las Vegas that sell used music for $ 2 and films for $ 5–10.

kitchen

If you only think of fast food when you think of the USA and food, you will learn better when you are in Las Vegas at the latest. Almost all of the larger casinos offer a huge buffet with "all you can eat" inexpensively (breakfast between 10 and 25 $, in the evening a large buffet from around 20 $ to 35 $). Mostly 24 hours a day. Breakfast in the evening, dinner in the morning, no problem. The quality and selection is mostly excellent. The idea behind this is of course where you eat, then you might later gamble away your money. Few tourists eat outside the casinos, although you can find everything there, from normal fast food to top cuisine.

It should be noted that you are assigned a seat. In the casinos, cashing takes place before entering the buffet restaurant, then you queue in order to be directed to a table. It is important to tell the ushers the number of guests (e.g. "a party of two"), then things can go a little faster. At the end you leave a small tip on the table; one US dollar per person is still considered appropriate.

Besides buffets, celebrity chefs Las Vegas have now made their homes. Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsey and Giada DiLaurentiis are just a few of the top chefs who run their own restaurants in Las Vegas.

nightlife

Las Vegas has a lot of shows. In recent years there has been an attempt to become family-friendly in Las Vegas. The image of a “sinful” city that has built up over the years can only be understood to a limited extent from a European perspective, but for some Americans it means great freedom to be able to hold a beer can open in their hand while watching the laser show on Fremont Street. Most of the shows are therefore quite tame. Many of the shows are from Cirque de Soleil. You can order the tickets in advance on the Internet or buy them in a ticket shop in Las Vegas. Remaining tickets can be bought at various stands along Las Vegas Blvd for the respective evening. This allows up to 50% discount for last-minute travelers. Many casinos also house clubs and large discos, in which mostly star DJs from the EDM scene play, such as Omnia, XS Nightclub, Hakkasan, Encore Beach Club, or Drai's. There is also some off-the-strip nightlife in Las Vegas. In the most famous nightlife district Fremont East Downtown you will find bars, music and night clubs with a more alternative character, which the locals also go to.

accommodation

In general, the accommodation is very cheap compared to the general room rates in the USA. You can rent a double room in a large casino for as little as $ 50, as always in the USA without breakfast. The breakfast buffet costs between 10 and 25 $ per person and is also very rich for European tastes.

In recent times, in addition to the regular and often prepaid room rate, many hotels charge a "resort fee" of $ 20 to $ 35, regardless of whether you use the facilities such as the pool or fitness room.

At the weekend, prices usually rise by over 100 percent.

For travelers from Germany or the euro area, it is particularly advisable to check the hotel offers of the major tour operators (self-travel), especially when the dollar exchange rate is high, as they often offer cheap accommodation prices. Some of these offers already contain the above. Resort fee, but you should make sure that this is noted on the voucher.

The accommodations can be divided into three categories:

Most expensive: The big casinos on the Strip. During the week, however, the older ones in particular can also be very cheap.

The cheapest: the casinos and motels in downtown and on Fremont Street, old Las Vegas. Downtown there are also some cheaper hotels and motels that also charge a resort fee, but instead of a casino they house a nightclub. These accommodations can be very loud at night several days a week and are therefore more aimed at a night owl crowd. There are also some inexpensive motels in the vicinity of McCarran Airport, some of which are within walking distance of the Strip.

Right in the middle: The hotels and motels further out. However, these require that the Strip can only be reached by car if it is not on a local public transport RTC bus line.

Sports

• swim The pools in the casinos are intended for splashing around and cooling off and are unsuitable for sporting activity. But there are some small public ones in the city Indoor and outdoor swimming poolssuch as the Baker Pool near downtown, where sport swimmers can swim their laps.
• Climb Experienced sport climbers will find in the Red Rocks in Red Rock Canyon just a few miles beyond the western city limits, a climbing paradise with a large number of multi-pitch routes.
• Winter sports If you head to Las Vegas in winter, you will find that located at 2,600 meters above sea level just 55 minutes by car from the Strip Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort in the Lee Canyonwhich about 30 ski slopes disposes.

Learn

About 5 minutes by car from the Strip is the relatively spacious campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). With around 28,600 students (2015) it is the largest university in Nevada. These are other state universities Nevada State College in Henderson, and that College of Southern Nevada.

Work

Most of the jobs in Las Vegas are in the city government, numerous casinos, hotels and motels, entertainment, and higher education institutions.

security

For the vast majority of tourists who visit Las Vegas, we recommend safety notices that are also valid in other major cities around the world. Against the background that the city is trying to shed its dingy image, the city administration has increased the presence of police and security personnel in the tourist areas around Strip and Fremont Street over the past few years, on the one hand, and the increase in the cost of building land and settlement on the other of the big casinos around the Strip, dark corners and dodgy semi-legal establishments have largely been replaced.

Because of this, the Strip between the Stratosphere Complex in the north and Mandalay Bay in the south is safe to move around at any time of the day or night. Given the large crowds, you should pay special attention to your valuables. The development has proven to be favorable that in the casinos the use of the machines is almost exclusively processed via a receipt system, so that larger amounts of cash can confidently be left in the hotel.

Care should be taken when leaving the strip, especially after dark. Due to the relatively high number of homeless people and the high number of drug addicts, there are occasional assaults, robberies at gas stations and occasionally smaller shootings related to drug-related crime. For this reason, it is advisable to only move outside of the strip, especially at night, in the vehicle. In view of the fact that the other districts of Las Vegas are relatively uninteresting for tourists, this is not a serious limitation.

The area of ​​Las Vegas Blvd between the Strip and Fremont Street is still to be entered with caution after dark. Here you can still find some of Las Vegas' earlier venues such as strip clubs, table dance bars and, although illegal in Nevada, also brothels. Corresponding flyers are also distributed on the strip, but for the most part this is done unobtrusively and does not have to be considered.

At a late hour, an increased number of drunk people should be expected on the strip.

In view of the very high temperatures, especially in the summer months, care should be taken to drink enough and appropriate sun protection.

health

Some pharmacies are right on the strip (CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens Pharmacy), but also in the major discount markets such as Target there is usually a pharmacy area.

Practical advice

The minimum age for casino visitors is 21 years, regardless of age, always take your passport with you in order to be able to identify yourself.

The slot machines are set up in groups in the casinos. Depending on the minimum stake and the corresponding profit opportunity. If you play at the small ($ 0.05) or quarter machines ($ 0.25), after a while you get drinks (including alcohol) for free. The service is much better at the $ 1 machines, you can quickly get all drinks and snacks for free. A tip is still expected from the service, around $ 1 per order. If you have too much money and play at the $ 100 machines, the service is accordingly thoughtful. If you are not a US citizen and make a very large profit (about $ 10,000 or more) it can happen that 30% tax is deducted which you can usually get back afterwards from the US tax authorities (IRS). Keep receipts well!

Roulette and the cards and dice games are similar, there are tables with different minimum stakes. If you are unsure about local customs as a visitor, just watch other players first. Everything (!) Is monitored with cameras and every casino has its own security service.

There are no clocks in the casinos and the exits are only very poorly signposted. This has a method to keep the player in the casino for as long as possible.

Even if cards with prostitute details are constantly being shoved into your hand, prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas. That's why the ladies are officially called strippers (private dancers).

Playing, whether at the machine or at the gaming table, is to be viewed as entertainment and requires appropriate discipline. Basically you have to be aware of the fact that an effective profit can hardly be expected. So it is advisable to define a fixed budget beforehand to gamble away and to adhere to it.

In Las Vegas, the GSM 1900 network works without any problems. You need a tri-band mobile phone to make calls. There are also a lot of internet cafés, mostly located in souvenir shops.

Internet access in casinos is often only free in the lounges. Registration or login is almost always required. In numerous casinos, in-room internet access is covered by the resort fee, but the bandwidth is limited. More bandwidth is only available through an additional payment.

trips

Daily goals

• Red Rock Canyon The national park is only about 25 minutes by car from the Strip and a few kilometers beyond the western city limits Red Rock Canyon. It is therefore also suitable for half-day tours. Here you can Scenic Drive driving, hiking, sport climbing, mountain biking or camping. The day pass for a motor vehicle costs $ 15 (as of November 2018). The Red Rock Canyon is used as the film set for the desert and highway scenes in the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) known. The hiking area is also about two kilometers closer to Las Vegas Calico Basin, with free parking and the popular picnic area Red Spring Desert Oasis, which, with its deciduous trees, is particularly popular as a photo backdrop for newlyweds.

• Valley of Fire About 55 minutes by car or 50 miles from the Strip is the northeast of Las Vegas Valley of Fire State Park. Hier kann man wandern oder nach Anmeldung auf vorhandenen Campingplätzen (mit Stromversorgung) campen. Im Valley of Fire können jahrtausendealte Felszeichnungen der Anasazi-Indianer besichtigt werden, beispielsweise am Atlatl Rock. Die Felsformationen des Tals sind bei Ansässigen auch ein beliebtes Motiv für Hochzeitsfotos. Die Gebühr für den Tagespass für ein Kraftfahrzeug von 10 Dollar (Stand: Juli 2017) muss man passend dabei haben und mittels eines vor Ort verfügbaren Umschlags in einen Briefkasten werfen. Das Tal ist unter anderem als Kulisse des Films Star Trek: Treffen der Generationen known.

• Mount Charleston Nur etwa 50 Autominuten oder 65 Kilometer vom Strip entfernt befindet sich nordwestlich von Las Vegas in den Spring Mountains der Mount Charleston mit dem 3,632 Meter hohen Charleston Peak. Hier trifft man nur eine Stunde vom quirligen Leben und Wüstenklima der Casinostadt entfernt auf eine alpine Bergkulisse mit einem etwas kühleren Mikroklima. Die hinter der Ortschaft Mount Charleston gelegenen Parkplätze dienen als Ausgangspunktfür gut vorbereitete Bergtouren. Im Nachbartal Lee Canyon befindet sich das Wintersportgebiet Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort.
• Lake Mead Nur etwa 30 Autominuten oder 37 Kilometer vom Strip entfernt befindet sich südöstlich von Las Vegas die Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Hier kann man wandern, schwimmen gehen, Bootsausflüge buchen oder auf vorhandenen großen Campingplätzen wie dem Boulder Beach Campground campen. Im Park herrscht meist ein sehr heißes Wüstenklima. Der berühmte Hoover-Damm (auch Boulder Dam genannt) befindet sich nur 10 Autominuten hinter der östlichen Ausfahrt des Parks. Die Gebühr für ein Kraftfahrzeug beträgt 20 Dollar (Stand: Juli 2017) und gilt für 7 aufeinanderfolgende Tage. Vom Lake Mead aus kann man ebenfalls das Valley of Fire über die Northshore Road (NV-167) erreichen.

Allgemeine Vorsichtsmaßnahmen: Auch bei diesen Naherholungszielen sollte man insbesondere im Sommer auch bei nur kurzer Entfernung vom Fahrzeug immer größere Mengen Trinkwasser mit sich führen. Kleinkinder und Haustiere sollten niemals allein im Auto zurückgelassen werden, durch die Aufheizung der abgestellten Fahrzeuge besteht Lebensgefahr.

Weiter entfernte Ziele

• Grand Canyon Las Vegas ist der ideale Ausgangspunkt für Touren in die Canyons. So kann man innerhalb eines Tages den Zion National Park to reach. The Grand Canyon liegt etwa 5 bis 7 Autostunden entfernt im Bundesstaat Arizona, über Kingman und Williams direkt zum Grand Canyon Village oder zum etwas größeren Ort Flagstaff kann man entweder auf der Interstate, aber auch über die legendäre Route 66 drive. Die Gebühr für die Einfahrt in den Grand Canyon National Park bzw. das Grand Canyon Village für ein Kraftfahrzeug beträgt 30 Dollar (Stand: Juli 2017). Auf dem Weg nach Osten kommt man bereits kurz hinter Henderson nach einer halben Stunde südöstlich vom Strip auf dem Highway am berühmten Hoover-Damm vorbei. Will man einen organisierten Ausflug zum Grand Canyon buchen, lohnt sich ein Preisvergleich. Ein im Hotel gebuchter Ausflug kann dreimal so teuer werden wie ein im einzelnen Ausflugsbüro gebuchter.
• Rhyolite und Death Valley Nördlich von Las Vegas kann man auch Rhyolite besuchen, eine Geisterstadt aus der Zeit des Goldrausch in Kalifornien. Sie ist auf dem Weg zum Tal des Todes (Death Valley) etwa eine Stunde entfernt. The Death Valley National Park selbst ist dann noch ein Stück weiter Richtung Westen, mit dem Auto etwa 1,5 h von Las Vegas entfernt.
• Phoenix The town Phoenix im Bundesstaat Arizona liegt südöstlich von Las Vegas etwa 480 Kilometer oder mindestens 5 Autostunden entfernt.
• los Angeles The town los Angeles im Bundesstaat Kalifornien ist südwestlich über die Interstate 15 zu erreichen und etwa 420 Kilometer oder mindestens 4 Autostunden entfernt.
• Extraterrestrial Highway bis Rachel/Nevada Rund 240 Straßenkilometer nördlich von Las Vegas liegt Rachel/Nevada am östlichen Rand der AREA 51. UFO-Liebhaber kennen diesen Ort, das Little A'Le'Inn mit der fliegenden Untertasse davor hat in diesen Kreisen Kultstatus. Der Extraterrestrial Highway ist über die und den Great Basin Highway rasch zu erreichen. Die zumeist schnurgerade Straße führt durch eine sehr einsame Gegend, so dass man durchaus nach einiger Zeit Außerirdische wahrnimmt. Entlang der Strecke bitte auf wilde Pferde achten, die auf die Straße laufen können. Rachel selbst ist ein kleines Wüstennest das von Ufologen und Verschwörungstheoretikern bevölkert bzw. besucht wird. Der Ausflug ist langwierig, hat aber einen gewissen Reiz wenn man viele andere Dinge rund um Las Vegas bereits besucht hat.
• Joshua Tree National Park The Joshua Tree National Park im Bundesstaat Kalifornien erreicht man von Las Vegas aus am direktesten, indem man die Richtung Süden bis zur kurz hinter Primm gelegenen Abfahrt Nipton Road fährt, und dann nach nur 5 Kilometern auf der Nipton Road und nochmals 5 Kilometern auf der Ivanpah Road rechts in die die Morningstar Mine Road abbiegt, so dass man durch das Wüstengebiet Mojave National Preserve über die Orte bzw. Wegpunkte Cima, Kelso und Amboy fahrend die am Joshua Tree National Park gelegene Stadt Twentynine Palms erreicht.

literature

• Hunter S. Thompson: Angst und Schrecken in Las Vegas (Englischer Originaltitel: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Heyne, 2005, ISBN 3-453-40137-9 . Autobiographischer Schlüsselroman des berühmten Gonzo-Journalisten von 1971, der einen Einblick darüber gibt wie Las Vegas, „das Herz des amerikanischen Traums“, funktioniert.

Web links