Chapter 17: Hawai'i

 There are many things Las Vegas is not compared to Hawai'i. The islands of Hawai'i were created by volcanoes. On Hawai'i, pineapples and sugar cane are grown. Many great surfers like Eddie Aikau have impacted the sport of surfing. Hawai'i is very different compared to Las Vegas. Instead of the tropical paradise of Hawai'i, Las Vegas is filled with resorts attempting to replicate the feel of paradise.


This is a pool in the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel. It has the feel of paradise like Hawai'i with the palm trees and tropical feel. The waterfalls are also a nice touch of this small paradise in Las Vegas.

However, the biggest difference between Las Vegas and Hawai'i is that Hawai'i is one of two states that gambling is illegal and Las Vegas is prominently known for gambling and casinos.



 Sources:
http://hotels.about.com/od/lasvegas/ig/Flamingo-Las-Vegas/Swimming-Pool.-SZl.htm
www.pokerbettingguru.net


Chapter 16: Pacific Northwest

Traveling to the Pacific Northwest use to be so difficult before continental railroads. When the continental railroads were built, the population and economy of the Pacific Northwest grew. An important aspect to any place is transportation and accessibility. How do i get there?

Tourists and travelers can get to Las Vegas by car, bus, shuttle or plane. Those driving by car from Los Angeles may take these routes. The distance is approximately 270 miles, which will take about 4 hours.
Some do not like to drive long distances, so some people opt to travel by bus or shuttle. Some buses that travel to Las Vegas from LA are Greyhound, Megabus, or Amtrak. The travel time with a bus or shuttle is about 5-7 hours depending on its route and location sites.

Others who just don't want to be on the road at all can opt to travel via plane. Las Vegas has an airport and flight time for LA travelers is a little over 1 hour. Some airlines flying from LAX are Spirit Airlines and Delta Airlines, and United Airlines.







Sources:
http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/topcalifornia/ss/los-angeles-to-las-vegas.htm

Chapter 15: California

California consists of many different landforms and many different climates. California is filled with diversity all over. California has beautiful coast lines, amazing mountain ranges, and even desert climate.

Las Vegas is not near a coast nor near mountain large mountain regions. Las Vegas is surrounded by desert. From California to Las Vegas, one must drive through the Mojave Desert. Many people from California drive 4-5 hours to visit Las Vegas. Some even fly to Las Vegas since LAX has multiple departures a day to the Las Vegas airport.


In this video is a summary what you can do in Las Vegas and a few tips of tourism told by a Californian traveler.

 
Sources:
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-las-vegas-road-sign-image2762377
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ZRZDVVjuw

Chapter 14: MexAmerica

MexAmerica is a southern region below Las Vegas, Nevada. This region consists of Mexico, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. MexAmerica consists of mountains and valleys. However, a characteristic common between MexAmerica and Las Vegas is the region's dry, hot weather. MexAmerica also has numerous types of plants and animals throughout the area.

Las Vegas consists of desert vegetation and few wildlife. Not as diverse and numerous in the MexAmerica region. However, the desert wildlife around Las Vegas is still notable.

There are birds, mammals, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, fish, and invertebrates. This website shows the multiple species around Las Vegas. However, here are a few pictures of some creatures noted around Las Vegas.






 Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas#Geography_and_climate
http://www.birdandhike.com/Wildlife/_Wildl_index.htm

Chapter 13: Intermontane West

Las Vegas, Nevada is located in the Intermontane West. It is the largest metropolitan area in the region. In fact, the most populated regions of Nevada are along its border to California.  Recently many retired people have been attracted to this area because Las Vegas is a highly populated area of entertainment. It's the city that is constantly entertaining with gambling, shows, and alcohol. The most action is noted along the strip.



But amidst the shuffle of entertainment and all the buildings to entertain, near Las Vegas lies the beauty of nature's desert. The region around Las Vegas which includes Mohave Desert and Death Valley where less than 8 inches of rain fall each year. It is considered the "true desert." Although the arid climate is so dry, there is so much beauty in the formations of rock.


Sources:
http://naturallyearthfriendly.com/mother-nature-is-fascinatingly-close-to-the-las-vegas-strip/
http://shellysoundsoff.blogspot.com/2013/02/will-i-see-you-in-las-vegas.html

Chapter 12: Rocky Mountain Region

The Rocky Mountain region is to the east of Las Vegas, Nevada. The weather in this region is mainly dry descending air. Thus the precipitation in the Rocky Mountains is usually scarce. Therefore most of the area is arid, just like Las Vegas. However, the Rocky Mountains do get a little more moisture than the deserts to the west.

In higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains, there is more precipitation. During the winter, the mountains have lots of snow and by spring, the snow melts providing water for desert communities like Las Vegas. The melted snow from the Rocky Mountains goes to Lake Mead.
 
This is where Las Vegas obtains about 90 percent of its water source- Lake Mead's reservoir. Water is pumped from here to supply water to Las Vegas.



Sources:
http://www.lvvwd.com/wq/facts_hard.html
http://exleftist.com/tag/lake-mead/

Chapter 11: Great Plains

The Great Plains are located to the east of Las Vegas, Nevada. The terrain is very much flat with slight slopes and dunes. To the west of the Great Plains are the Rocky Mountains. Las Vegas on the otherhand is surrounded by mountains with the Spring Mountains to its left. This is a picture of the Spring Mountains.

Also, the Great Plains weather varies in the sense that it is always changing and very unpredictable. Regions close in proximity can experience a difference in weather at the same time. Whereas in Las Vegas, many can experience sunshine throughout the year. So sunscreen is a must anytime you travel to Las Vegas.


Sources:
http://www.lasvegas.com/listing/spring-mountains-national-recreation-area/1499/
http://blogs.involutiondigital.com/blog/bid/249894/Top-10-Stupidest-Things-Tourist-do-in-Las-Vegas

Chapter 10: Coastal South



In the Coastal South, tourism adds to its economy via a mega theme park. One of the most well known theme parks, Disney World, is in the Coastal South of Orlando, Florida. Walt Disney created a park in an area where he could control access to, from, and around the park. To keep his business afloat, Disney employed over 55,000 people. Furthermore, the Orlando area has more than 100,000 hotel rooms in the area and Las Vegas is the only place that has more.

The largest employer in the Las Vegas area is the MGM Resorts International. Jim Murren is the chairman and CEO of this hotel-casino operation with 54,250 employees. These hotels are all owned by MGM Resorts: Aria, Bellagio, Vdara, MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur or Circus Circus. A large amount of resorts and hotel rooms are owned by the same company on the Las Vegas Strip. If you look at the map below, you can see that much of the Las Vegas Strip is controlled by MGM Resorts and those on The Strip have a likely chance of walking into these casinos. Although Murren cannot control the whole Las Vegas Strip, he controls a great amount of the area.


Source:
http://www.mgmresortsvacations.com/
http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2012/mar/19/list-largest-employers/
http://www.vdara.com/map-directions/

Chapter 9: Inland South


In the history of the Inland South, much of the plantation agriculture depended on a huge labor force. Settlers began gathering and importing slaves to the Inland South. The South's economy was dependent and succeeded by the use of millions of Africans. Even though slavery was abolished during the Civil War, slavery still existed. Thus the population in the Inland South changed due to the racial tensions. However, racial discrimination has subsided. Africans live all over the United States and have moved away from the South. In Las Vegas, 11.1% of the population are Black or African American. However, most of the population of Las Vegas are claimed White, there are still many races in Las Vegas.

Population of Races in Las Vegas



Sources:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32/3240000.html
http://www.clrsearch.com/Las-Vegas-Demographics/NV/Population-by-Race-and-Ethnicity

Chapter 8: Great Lakes/Corn Belt

Many living in the Great Lakes and Corn Belt areas are part of the primary working sector with much of the work dealing with agriculture. Although there are few that deal with agriculture in Las Vegas, it is possible to plant and harvest in Las Vegas. As long as the gardeners understand the temperature changes in Las Vegas, they may have year round vegetables.

Most people just purchase plants and trees for gardening and landscaping. One of the largest places to purchase plants in Las Vegas is Plant World Nursery. However, with water issues in the Las Vegas region it is difficult to upkeep.

In the Great Lakes and Corn Belt area, the tertiary and quaternary economic sectors are growing due to the medical practices. Las Vegas is not known for its medical practices, but things happen in Las Vegas and medical help is needed at times. Below is a map of all the hospital locations within the area. For some people, this will become very handy to know where you can obtain medical assistance.
  1. Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center
    6900 North Durango Dr. • Elkhorn • 702-835-9700
  2. Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center
    2075 E. Flamingo Road • 2 blocks west of Eastern • 702-733-8800
  3. Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center
    5400 S. Rainbow Blvd. • Hacienda • 702-853-3000
  4. Summerlin Hospital Medical Center
    657 Town Center Drive • Banburry Crossing • 702-233-7000
  5. Valley Hospital Medical Center
    620 Shadow Lane • Alta • 702-388-4000

Sources
http://www.ehow.com/list_7198710_tips-vegetable-gardening-las-vegas.html
www.plantworldnursery.com/
http://www.valleyhealthsystemlv.com/patients-and-visitors/directions-and-map

Chapter 7: Megalopolis


Megalopolis is a very populated area in northeast part of the United States.  Las Vegas is the most populated city in Nevada. Furthermore less urban areas of Megalopolis are popular because of resort communities.

The city of Las Vegas is one of the biggest tourist attraction due to the wonderful attractions and resorts it has to offer. Las Vegas evolves around Casinos, entertainment and sky towering Grand Hotels. Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. Today, Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations on the world.

Hotels/Casinos



Aria's grand opening was in 2009 and it is located at the the strip of Las Vegas boulevard. Aria contains 4,004 hotel rooms within its 4,000,000 sq ft. The suites make up over 500 of the rooms. Aria was the 9th-largest hotel in the world. The hotel consists of casinos, entertainment shows like Cirque du Soleil, large amount of restaurants, and a shopping mall. It's unique interior design gives the modern feel.




MGM Grand Las Vegas is another lavish hotel that is located near Aria on the Las Vegas strip. MGM is famous for hosting big boxing events and other entertainments. It is known as the third largest hotel in the world and the largest hotel resort complex in the United States. MGM Grand was opened in 1992. It also consists of casinos, entertainments, restaurants, and shopping areas.




Ceasars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The hotel includes a convention facility of over 300,000 sq ft. Ceasars has 3,960 rooms in six towers: Augustus, Centurion, Roman, Palace, Octavius, and Forum. The suites are located in the Forum tower with 1,000 sq feet of space.


Entertainment



Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil that combines the re-production and re-imagined music of The Beatles. The show is located at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The show introduced The Beatles' most popular songs and interpreted them with circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. Love is one of the many shows that Cique du Soleil constructed. If you are a Beatles fan, you will greatly appreciate and love the show.





Las Vegas hosts a lot of great sports, one of the rising sports that is being hosted in Las Vegas is mix martial art (MMA) known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).



Nightlife

TAO Nightclub is for those that crave a high energy, DJ driven atmosphere. TAO boasts a 40 foot long outside terrace with stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip, with state of the art audio and lightning systems. This nightlife facility is located inside the Venetian.




Pure Nightclub is an astonishing nightlife atmosphere that includes an unparallel view of the Las Vegas Strip. PURE symbolizes a new standard in Las Vegas nightlife. The nightclub stands at 36,000 square feet, with three venues and in one that features its own DJ, sound system and sexy style. It is claimed as the most beautiful club in the world.



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_(Cirque_du_Soleil)
 http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Nightlife/Clubs/Tao-Nightclub/
 http://www.caesarspalace.com/things-to-do/pure-nightclub.html#.UT0taRyofXM
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesars_Palace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Grand_Las_Vegas
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria_Resort_and_Casino
 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Las_Vegas_89.jpg
http://sportsnickel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/MGM-Grand-Garden-Arena.jpg













Chapter 5: Atlantic Periphery

The Atlantic Periphery does not apply to Las Vegas. In the Atlantic Periphery, fishing is a huge industry. Las Vegas has such a scant area of water. There is no fishing industry in Las Vegas. The industry in Las Vegas is entertainment with a lot of gambling and a lot of adult entertainment.

The Atlantic Periphery region is a peripheral area where as Las Vegas would be a core area. Many small cities around the Las Vegas area are dependent on its boosting economy. Some nearby communities in the Las Vegas area are North Las Vegas, Henderson, Paradise, and Winchester. It's difficult to see the communities on this map, but it shows the relative location of them to The Strip. Most people know Las Vegas from The Strip.
Many cities in the Atlantic Periphery are isolated with other cities located farther away. Within the region of Las Vegas, there are multiple cities located in the area. In the picture below, you can see that the southern tip of Nevada holds multiple cities surrounding the region of Las Vegas.
One of the fastest growing places in the United States is Las Vegas and many people have chose this location to retire and for families. Many people that move to this area are from California. From California State University Northridge, Las Vegas is about a 5 hour drive. An easy trip for those to move or party!!

Sources:
http://www.lvcentraloffice.org/?q=location/directory
http://geology.com/cities-map/nevada.shtml
geography.about.com/od/unitedstatesofamerica/a/lasvegasgeography.htm


Chapter 4: Political Economy

Las Vegas is "The Entertainment Capital of the World." This has created Las Vegas to be one of the greatest tourist locations in the world. The primary focus of tourism in Las Vegas is gambling. Above is a video on gambling and how people gamble around Las Vegas. With Las Vegas being an area primarily of tourism and servicing, the majority of people in Las Vegas are part of the tertiary sector.

Out of all the cities in Nevada, the one city with the greatest population is Las Vegas. In 2010, the city population was 583,756. Based on percentage, Las Vegas is one of fastest growing metropolitan areas and it is located in the Sun Belt.

The largest hotel and casino within the Las Vegas city is the Golden Nugget. The Strip is not within city limits, but the larger and more well known casinos are located in that area.


This hotel, The Mirage (housing one of the greatest Cirque Du Soleil shows, The Beatles LOVE, is a MUST WATCH!! It is amazing!) opened in 1989 and created a redevelopment to the Las Vegas Strip. With all the major high end resorts opening in an area outside of the downtown Las Vegas Strip that was not located within Las Vegas city limits, tourism in the downtown area suddenly declined. There have been many attempts to revive the "old feel Las Vegas" location, but it just cannot compete with the high rise, entertainment, restaurants, and clubs of the resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
www.mirage.com/

Chapter 3: Historical Settlement

The Paleo-Indians was the first group of people visited the Las Vegas valley hundreds of years ago. They travel across the land and camped in different locations known as nomads. Then after hundreds of years later, another tribe moved into the southern Nevada and they are called Anasazi Indians. They live along the Muddy and Virgin rivers.The known proof of their existence was due to the ruins that was discovered in Overton, Nevada called the "Lost City." Around this timeline, the Pauite people also explored the Las Vegas area.

Raphael Rivera, a young scout, is known to be the first European to visit and discover the valley of Las Vegas during 1829. The discovery of the valley with abundant wild grasses growing and a plentiful water supply was named Las Vegas, Spanish for "The Meadows." Then around 1844, John C. Fremont arrived in Las Vegas and kept a journal describing two springs he found. This journal lured in many individuals to the area.

By 1864, Nevada was admitted into the union as the 36th state. On that day, it was recognized annually as a state holiday. Then at the late 1800's, the discovery of minerals such as metals, lead to the beginning of the mining industry. Then to lure in farmers, the State Land Act of 1885 offered sections of land at the price of $1.25 per acre. The agriculture became the dominant industry for the next 20 years.


During the early 1900s, the completion of the main railway that links Southern California with Salt Lake City established Las Vegas as a railroad town. The rich source of water made Las Vegas an ideal refueling point and rest stop. On May 15, 1905 Las Vegas was founded as a city. Then on July 1, 1909, the Nevada Legislature created the city under Clark County. It was named after William Clark who brought the railroad to southern Nevada. 



Nevada was the first state to legalize casino-style gambling, but before that, it was the last western state to outlaw gaming in the first decade of the 20th Century. On October 1, 1910, a strict anti-gambling law became effective in Nevada. This law lasted less than three weeks. Gambling was quickly set up underground where patrons who knew the password can go in. Not until March 1931 when the Nevada Legislature approved a legalized gambling bill that was caused by Phil Tobin, a Northern Nevada rancher, that stated legalized gambling was designed to raise taxes for public schools. Today, more than 43% of the state general fund is fed by gambling tax revenue and more than 34% of the state's general fund goes into public education. During the Great Depression, legalized gambling returned to Nevada. 
                                    



At the same time as the Great Depression, the construction of Hoover Dam brings an influx of construction workers that blooms the population and started the Valley's economy which was a necessity during that era. By 1935, four years later, the Hoover Dam was completed. At 726 feet high and more than 1200 feet long, it was the tallest dam in the world. President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke at the dam's dedication.

During the 1940's, the outbreak of World War II brought the defense industry to the valley. With its isolated location along with the large source of water and inexpensive energy, made Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related industries. The Nellis Air Force Base is located in the northeast, and the Basic Management Complex, that provides raw materials, is located in the southeastern suburb of Henderson. This employed a significant amount of valley resident. Following WWII, the lavish resort hotels and gambling casinos were created. Tourism and entertainment took over. Around 1951, the first atomic bomb was detonated at the Nevada Test Site which is north of Las Vegas. A Test ban Treaty of 1963 required the nuclear testing be moved underground.

As the population grows in Las Vegas, the foundation of what Las Vegas is now was due to the transition phase when gambling became "gaming" as a legitimate business during the 1960s, Corporations invest in the hotel/casino industry. The population growth and the increase of job opportunities exponentially increased as the number of hotels increased over the period of two centuries later.


On May 15, 2005 the city of Las Vegas celebrated the 100th birthday which was marked as which 110 acres of downtown Las Vegas was laid on May 15, 1905. The celebration began on December 31, 2004 and lasted through 2005.






Source:http://www.lvol.com/lvoleg/hist/lvhist.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/FactsStatistics/history.htm

Chapter 2: Environmental Setting

GEOGRAPHY
Las Vegas is in the county of Clark, which is located in the Mojave Desert. Circling the desert are dry rocky mountains with the Spring Mountains to the west.  Within the valley of these mountains is Las Vegas. The elevation of the city of Las Vegas is at 2,001 ft. The area of Las Vegas is mainly land. In total, the whole city is 135.6 sq miles and 131.81 sq miles is land and 0.05 sq miles is water. There is not a whole lot of water in the area. Those that live in Las Vegas usually do not have grass lawns or gardens because of the limited supply of water in the area. Mostly desert plants and wild animals can successfully inhabit themselves within its desert environment.




CLIMATE
Las Vegas is an arid climate. 300 out of 365 days a year there is sun shining in Las Vegas. The hottest months are from June to September. There isn't much humidity. The sun is just dry and very hot! Sunblock is more than necessary when outdoors. With the resorts having such grand pools, you can find many of the tourists lounging or partying poolside.
During the winter months, there is more precipitation. March is apparently the wettest month in Las Vegas and averages 3.6 days of precipitation. Even with rainfall being so rare,  the possibility of flash flooding from precipitation is not impossible because of its location in a desert basin. However, this area is a really dry climate. In the surrounding mountain area, their is snow in the winter. Driving to Las Vegas during the winter nights, you can often see snow flurries before hitting inside of the Las Vegas Valley.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
http://www.lowcostusa.co.uk/lasvegas/guide/weather
geography.about.com/od/unitedstatesofamerica/a/lasvegasgeography.htm



Chapter 1: Introduction

Las Vegas, Nevada is also known as "Sin City" and is "The Gambling Capital of the World." Many people come here to not only gamble, but to eat, drink, and be merry with the numerous adult entertainment located within the city. However, every trip I find myself dragged to shopping outlets with my girlfriend.

Las Vegas is a huge tourist area and most of the tourists are right along "The Strip," which is along Las Vegas Boulevard. The Strip is filled with resorts and hotels that light up with hundreds of lights attracting people inside their doors to take their money.

Another thing a lot of people seem to do in Las Vegas is get married. A famous marriage from Las Vegas is Britney Spears when she got married for 55 hours. Despite that, many people that wed in Las Vegas do find their happily ever after.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
http://www.lasvegas4newbies.com/chap6-1.html