Walter's Las Vegas, Nevada Guide is for the resident and vistor alike to this gambling city. This guide will have information about this desert city and links to the many attractions including the casinos and restaurants located there.  Just click on any of the underlined colored text to go to that page on guide.  There are currently 50 pages on this web site related to this travel destination.  There is also a main index on this site which listed and has links to all of the pages on this site including Las Vegas and North Las Vegas casinos and to 15 categories of casino restaurants.  The Las Vagas 4th of July page has information on what is going on there including barbacues, concerts, and fireworks.  

 

 

Las Vegas means "The Meadows" in Spanish and was named that because of the grasslands in the area.  Other nicknames that it is also known by the nicknames of "Gambling Capital of the World," "Glitter Gulch," "Sin City," "City of Lights," "Lost Wages" and "The Entertainment Capital of the World."  The nickname of "Gambling Capital of the World' is derived from the sheer number of casinos in this city while the nickname of "The Entertainment Capital of the World" relates to the many great shows and entertainers who played the casinos clubs and theaters.  Both  nicknames of "Glitter Gulch" and "City of  Lights" relate to the many neon lights of the casinos which the city has been famous for years for.  The nickname of Las Vegas as "Sin City" relates to not only the gambling aspect of this city but its famous topless revues which have been going on for many years. The nickname of "Lost Wages" relates to both lossing at the casinos and not working since you are at the casino.  Their popular slogan " "What Happens Here, Stays Here" was created by R&R Partners (1).   This slogan made Las Vegas one of the most popular brand names in the world.  The area where the city of North Las Vegas is located was orginally known as Verde Vegas which means "Green Meadows" in Spanish.  Henderson, Nevada before it became a city was known for it magnesium plant (2). Henderson, Nevada is named after Charles Belknap Henderson who was a U. S. Senator from Nevada (3). The city of Primm, NV was orginally called State Line but in 1996 was renamed Primm in honor of the community's founder Ernest Primm (4).  Clark County where these cities reside was named after William Andrew Clark who build a railroad between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City which had a stop where Las Vegas is now (5).  The railroad company that Clark worked for brought lots in 1905 which eventually became downtown Las Vegas (5).  Fremont Street is named after General John Fremont who camped in the Las Vegas area in 1844 (6) ). Henderson, Nevada official slogan is "Henderson-a Place to Call Home" to reflect its small town values (2).

 

 

Relics found by springs show that there were camp sites in the Las Vegas Valley long before the Europeans arrived (6) ). The first permanent settlers in the Las Vegas Valley were a group of Mormon missionaries who built an adobe fort along the Las Vegas creek in the year 1855 (7). The mission was abandoned in 1857 (6). The State Land Act of 1885 offered land tracts of 640 acres at a low cost which resulted in orchards and some alfalfa being plants but once artesian waterwas discovered alfalfa became the main crop (6). The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino opened in 1906 and was the first casino in Las Vegas (8).  In 1910, a law made it illegal to gamble in the City of Las Vegas and it was not until 1931 when the Nevada Legislature legalized gambling was it legal to gamble there again (8).  The first casino to open on Highway 91 which became Las Vegas Blvd. South was the "Pair-o-Dice Club" in 1931 but the first actual casino and hotel to open in the area where the Las Vegas strip is located was the El Rancho Vegas in 1941 (9). In 1955, The Moulin Rouge, the city’s first racially integrated hotel opened (8). On March 17, 1953, there is a photo taken showing casino workers watching a atomic bomb testing at Yucca Flats which was 65 miles away from their Las Vegas location. 

 

 

The City of Las Vegas, Nevada was founded on May 15,1905 and incorporated on March 16, 1911 (9).  The intial government was a commission form of government with oversight of adminstrative duties related to running this city falling to different commissioners (9).  In 1944, a new form of government took over called "council/manager" with a major and four councilmen which in 1999 went from 4 councilmen to 6 councilmen (9).  The city of North Las Vegas also has a similar setup with 1 mayor and 4 councilman making up their "council/manager" form of government with each member of council elected to a 4 year term (11). The city of Henderson, NV was incorporated on April 13, 1953 (2) ).  Before being incorporated Henderson, Nevada was offered to be sold as War Surplus Property in 1947 but the Nevada Legislature voted to allow the Colorado River Commission of Nevada to purchase the property and thus saving Henderson (2).  The city of Henderson actually received its charter from the Nevada State Legislature in 1965 which created a Council/Manager form of government in which Mayor and Council  had the legislative power of the city and the City Manager is responsible for executive duties and administration of the city (12).  The Mayor and four city Councilmembers are elected at largethough no two councilmembers can be from the same ward of the city's four wards (12). The Council appoints a City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk who are directly controlled by the Council. "All city department heads, including the Police Chief and the Fire Chief, are hired by the City Manager" (12).  While most people associated Las Vegas as part of southern Nevada; the area where the casinos, government, and hotels are located is actually in Clark County. Thus, Las Vegas, Nevada has two seats of government: County and city.  Clark County which emcompassed all three cities is run by a 7 member county commission (5). 

 

 

McCarran International Airport is the main airport serving people flying in and out of Las Vegas.  The airlines that serve this airport inclde AeroMexico, Air Canada, AirTran, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Aviacsa, British Airways, Condor, Continental Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Korean Air, Mexicana, Midwest Airlines, OAI, Phillipines Airline, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, Suncountry Airlines, Sunwing Air, Thomas Cook, United, U S. Airways, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, Vivaaerobus, and Westjet.   

 

 

The city of Las Vegas, Nevada is located in the Vegas Valley and is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Spring Mountains. Being in between 2 mountain ranges, it is considered to be a basin.  The elevation is slightly above 2000 feet.  The Las Vegas Valley elevations range from 2000 to 10000 feet above the valley floor (13). The Valley extends in a northwest/southeast direction. The area around the city of Las Vegas is desert.  This southern Nevada city is located in the famous Mojave Desert.  Las Vegas NV is located at a latitude of 36° 5' N and a longitude of 115° 10' W.  Henderson, Nevada is located at a latitude of 36° 2' N and a longitude of  114° 58' W. North Las Vegas is located at a latitude of 36° 13' and a longitude of 115° 8' W.   Some of the types of vegetation found in the area includes:  Cactus, desert wildflowers, yuccas, and grasses.  Some of the native shrubs are Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa), Four Wing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens), Oakleaf Sumac (Rhus trilobata),  Quailbush (Atriplex lentiformis), Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), and Woods Rose (Rosa woodsii).  Some of the deciduous tree native to Las Vegas, NV include Arizona Ash (Fraxinus velutina), Blue Palo Verde (Cercidium floridum), Gooding Willow (Salix goodingii), Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa 'Torreyana"), and Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides). The city itself is 113 square miles (14). The city of North Las Vegas is 78 square miles (15).  The city of Henderson, NV is 79 square miles (16). This Nevada city started out as only 13 square miles.  Clark County which includes all three cities has a total land area of 7,910.34 square miles (17). Clark County is the 15th largest county in the USA and is the largest in Nevada (5).  Interactive maps of Metro Las Vegas andSurrounding Areas are available 

 

 

This resort city is known for its casinos, hotels, entertainment, restaurants, nightlife, golf, theme parks, and other attractions. There are over 40 million visitors to this desert city (18).  When you visit Las Vegas make sure to check the hotel front desk or concierge table for complimentary vistors guide which have information on such topics as gaming, entertainment, restaurants, shopping, sight-seeing and more.  These guides also have coupons for discounts for shows, dining, attractions, and tours.  What's On is an excellent guide to what is happening in this Nevada city and comes with coupons. Today in Las Vegas is another good source of information and also includes coupons.Las Vegas Weekly also has information on what to do in this Nevada city. Las Vegas City Life also has information about what is going on in this desert city and covers a lot of the non-casino activity.  Some of the notable celebrities who have regularly done shows in Las Vegas casinos included Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Celine Dion, Cher, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, Bette Midler, Jay Leno, Redd Foxx, and Wayne Newton. The cuisine of this city ranges from quick eats to fine dining.  The site will contain information on the city and links to many of the attractions available in Las Vegas, Nevada including the many casinos. Las Vegas is home to 68 parks, 14 gold courses, and 4 Public swimming pools (19).  Two of the most famous attractions for a long time is Fremont Street Experience and The Las Vegas Strip. The Fremont Street Experience first opened on December 13, 1995 (4).  The Fremont Street Experience is a 5 block entertainment area which is home to 10 casinos, many restaurants and tourist shops.  The street plays host to free concerts and a nightly sound and light show on a huge overhead screen.  The Las Vegas strip is well know for its bright lights and casinos.  This is where you will see replicas of the Eiffil tower, the Empire State Building, and the Sphinx.  But interestly if you see photos of it, the strip looks compact but is nearly 7 miles long and is composed of several clusters of hotels and casinos. The are five main clusters along the strip.  The Cluster of the Giants which is located at intersection of the strip with Tropicana Avenue includes some of the largest hotels in the world. The Excalibur, Luxor, Tropicana, Monte Carlo, New York New York , and MGM Grand are part of this cluster.  The Grand Cluster which contains the largest concentration of hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas strip is one mile away from the Custer of the Giants from Flamingo Road to Spring Mountain Road.  It includes Bally's, Caesar Palace, Paris, Bellagio, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Mirage, Harrah's Casino Royale, and The Venetian.  The first two clusters have become so close they are almost one very large cluster.  The third cluster was is where the New Frontier stood but it was demolished in 2007 and the Fashion Show Mall is located between Spring Mountain Road and Desert Inn Road.  Encore Las Vegas and Trump International Las Vegas are also located in this cluster. The fourth cluster runs between Convention Center Drive and Riviera Boulevard.  It includes Circus Circus and the Riviera casinos. The final cluster includes the Sahara and the Stratosphere.  The Las Vegas Strip represents New Las Vegas while Fremont Street is Classic Las Vegas. Interactive maps of the South and North parts of The Las Vegas Strip are available.  This famous Strip is only partly in Las Vegas while most of the strip is actually in Paradise, Nevada and Winchester, Nevada which are both unincorporated. This southern Nevada gambling mecca has attracted vistors and individuals who called it home for thousands of years long before it became known for it wide selection of casinos. Another attraction of Las Vegas is the Neon Museum which is only available by appointment and on certain days of the week and only certain hours.  This Las Vegas attraction has neon signs from past to the present. Another popular attraction is Botanical Cactus Garden & Ethel’s Chocolate Factory which is located at 2 Cactus Garden Drive, Henderson, NV 89014 offers free tours of their chocolate factory and their cactus gardens and often have seasonal events. The Stratosphere Hotel and Tower which is more than 1,100 feet high is the tallest building west of the Mississippi.. The Las Vegas Area Museums and Exhibits Guide has links and information about the museums and exhibits that can be seen around Las Vegas.  The Las Vegas Art Galleries page list the art galleries that are located in the Las Vegas area.  Due to relatively year-round pleasant weather, there are many Las Vegas Golf Courses located in the area.  Las Vegas Gardens include demonstration gardens which highlights how to grow Xeriscaped gardens and also some of the specialty gardens located within the casinos.

 

Las Vegas Area Population Information 

 

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada.  The population of this city was 552,539 on July 1, 2006 and had grown from 478,434 in 2000 (14). They had an average of 4,222.3 persons per square mile (14). There were 190,724 housing units which were home to 176,750 households in 2000 in this Nevada city (14).  The median household income in Las Vegas was $53,704 (9). The population of North Las Vegas has growm from 115,488 to an estimated poulation on July 1, 2006 of 197,567 and increase of 71.1% (15).  They had 36,600 housing units with about 34,018 households in 2000 and an estimated  1,471.0 persons per square mile in 2000 (15). The population of Henderson, Nevada was 175,381 in 2000 which grew by an estimated 37.2% to 240,614 on July 1, 2006 and which has 71,149 housing units which was home to  66,331 households in 2000 (16).  The total population of Clarke county where are three cities resides was estimated on April 1, 2000 to be 1,375,535 and by 2008 was estimated to be 1,865,746 which represents a 35.6% growth rate (17).  The number of housing units in Clark County was 810,602 which was home to 512,253 households (17).

Las Vegas Area Climate and Weather

The weather in Las Vegas is generally warm and dry most of the year but does have the four traditional seasons. According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, this city is an arid desert with temperature considered to be cold arid (20).  Weather has been officially recorded in Las Vegas Nevada since 1937.  The average monthly temperatures vary from an average of 47 in December and January to July's average of 91.2 Fahrenheit with the annually average being 68.2 (20). The average rainfall and/or snow varies from 0.08 inches in June to 0.69 in February with total precipitation averaging 4.49 inches (21). Snow flurries can be seen a couple times a year but actual accumulation of an inch or more happens on average every 4 or 5 years (13). For gardeners the USDA hardiness zone for Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas is 9a while the sunset zone is 11.

 

 

The Las Vegas Pizza Shops page has links and information about places that serve both New York and Chicago style pies.  The Las Vegas Steakhouse page has links and information about reataurants that serve this beef dish. The Las Vegas Italian Restaurants page has links and information on eateries that serve this type of cuisine.  The Las Vegas Seafood and Fish Restaurants page has links and information to places that serve lobster, crabs, salmon, and shrimp.

 

The casinos link pages has links to Las Vegas and North Las Vegas casinos and inludes the addresses and telephone number to these gambling halls. The Las Vegas Casino pages has links to 54 casinos and is divided into five pages by alphabetic order. The Las Vegas Casino Links (Ar-Ex) page includes the Arizona Charlie's Decatur Casino and Hall through Excalibur Hotel Casino Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Casinos Links (Fi-Ho) page includes the Fitz Casino and Hotel Las Vegas through Hooters Casino Hotel Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Casinos Links (Im-Ne) page includes Imperial Palace Las Vegas through the New York New York Las Vegas Casino and Hotel. The Las Vegas Casinos Links (Pa-Su) page includes the Palms Casino Resort through the Suncoast Hotel and Casino Hall. The Las Vegas Casinos Links (Te-Wy) page includes Terrible's Hotel Casino through Wynn Las Vegas. The site has 11 North Las Vegas Casinos Links ranging from the Aliante casino to the Texas Station Gambling Hall and Hotel.

 

 

The casinos offer a wide range of restaurant choices.  Currently, the Las Vegas casino restaurants pages are divided into 15 categories.  The Las Vegas Casino Restaurant (Diverse Menu) page has links and addresses to eateries offering a wide range of items to eat. The  Las Vegas Casino Steakhouse page has links to restaurants serving various cuts of steak.  The Las Vegas Casino Seafood and Fish Restaurants page has links and addresses of dining establishments that serve such food as lobster tails, shrimp scampi, and salmon.  The Las Vegas Casino Pizza Shops page has addresses and links to pizza places located in the various casinos.  The Las Vegas Casino Buffets page has the addresses and links to the many casino buffets.   The Las Vegas Casino Italian Restaurant page has links and addresses to places serving such fare as lasagna, Osso Bucco, and spaghetti and meatballs.  The Las Vegas Casino Snack Bar page has addresses and links to places where you can get quick eats.  The Las Vegas Casino Sandwich Shops or Deli has links and addresses where you get your favorite sandwich.  The Las Vegas Casino Coffeehouse page has the addresses and links to place in the casinos where you can get your needed coffee and expresso.  The Las Vegas Casino Chinese Restaurants page has links and addresses of eateries that serve this Asian cuisine.  The Las Vegas Casino Italian Restaurants page has addresses and links to Las Vegas casino restaurants serving this type of cuisine.  The Las Vegas Casino Sushi Bars and Japanese Restaurants has links and locations of places serving these types of Asian cuisine.  The Las Vegas Casino Pastries Shops page has the locations and links to these delectable treats.  The Las Vegas Casino Southwest Fare or Mexican Restaurants has links and addresses of places serving this type of cuisine.  TheLas Vegas Casino Ice Cream Parlors page has links and addresses to places that serve this delectable treat. The Las Vegas Casino Other Cuisines has links and addresses of Casino's cuisines not covered by the above categories including French, Russian,Southern,Carribean and South American.  The North Las Vegas Casino Restaurant page has linkd to eateries offering different types of cuisine.

 

 

The Las Vegas Born Actors page has a list of actors who were born in this with with some information about their acting careers.  Some of the actors have had extensive careers such as Thomas Dekker.  Others are best known for another line of work such as Andre Agassi (Tennis)  Some Las Vegas born actors have only had one or a few roles such as Adam Cozzens.  The Las Vegas Born Actresses page has a list of actresses born in this Nevada city with some of the movies or televisions series they have been on.  This page contains some very famous movie and televisions to those who have only acted in bit parts.  Haunted Las Vegas is where you can find out what ghosts haunted this casino town  That page of Walter's Las Vegas Guide listed some of the famous ghosts who haunted this casino town.

 

 

The  Las Vegas Banks page has links to the banks which have branches in Las Vegas.  The Las Vegas Credit Unions page has links to credit unions who have branches in the Las Vegas area.  The Las Vegas Shopping Malls and Outlets page has links and addresses of shopping malls and outlets in the Las Vegas area.  The Las Vegas Real Estate Guide has information about Las Vegas area real estate and links to realtors in the area.  The Las Vegas Supermarkets page has links to supermarkets, grocery stores, and convenient stores.  The Las Vegas Spas pages has links and information about these popular destinations for various beauty and body treatments. 

 

Walter's Las Vegas Guide will be updated frequently with links and information about this Nevada city.

 

                                         Walter's Las Vegas Guide Main Index

 

 

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Sources Cited 

 

 

(2)  City of Henderson (1)  "Our History"  2009,  City of Henderson. 05 Nov 2009. <http://www.cityofhenderson.com/our_history/index.php>

 

 

(12) City of Henderson  "Mayor & Council"  2009,  City of Henderson. 10 Jan 2010. <http://www.cityofhenderson.com/mayor_and_council/index.php>

 

 

 

(19)  City of Las Vegas (3).  "Demographics"  2007.  City of Las Vegas.  01 Jan. 2010.

<http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/FactsStatistics/demographics.htm>

 

(20) Institute for Veterinary Public Health.  "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated" 06 Nov. 2008.  Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. 12 Oct. 2009.  <http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pics/kottek_et_al_2006.gif>

 

(21) NOAA's National Weather Service (2).   "Las Vegas Climate Book."   05 Sept. 2009: page i.  NOAA's National Weather Service. 24 Sept. 2009. <http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/vef/climate/pagei.php>