Las Vegas The Place
Desert springs watered Las Vegas, and the hot-house canopy of arid isolation nourished the town's primary business, which was best conducted away from the prying eyes of the outside world. Since 1920, when Mayme Stocker opened the first casino, chancers and gangsters have been lured across the desert to try their luck at games of chance.
The lights, the shows, the fortunes turning on the roll of a die - Las Vegas is a world of neon and eye-popping architectural illusion. Enticements include an indoor parody of the ancient wonders of Egypt, hourly sea-battles, and surreal reincarnations of Venice and Paris. Lush and lavish pools surrounded by Italian gardens, and museums with treasures from the ancient and modern world provide, among other things, a breeding colony for a rare human sub-species - the Elvi, otherwise known as the people earning a living impersonating the Mississippi rock 'n' roller.
The character of modern Las Vegas has been most obviously shaped by three groups: the casino visionaries, a handful of world-class singers, and the arcane masters of magic and illusion. All of them brought innovations that shaped the way Vegas has evolved by drawing their own crowds of devotees from across the States and beyond.
The gaming entrepreneur who reinvented Vegas hospitality was Jay Sarno. His Caesar's Palace was the first of the casinos designed as an integrated, themed fantasy. From the world of entertainment, Frank Sinatra set the tempo, singing songs for swinging lovers in Las Vegas lounges. And then there's magic. Magic is such an integral part of Vegas that no fewer than four museums here are dedicated to the art. The city is itself a vast showcase of sleight-of-hand, and it's no coincidence that the magicians' most basic, intimate illusions often involve the manipulation of playing cards, only the throw of a die away from the gaming tables.
For although 65 percent of visitors claim to be attracted to Sin City by something other than gambling, somehow 87 percent of people find time to play the tables or slots during their stay, contributing an average of $480 each to the casinos' coffers.
See also our online city guide to America's Southwest.