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Shimmering from the desert haze of Nevada like a
latter-day El Dorado,
Las
Vegas
is the most dynamic, spectacular city on earth. At the start of the
twentieth century, it didn't even exist; at the start of the
twenty-first, it's home to well over one million people, with enough
newcomers arriving to need a new school every month.
Las Vegas
is not like other cities. No city in history has so explicitly valued
the needs of visitors above those of its own population. All its growth
has been fueled by tourism, but the tourists haven't spoiled the "real"
city; there is no real city. Las Vegas doesn't have fascinating
little-known neighborhoods, and it's not a place where visitors can go
off the beaten track to have more authentic experiences. Instead, the
whole thing is completely self-referential; the reason Las Vegas boasts
the vast majority of the world's largest hotels is that around
thirty-seven million tourists each year come to see the hotels
themselves
Each of
these monsters is much more than a mere hotel, and more too than the
casino that invariably lies at its core. They're extraordinary places,
self-contained fantasylands of high camp and genuine excitement that can
stretch as much as a mile from end to end. Each holds its own flamboyant
permutation of showrooms and swimming pools, luxurious guest quarters
and restaurants, high-tech rides and attractions.
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The casinos
want you to gamble, and they'll do almost anything to lure you in; thus
the huge moving walkways that pluck you from the Strip sidewalk and sweep you into places like Caesars Palace
.
Once you're inside, on the other hand, the last thing they want is for
you to leave. Whatever you came in for, you won't be able to do it
without crisscrossing the casino floor innumerable times; as for finding
your way out, that can be virtually impossible. The action keeps going
day and night, and in this windowless - and clock-free - environment you
rapidly lose track of which is which.
more...
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Las
Vegas
travel guide
 Tours
Shows
Hotels
Vacation
Rental
 Restaurants
Madame Tussauds
Wax Museum
Tips from Vegas
locals
 Nightlife
Kids
Car rental
Babysitter
provisions @ hotels
Pools
Spas
Attractions
Buffets
Bars and Lounges
 Vegas
Golf
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