1301, 2012

Las Vegas (Cityscape with Mountains)

American Cities
486

It may be Friday the 13th, but eScapes invites you to feel lucky anyway, with a virtual trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas originated as little more than a spot to switch trains on the journey west. Today, tourists from all over the world are drawn to the city for its bright lights, resorts, restaurants, and entertainment venues. This eScapes video offers a distant view of the city, including the Spring Mountains just beyond the city limits. While the modern cityscape, completely divorced from its past, is the reason why Las Vegas is popular today, the rugged mountains and surrounding desert are reminders of why the city became popular in the first place. Nick Colionne

2009, 2011

Lake Tahoe

Scenic Earth
523

Sitting on the border of California and Nevada, the two-million-year-old Lake Tahoe has been recognized for its beauty since before the country’s westward expansion. Early pioneers, like the Indians at the site before them, were impressed by the calming lake and within a few decades, the site had become a favorite vacation destination for wealthy western families. Today, the shores of Lake Tahoe host a large resort culture of hotels, casinos, and ski lodges. These attractions are kept just far enough from the lake as to not damage the pristine beauty of the lake, which attracts countless boaters each year. Those who haven’t seen Lake Tahoe in person yet better hurry– the lake will be completely

1509, 2011

Las Vegas Strip

Known today as one of the world’s major resort and gambling cities, Las Vegas has long specialized in offering adult entertainment. For much of Vegas’s early history as a railroad boomtown, gambling (and alcohol, under Prohibition) was illegal in the State of Nevada. That was only a minor setback, however: gaming was still active on a small scale in the city’s many speakeasies. Recognizing opportunity in the influx of workers arriving to construct the Hoover Dam, Nevada legalized gambling and Las Vegas’ most famous industry took off. In only a few decades, Vegas had eclipsed the West’s other resort towns (like Galveston, Texas) and become known for its casinos, restaurants, and live entertainment. Today, Las Vegas