Las Vegas and the surrounding area is quite interesting. The history of this part of Nevada is one that makes for some fun facts that you might enjoy sharing with your travel companions on the way to Las Vegas.

• The first hi-rise hotel on the Strip was the nine story Riviera hotel.

• Nevada is the most mountainous state in the US, creating a number of canyons full of brightly colored rock formations.

• The El Rancho, built in 1947, was the first mega resort in Las Vegas.

• The Las Vegas Strip is not actually in Las Vegas, it´s really part of Clark County.

• Your chances of winning at slots aren`t so bad, Nevada law requires slots to pay back 75% minimum over the lifetime of the machine.

• Nevada is the second largest producer of gold after South Africa, the first gold miners had it right!

• Las Vegas contains 17 of the World´s Top Twenty Hotels, not bad for one city.

• The hard hat was a new invention created specifically for the workers who built the Hoover Dam.

• A Las Vegas local won the world´s largest jackpot in Las Vegas in 1998, it was a total of $27.58 million.

• Horses with saddles have been banned from casinos since 1938.

• One of North America´s Top Ten Rollercoasters is the Desperado, located in Primm, Nevada. It is one of the longest, fastest and highest coasters in the US.