Las Vegas

1. City in Nevada, best known as the gambling mecca of the world.

Name Origin

Members of the Antonio Armijo Spanish exploration party traversed the Las Vegas Valley in 1829 on their way from Texas to Los Angeles (this was a detour). The area was the home to many artesian wells which allowed abundant plant life to grow. Because of this, the area was called "The Meadows," or Las Vegas in Spanish.

Las Vegas Strip

The famous Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard which runs between Sahara Avenue on the north end and Russell Road on the south end (approximately). It where the gigantic casinos everyone sees on television and in movies are located. Casinos on the Strip include:

Stratosphere
Sahara
Circus Circus
Riviera
Wynn
Treasure Island
The Venetian
Casino Royale
The Mirage
Harrah's
Imperial Palace
Flamingo
Caesars Palace
Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon (formerly Barbary Coast)
Bally's
Bellagio
Paris
Planet Hollywood (formerly Aladdin)
Monte Carlo
New York-New York
MGM Grand
Tropicana
Excalibur
Luxor
Mandalay Bay

Downtown Las Vegas

Downtown Vegas refers to the older, less "flashy" area north of the Strip, surrounding the Fremont Street Experience. More "deals" in the way of cheap food, rooms, and entertainment can be found here. Downtown casinos include:

Binion's
Golden Nugget
Four Queens
The Plaza
Glitter Gulch
Fremont
Las Vegas Club
Golden Gate
Pioneer Club
Fitzgerald's
California Club
Lady Luck
El Cortez
Western
Main Street Station

Vegas, Baby! Vegas!

This is where it comes from.