Las Vegas is also known as "Sin-City" and is the 28th most populous city in the United States. With a mere half a million people the city thrives like no other and is unique in its atmosphere and lifestyle. It is not without its heritage and its history is fascinating:

Rafael Rivera became the first known non-Indian to set foot in the oasis-like valley of Las Vegas but the exact date is unknown. Around 14 years after Rivera's arrival, John C. Fremont led an expedition west and camped at Las Vegas Springs on May 13, 1844. His name is remembered today in neon lights as well as museums and history books. The Fremont Hotel-Casino in Downtown Las Vegas bears his name as does Fremont Street the main thoroughfare through the heart of casino-lined Glitter Gulch.

Mormon settlers from Salt Lake City travelled to Las Vegas to protect the Los Angeles-Salt Lake City mail route and in 1855 began building a 150-square-foot fort of sun-dried bricks made of clay soil and grass, a substance known as adobe. The Mormons planted fruit trees, cultivated vegetables and mined lead for bullets at Potosi Mountain. Mormon pioneers abandoned the settlement in 1858, partly because of Indian raids. A portion of the "Mormon Fort" has withstood the ravages of time and is an historic site today near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard North and Washington Avenue. Members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints currently make up about 12 percent of the Southern Nevada population and in December 1989 dedicated a Mormon Temple in Las Vegas was erected. The temple spires are visible in the foothills of Sunrise Mountain to the east of the city.

The Las Vegas Strip came about in the 1940s with the construction of many casino hotels along the two-lane highway leading to Los Angeles. Some of the earliest built hotels were the Thunderbird, which still stands but is now known as the Arubu Hotel & Spa and the famous Flamingo Hotel built in 1946

Vegas is also famous for weddings as much as gambling and has become the destination for those wanting to wed without having to wait or plan far in advance. There are 35 wedding chapels in Las Vegas who perform over 114,000 weddings per year and many Elvis impersonators who can conduct the ceremony.