DK Travel : Las Vegas

The Entertainment Capital of the World offers just about everything: the world’s largest hotels; the brightest stars in show business; shops and restaurants that rival any on earth. It’s true, too, that the lights are brighter in Las Vegas. Yet you don’t have to go far from the glamour and glitter to find the natural beauty of lakes and the desert as well.

Books about Nevada

Las Vegas bookstores carry a large assortment of publications on the locale, including The Nevada Trivia Book by Richard Moreno, A Short History of Las Vegas by Myrick and Barbara Land, and several about slot machines by Marshall Fey (grandson of the inventor of the first slot machine). For fiction, try Sweet Promised Land or A Cup of Tea in Pamplona by the late Basque-American writer, Robert Laxalt.
Boston Grill & Bar

The Boston Grill & Bar is the only place in town that regularly features local bands. While the large, no-frills venue is lacking in atmosphere, the management’s commitment to local music ensures that there are live acts at least five nights a week, ranging from punk and funk to rhythm and blues, swing, and soul.
Boulder City Historic District

It’s worth including Boulder City on a Hoover Dam trip to appreciate the scale of work involved – the city was built as a model community to house dam construction workers. The grandest buildings are the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Power and Light; the Municipal Building; and the Boulder Dam Hotel. Most of the construction, however, was focused on the two- and three-room houses for the workers. (see Construction Workers’ Houses, Boulder City)
Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum

Built in 1933, the Dutch Colonial-style Boulder Dam Hotel now houses the Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum. Actor Boris Karloff and other Hollywood stars stayed in the hotel’s glory days, and Crown Prince Olav and Princess Martha of Norway hosted a party here in 1939. The out-of-town hotel declined in the postwar rise of Las Vegas as a tourist mecca, but, since the mid-90s, a group of volunteers has set about rehabilitating it. The museum itself includes memorabilia from the 1930s.

View from Hoover Dam Visitor Center
Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino

Slightly scruffy hotel and down-market casino, ideal for a cheap bas near centre-strip. Save your money for the shows!
Bradley Ogden

Your tastebuds are in for a treat at the elegant restaurant of Bay Area chef Bradley Ogden. Ingredients are flown in daily to create innovative dishes, such as halibut with stuffed squash blossoms. Divine desserts include a banana split that knows no equal.
Brahma Shrine, Caesars Palace

This lovely shrine is supposed to bring good luck.
Breakfast at Binion’s Horseshoe

Two 24-hour-a-day breakfast specials are available at Binion’s coffee shop for $5.95. One includes ham and hash browns; the other, pancakes. But wait: from 6 to 11am the club’s snack bar sells scrambled eggs, sausage, and gravy for $2.75.
Bright Angel Lodge Restaurant, Grand Canyon

Hearty Southwest American fare.
Bright Angel Point, North Rim, Grand Canyon

The North Rim of Grand Canyon may be more remote than the South Rim, but it is worth the effort. From Bright Angel Point (situated on an ancient trail) are spectacular canyon views.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three course meal for one with a half bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
- under $20
- $20–$30
- $30–$45
- $45–$60
- over $60