DK Travel : Las Vegas : Places of interest

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Lake Mead National Recreation Area

After the completion of the Hoover Dam in 1935, the waters of the Colorado River filled the deep canyons that once towered above the river to create a huge reservoir. This lake, with its 700 miles (1,120 km) of shoreline, is the centerpiece of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a 1.5-million-acre (600,000-ha) tract of land.

Lake Mead
Lake Mojave

The 67-mile (107-km) long lake extends from below Hoover Dam to 2 miles (3.5 km) north of Laughlin, and is only 4 miles (6.5 km) at its widest. A National Park Service Visitor Center at Katharine Landing, just north of Laughlin, offers free guided walks by park rangers. These lead through the desert to the petroglyphs at Grapevine Canyon. Houseboats, pontoon rentals, and fishing tackle are available at Katharine Landing and Cottonwood Cove. Record-size striped bass have been caught in Lake Mojave.
Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix

Adult Gran Prix Cars, sprint karts, go karts, kiddie karts, plus the Dragon Coaster, Super Slide, and lots of arcade games make this a favorite off-Strip destination for Las Vegas kids as well as visitors.
Las Vegas Speedway and Carroll Shelby Museum

Completed in 1996, the 107,000-seat Las Vegas Speedway was the first new super-speedway to be built in the southwest USA in more than two decades. The 1,500-acre facility has 24 different race tracks, food courts, a wedding chapel with racing-related stained glass windows, three levels of open-air grandstand viewing, a VIP party room, and luxury skybox suites. Important races staged here include the Winston West. A museum in the grounds is devoted to racing driver Carroll Shelby and his beautiful cars.
Laughlin’s Casino Row

The establishments lining Laughlin’s South Casino Drive may not be as dazzling as those along the Las Vegas Strip, but they offer extremely good value. Getting around is easier than in Las Vegas: a riverside promenade connects most of the casinos, or you can take a bus or shuttle boat. Tours of the Colorado are also available.
M&Ms World

Extraordinary as it seems, an entire attraction – including a 3-D movie – has been built around these tiny, candy-coated chocolates.
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History

The museum centers around desert mammals, reptiles, and insects native to the southwest. It also contains exhibits focusing on the area’s anthropology, archeology, and early-day architecture.
Masquerade Village Show in the Sky

The complex is designed to resemble an idyllic fishing village in northern Italy, complete with window boxes and balconies. The “Show in the Sky” consists of four lavish floats that travel on a track suspended above the village perimeter. Costumed performers toss beads and trinkets to the audience below.
MGM Grand Lion Habitat

The pampered cats are bathed, dried, and groomed daily before being transported to the enclosure at the MGM Grand. Few children can resist the lure of baby animals, and lions are very special. When the cubs are old enough to leave their mothers, they can be watched in a special “nursery” where they play with toys – and with the humans who feed and care for them.
MGM Grand Lion Habitat

In keeping with MGM’s lion theme, the hotel has a glass viewing station in the midst of a lion enclosure, allowing you to stand face to face with the king of beasts. Three of the 30 or so animals, Goldie, Metro, and Baby, are descendants of the original Leo, who posed for the famous MGM movie logo.