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Travel
to Nevada
 Many families plan family
vacations to casino destinations for a variety of reasons. For starters, the
family can all go to a place where each individual is offered something which
widely appeals to them in the form of rest, recreation and relaxation.
Secondly, families love the multitude of dining options given at all casino
destination resorts. Third, the hotels are some of the grandest hotels with the
most luxurious rooms the guests ever see and finally, the casino gambler in the
family will likely have a large portion of the family’s entertainment
comped so that the money can be spent on other important things.
Las Vegas has long been known to be an adults only
playground, but in recent years the city boasts numerous attractions for kids
of all ages.
Just a few miles north of The Strip,
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
sits like a diamond in the desert. One of the most complete racing complexes in
the world, its 1,600 acres include road courses, a three-eighths mile oval, a
dirt track and a state-of-the-art drag racing facility. At its heart, however,
is the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, home of a 400-mile race on the
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series, as well as Busch and Truck Series events.
If you want to see
what there is to do away from the casinos and bright lights, take a panoramic
peek at nearby recreational areas such as the spectacular Red Rock Canyon
National Conservation Area, Mt. Charleston and the quaint little town of
Boulder City, the only town in the state of Nevada where gambling remains
illegal.
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Lake
Tahoe - History and Fascinating Facts
Michael Russell
Lake Tahoe is located on the western border of Nevada and
the eastern border of California. It is 198 miles (316.8 kilometers) north of
San Francisco, 98 mi. (156.8 km.) east of Sacramento, California, and 158 mi.
(252.8 km.) west of Reno, Nevada. It is central to several National Forests and
State Parks. It's known for its purity and outstanding clarity. Once can see
objects clearly as deep as 100 feet (30.48 meters) beneath its surface. This
lake has 72 mi. (115.2 km.) of shoreline, with open beaches and shaded,
sheltered coves alike.
Tahoe is the eighth largest lake in the world (519 square
miles, or 1343.69 square kilometers), and it is the third largest lake in the
United States. It is fed by 63 streams and two hot springs. The water has a
purity level of 99.9%, making it one of the cleanest natural water resources on
the planet. It is 22 miles (35.2 km) long, and 12 mi. (19.2 km.) wide. The
deepest point is 1645 feet (501.39 meters), making it the tenth deepest lake in
the world. The Lake Tahoe Basin floor is at an elevation of approximately 4580
feet (1395.98 meters).
One research resource states that Tahoe never freezes to
its depth, because of said depth and constant water movement. This same source
went on to state that, if the lake were ever drained, it would take seven
hundred years to refill it. Further, if Lake Tahoe were "tipped over" the
contents would cover an area the size of California (163,707 sq. mi., or
423,837 sq. km.) in 14.5 in. (36.83 cm.) of water. The total volume of water is
39 trillion gallons (902,063,703 barrels-UK)!
Even at its elevation, the first 12 feet (3.65 meters) of
surface water can reach 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) in the
summer, with the shallows at the shoreline warming even more. At the coldest,
the surface temperature may drop to between 40 and 50 degrees F (4.44 to 10
degrees C). The depths below 600 and 700 ft. (182.88 and 213.36 meters) stay
consistently at 39F (3.88C) year round.
The Lake Tahoe Basin has an annual snowfall of 152 inches
(386.08 cm.), which typically occurs between December and March. This accounts
for 80% of the total annual precipitation for the area. Average temperatures
range from 60 to 80F (15.55 to 26.66C) between June and October, and 20 to 60F
(6.66 to 15.55C) from November to May. Records show that the mountain peaks
surrounding the Basin can be snow capped all year round, and there may actually
be snowfall even in the hottest months.
The water is typically a turquoise-blue, and reflects the
sky and surrounding objects as clearly as a mirror when the surface is placid
and undisturbed.
History
Lake Tahoe was formed when the valley which became Tahoe
Basin sank between two parallel fractures in the Earth's crust. Mountains
continued to form over a period of time. The lake began to fill at the south
end of the valley, fed by snow meltdown and rainfall. During the course of
formation, an erupting volcano blocked the outlets for water drainage and
forced the lake to rise. During the Ice Age, large masses of ice determined the
outlay of the land surface and terrain, which is the present-day topography
that one can see when visiting the Basin.
The Native American Washoe tribe inhabited the Tahoe
region as far back as 10000 years ago. The Washoe called the area "Da ow a ga",
translated to "edge of the lake". The first white visitors to the area
mispronounced this name, and called it "Tahoe". The name remained in this
Anglicized form.
In 1844, pioneers began to settle throughout Tahoe Basin
and establish claims on the land. In 1849, during the California Gold Rush,
more settlers came along, opened roadhouses, and staked out ranches and farms.
Toward the end of the 1800s, many Tahoe forests were leveled to supply lumber
and fuel to the Comstock Mines in Virginia City, Nevada. Once the land had been
stripped of its natural forestation, entrepreneurs snapped up the land
(literally dirt-cheap) and began building hotels and mansions for the
wealthy.
In the early 1900s, serious attempts were made to have
Lake Tahoe declared a national park. These efforts failed, due to the fact that
the area had been ravaged and lacked the "untouched" qualities necessary for
national park status.
With the coming of the automobile and improved roadways,
Tahoe lost its exclusivity with the influx of the general population. After
World War II campgrounds and inexpensive hotels sprouted up, and were very
popular during the post-war growth period.
The Winter Olympics in 1960 thrusted Tahoe into the
international spotlight, and was instrumental in establishing it as a
world-class resort. It quickly became popular in both the winter and summer
seasons. The growth period that followed threatened the purity of the lake and
its environment. In 1970, a group or preservationists and residents came
together to form a regional planning agency to regulate the growth and protect
the lake.
Tahoe is known today for it marvelous cold-weather sports
conditions and great ski slopes, as well as the warm-weather amenities. It is a
magnet for tourists from around the world. Thanks to the efforts of the
regional agency, as well as the National Forest Service and other
preservationists, much of the area surrounding the Basin has been restored to
its natural beauty. The views are magnificent and the forests provide habitat
for many species of wildlife, including some of those which are listed in the
United States as endangered.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to
Lake
Tahoe
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
Amusement Parks in Nevada
Las Vegas, NV -
Adventuredome
Jean, NV -
Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV -
Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix
Las Vegas, NV - Nascar Cafe
Las Vegas, NV -
New York New York Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV -
Stratosphere Tower
Hotel and Casino
Sparks, NV -
Wild Island Family
Adventure Park
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