Las Vegas

Named after the big Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the MGM Grand Hotel lives up to its name: show,... events and theater can be found here. After all, superstars like the Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand and Phil Collins have performed at the 17,000-seat super arena, the Grand Garden Arena. Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and David Copperfield have honored the more intimate Hollywood Theater with performances. The dancers at La Femme Theater are directly imported from the Crazy Horse in Paris, the Studio 54 has been awarded several times "Best Dance Club" in Las Vegas. The show theater performance "Kà" by Cirque du Soleil is also something for kids. Real African lions in a natural surrounding are one of the highlights of the Lion Habitat. more

The building of the Hoover Dam (833ft (254 m) tall, 764 ft (233 m) wide at the bottom) was the first... boom of the back then sleepy desert town. A huge water reservoir and recreational area 33 mi (54 km) east of Las Vegas were built because of the dam. The Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead, the largest dam in the USA. You can learn everything about the construction at the Hoover Dam Museum (Boulder City, 1305 Arizona St., Tel. +1-702-294-1988, http://www.bcmha.org). You have a great panoramic view over the green and blue sparkling water surface from US Highway 93. Hoover Dam Bypass was built in 2010 to ease the traffic. Park information of Lake Mead National Recreation Area (http://www.nps.gov./lame) can be found at the mouth of SR 166. Here nine marinas offer swimming opportunities, water skiing, house boat tours and cruises (Lake Mead Cruises, Tel. +1-702-293-6180, http://www.lakemeadcruises.com.) Rafting tours with huge rubber rafts from Colorado River to Lake Mojave 10.5 mi (17 km) away start at the foot of the Hoover Dam. more

Valley of Fire State Park is the oldest and largest state park of Nevada. It has existed since 1935.... The name Fire Valley derives from the red sandstone formation, which evolved through dune movement 150 million years ago. Folding and erosion took care of the rest and formed the landscape as we know it today. Summers in the Mojave desert are very hot and dry, which is why mostly small bushes and cacti grow here. Lizards, snakes, coyotes, foxes, rabbits and rare desert turtles call the place their home. One of the main attractions are Atlatl Rock, which displays old Indian rock art, the bizarre formation of Arch Rock and Piano Rock, cave appartments as well as 225-million-year-old stone tree trunks. more