I first visited in the early 1980s and immediately fell in love. No, it wasn’t the neon or the mismatched architecture. It was the environs. Las Vegas is in a valley surrounded by mountains, forming a natural parabola for stellar energy. Travel in any direction for 30 minutes and you reach the high desert or foothills. What’s more, virtually everyone who lives here chooses to be here. The ones who don’t like it simply move on. It’s not like a lot of places where people complain about being “stuck” and never get out.

If all you see is the Strip or downtown, you are missing 80% of what Vegas has to offer. Rapid growth is changing the city, and it is exciting to be part of that process. We’ve got a thriving multicultural community. We’ve got the great outdoors. We’ve got sports. We’ve got restaurants, entertainment and stores open 24/7. And there’s so much more. I moved here in the summer of 2000 and wrote a history book about Las Vegas: The Fabulous First Century (Arcadia, 2003, www.legacymemoirs.com/pages/6/index.htm). I’m happy to answer questions, or point potential visitors to resources.