Nevada Vacation Packages and Deals

Nearby Destinations

• Lake Tahoe Vacations
  Las Vegas Vacations
  Reno Vacations
  

Top Destinations

• Las Vegas Vacations
  New York City Vacations
  Honolulu Vacations
  Cancun Vacations
  San Juan, Puerto Rico Vacations
  Orlando Vacations
  Montego Bay, Jamaica Vacations
  Los Angeles Vacations
  Fort Lauderdale Vacations
  Kahului, Maui Vacations
  New Orleans Vacations
  Miami Vacations
  Nassau and Paradise Island Vacations
  Key West Vacations
  Punta Cana Vacations
  Phoenix Vacations
  Riviera Maya Vacations
  San Jose Del Cabo Vacations
  Chicago Vacations
  Paris Vacations
  

Nevada Photos

           

All About Nevada

First things first: If you're visiting the 36th state in the Union, when you pronounce the name Nevada, that first "a" is short and sweet; stretching it out like you're saying "ah" for a doctor with a tongue depressor ("Ne-vahhhh-duh") is as unfortunate a mistake as assuming the only thing to see here is that infamous gambling mecca, Las Vegas. With vast stretches of moon-like desert, mountain peeks topping 13,000 feet, the turquoise beauty of Lake Tahoe, and an endless carpet of lush sagebrush in the east, Nevada offers a neverland of natural beauty and vacation possibilities beyond that of the craps table. Although, to be fair, Vegas has made great strides in shaking off its old shotgun wedding, dice-tossing rep. In fact, it may be as well known lately for its incredible dining scene boasting some of the biggest names in the culinary world, like Joel Robuchon, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Attracting outsiders, though, is how it all began. Nevada was originally Mexican territory, but early on, westward-bound settlers realized nabbing it for the expanding U.S. territories could prove a profitable (if bloody) endeavor. After the Mexican-American War in the mid-19th century, Nevada was on its way to statehood, which occurred during the American Civil War. Rich with silver, gold, and lead (the latter is still mined today), it became a prospector's paradise, and Virginia City became the most popular site in the state during the gold and silver mining boom. Silver and gold weren't the only currency, though -- multiple-colored gambling chips became more than simply a way to pass the time. In fact, gambling became such a big distraction that Nevada outlawed it in 1909. That ban didn't sit well with folks in the state, for both recreational and economic reasons. When the Great Depression as an impetus, gambling was legally reinstated in 1931. That, coupled with the start of construction on the Hoover Dam during the same year, brought much-needed cash and commerce into the state.

An odd fact of Nevada is that, despite its enjoyment of one of the largest growth spurts in the nation, over 80% of it is owned by the federal government because, in accordance with the Homestead Act of 1862, much of the land is desert -- the Great Basin Desert in the north and the Mojave Desert surrounding Las Vegas in the south. The Feds took advantage of this massive amount of open space to perform nuclear testing, a practice that was in effect until 1992. What remains in the soil is dubious, but what has been left behind is the Atomic Testing Museum, 755 Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas (tel. 702/794-5161; www.atomictestingmuseum.org), which chronicles Nevada's nuclear history through artifacts, film, and first-person narratives.

More heartening and far less scary, though, is the scenery of Nevada's byways, like Red Rock Canyon, the Great Basin, Angel Lake, and the Valley of Fire, which show some of the prettiest examples of Mother Nature's fine handiwork in the form of jutting red rocks, snow-dappled peaks, and rivers that run through much of it that are perfect for canoeing or just dipping a toe in after a long bike excursion.

Frommer's Unlimited © 2009 Wiley Publishing

Events in Nevada

ATP Tour: Tennis Channel Open

Mar 2009 (annual)
Amanda & Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center
The annual Tennis Channel Open, part of the ATP Tour, takes place at the new Amanda & Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center in...

America's Party

Dec 2009 (annual)
The Strip
In keeping with its status as America's most sensational city, Las Vegas hosts major New Year celebrations. At America's...

Atomic Testing Museum

Daily
Atomic Testing Museum
In the 1950s, the primary nuclear test-site in the US was just outside Vegas. Entertaining, interactive and emotional, the Atomic...

Bellagio Fountains

Daily
Bellagio Fountains
The light, sound, and water show that is the Bellagio Fountains on The Strip lures big crowds as geysers blast into the sky and...

Frommer's Unlimited © 2009 Whatsonwhen Ltd

Flight + Hotel from  Abilene (ABI)Akron Canton (CAK)Albany Schenctady (ALB)Albuquerque (ABQ)Alexandria (AEX)Allentown (ABE)Altoona (AOO)Amarillo (AMA)Anchorage (ANC)Appleton (ATW)Asheville (AVL)Atlanta (ATL)Augusta (AGS)Austin (AUS)Bakersfield (BFL)Baltimore Washington (BWI)Bangor (BGR)Baton Rouge (BTR)Bellingham (BLI)Bemidji (BJI)Bermuda (BDA)Billings (BIL)Binghamton (BGM)Birmingham (BHM)Bismarck (BIS)Bloomington (BMI)Boise (BOI)Boston (BOS)Buffalo (BUF)Burbank (BUR)Burlington (BTV)Calgary (YYC)Cancun (CUN)Casper (CPR)Cedar Rapids (CID)Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA)Champaign (CMI)Charleston (CRW)Charleston (CHS)Charlotte (CLT)Charlottesville (CHO)Chattanooga (CHA)Chicago Midway (MDW)Chicago Ohare (ORD)Cincinnati (CVG)Cleveland (CLE)College Station (CLL)Colorado Springs (COS)Columbia (CAE)Columbus (CSG)Columbus (CMH)Copenhagen (CPH)Corpus Christi (CRP)Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)Dallas Love Field (DAL)Dayton (DAY)Daytona Beach (DAB)Del Rio (DRT)Denver (DEN)Des Moines (DSM)Detroit Metro (DTW)Dublin (DUB)Duluth (DLH)Edmonton (YEG)El Paso (ELP)Elmira Corning (ELM)Erie (ERI)Eugene (EUG)Eureka Arcata (ACV)Evansville (EVV)Fargo (FAR)Fayetteville (FAY)Flint (FNT)Florence (FLO)Fort Lauderdale (FLL)Fort Myers (RSW)Fort Walton Beach (VPS)Fresno (FAT)Ft Hood Kileen (GRK)Ft Smith (FSM)Ft Wayne (FWA)Gainesville (GNV)Grand Cayman (GCM)Grand Forks Nd (GFK)Grand Island (GRI)Grand Junction (GJT)Grand Rapids (GRR)Great Falls (GTF)Green Bay (GRB)Greensboro (GSO)Greenville (GSP)Guadalajara (GDL)Gulfport Biloxi (GPT)Harlingen (HRL)Harrisburg (MDT)Hartford (BDL)Hays (HYS)Helena Mt (HLN)Hermosillo (HMO)Honolulu (HNL)Houston Hobby (HOU)Houston Intercontintental (IAH)Huntington (HTS)Huntsville (HSV)Incheon International Seoul (ICN)Indianapolis (IND)Istanbul (IST)Ithaca (ITH)Jackson (JAN)Jackson Tn (MKL)Jacksonville (JAX)Jacksonville Nc (OAJ)Johnstown (JST)Kahului Maui (OGG)Kalamazoo (AZO)Kalispell (FCA)Kansas City (MCI)Kelowna Bc (YLW)Klamath Falls (LMT)Knoxville (TYS)Kona (KOA)Lacrosse (LSE)Lafayette Lft La (LFT)Lake Charles (LCH)Lansing (LAN)Laredo Intl (LRD)Lewiston Clarks (LWS)Lexington (LEX)Lihue Kauai (LIH)Lincoln (LNK)Little Rock (LIT)Ljubljana (LJU)London Heathrow (LHR)Long Beach (LGB)Long Island Macarthur (ISP)Los Angeles (LAX)Louisville (SDF)Lubbock (LBB)Lynchburg (LYH)Madison (MSN)Manchester (MHT)Mcallen (MFE)Medford (MFR)Memphis (MEM)Mexico City (MEX)Miami (MIA)Midland Odessa (MAF)Milwaukee (MKE)Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP)Missoula (MSO)Moline Quad City (MLI)Monroe (MLU)Monterey (MRY)Monterrey (MTY)Montgomery (MGM)Montreal Dorval (YUL)Myrtle Beach (MYR)Nashville (BNA)Nassau (NAS)New Bern (EWN)New Orleans (MSY)New York Jfk (JFK)New York Lga (LGA)Newark (EWR)Newburgh Stewart (SWF)Newport News (PHF)Norfolk (ORF)Nw Arkansas Regional (XNA)Oakland (OAK)Oklahoma City (OKC)Omaha (OMA)Ontario (ONT)Orange County (SNA)Orlando (MCO)Ottawa (YOW)Palm Springs (PSP)Panama City (PFN)Panama City Pa (PTY)Pasco (PSC)Pensacola (PNS)Peoria (PIA)Philadelphia (PHL)Phoenix (PHX)Pittsburgh (PIT)Portland (PWM)Portland (PDX)Prague (PRG)Providence (PVD)Queretaro (QRO)Raleigh Durham (RDU)Rapid City (RAP)Redding (RDD)Regina Sk (YQR)Reno (RNO)Richmond (RIC)Roanoke (ROA)Rochester (ROC)Rochester (RST)Rock Springs (RKS)Roswell (ROW)Sacramento (SMF)Saginaw (MBS)Salisbury Md (SBY)Salt Lake City (SLC)San Angelo (SJT)San Antonio (SAT)San Diego (SAN)San Francisco (SFO)San Jose (SJO)San Jose (SJC)San Juan (SJU)San Luis Obispo (SBP)San Pedro Sula (SAP)Santa Barbara (SBA)Santa Maria (SMX)Santa Rosa (STS)Santiago (SCL)Sarasota Bradentn (SRQ)Sault Ste Marie (CIU)Savannah (SAV)Scranton (AVP)Seattle Tacoma (SEA)Shreveport (SHV)Sioux City (SUX)Sioux Falls (FSD)South Bend (SBN)Spokane (GEG)Springfield (SGF)Springfield (SPI)St. Louis (STL)Syracuse (SYR)Tallahassee (TLH)Tampa Bay (TPA)Toledo (TOL)Toronto (YYZ)Traverse City (TVC)Tri City Airport (TRI)Tucson (TUS)Tulsa (TUL)Tupelo (TUP)Valdosta (VLD)Vancouver Bc (YVR)Victoria (YYJ)Walla Walla (ALW)Washington Dulles (IAD)Washington Reagan (DCA)West Palm Beach (PBI)Westchester County (HPN)Wichita (ICT)Wilmington (ILM)Winnipeg (YWG)