Nevada

Introducing Nevada

Various vices can come to mind when you free-associate on Nevada, but that’s only a fraction of the story. It’s a sparsely populated state strewn with restless tumbleweeds and limitless tracts of desert; some perceive a barren wasteland, while others discern a faint patchwork of natural jewels.

The first state to legalize gambling, Nevada is loud with the chime of slot machines singing out from gas stations, supermarkets and hotel lobbies without fail, and pockets of licensed brothels dot the landscape. But more recent generations look at the chapped endless mesas and lonely roads and see blank canvases instead of potential mining claims. Witness the art-fueled insanity of Burning Man, and the state never feels quite the same.

The azure shore of Lake Tahoe entices hikers and snow demons, and the Truckee River makes downtown Reno a big summer beach party. The glitzy pleasure palace of Las Vegas is the shrill siren song of the south, and many have happily lost themselves in its nonstop neon world.

Last updated: Oct 29, 2009