Town of Paradise does exists. Who knew I would be driving through a town when visiting the City of…read moreLas Vegas? Here's how I came across this revelation... I was heading to the Las Vegas Convention Center. Per Google Map, I can get from A to B without having to drive on Las Vegas Blvd. Sometimes it's much faster driving the back streets than the main attraction street, Las Vegas Blvd. Koval Lane and Paradise Road are key streets that go from south to north. Cool! Paradise is an unincorporated town adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It contains "Harry Reid International Airport; the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); the majority of the Las Vegas Strip; and most of the tourist attractions in the Las Vegas area (excluding downtown). However, all Paradise addresses, as well as other unincorporated areas in the Las Vegas Valley, have "Las Vegas" addresses." Who knew? Now we know!

Take me down / to the literal Paradise City / where there is no grass / and the roaches breed…read morefreely! Feels weird for a place with The Strip, UNLV, and McCarran airport to be a "town", but I didn't make the rules. If you aren't familiar, what most people think of as "Las Vegas" is actually a patchwork of smaller cities, towns and unincorporated areas. Actual Las Vegas is really a pretty small area. The Strip up to about where Circus Circus is is in Paradise, the rest is actually in Las Vegas. Paradise is a rough box shape with Decatur as the west border, Desert Inn as the north, Nellis to the east and Sunset to the south, with an annex stretching down south of McCarran just far enough to engulf Silverado Ranch. Though most of the Strip is here I hope people won't review the Strip in here. I'm not going to. The Strip has its own entry packed full of tourists making inane superficial observations that are of no help to anyone. I feel like this should be more about daily life in and around, considering most locals tend to not go to The Strip unless they work there. Or are peddling drugs/ass there. Which I guess is work, really. So if you've lived here, like me, you can say you lived in Paradise for a year and it's technically true. "I didn't find it to be that, exactly" - Sam Elliott. It's not the worst place to live and it's not the best. It has serious trouble spots, mostly along the eastern edge as you get close to Boulder Hwy (which is some level of trouble all the way up and down). But I also never found it to be TOO dangerous or TOO dingy. I've lived in a lotta worse places, and there's a lot that I actually enjoy about the place. It's started to feel like weird, busted home to me. Not a place that I want to settle down forever, but a place that I'm happy to come back to. UNLV is the big showpiece to me, outside of the casinos. What a great school with so many great resources. I'm not gonna list them though because I don't need you hornin' in on my hustle. Worst part is the roaches. They cool out in the colder months but maaan are they out in force when it gets warm. Like every possible variety from around the world is living just underneath the town in like hellish Cockroach Fraggle Rock. You basically have to live up off ground level here, it doesn't stop them completely but it does seem to make a big difference. Living in a legitimate 24 hour area is also really nice if you gotta keep weird hours sometimes. Eh. I can deal with it. You can do a whole lot worse.

I lived in Nevada for almost 30 years and in each of the 3 corners (you'll see it in a map) of the…read morestate-from Carson City & Reno to Ely & Elko and for 13 years in Las Vegas. I've traveled, camped and hiked in the mountains and desert-that covers the wide, open spaces outside of those towns. Each area has its own beauty. It's called the basin and range because as you cross the state from West to East there are mountains with deserts in between. Driving Highway 50, called the loneliest road in America from Carson City to Ely travels across long valleys of desert then into small mountains towns like Austin and Eureka. Carson City-Reno area is beautiful with desert area and snow covered mountains around. You can drive to Lake Tahoe to ski in the morning and be back down in sunshine in the afternoon. The desert lakes like Pyramind (outside of Reno) are magical in stillness and wildness. I've seen wild horses in my backyard while having coffee in the morning. Fallon, a farming area east of Reno is the location for the Top Gun school after it moved from California's coast. Ely, a high desert town on the eastern side of the state, is isolated-with ghost towns near Ruth, which still has mining going on today. When I lived there, I would see Ely as the coldest place, in the contiguous states, on Good Morning America. There are beautiful lakes, like Cave Lake, outside of town with great fishing-in summer or even in the winter for ice fishing. I've hiked the mountains to areas where few people have ever been. Then to the bright lights of Las Vegas. I lived in Vegas for 13 years. When I moved there, it, surprisingly, had a small town feel in the communities away from the strip and still may, though those communities are growing. When you live in LV, you tend to only go to the strip when visitors came to town to visit. Friends from out of town would often know more about new things on the strip than I did. Vegas has temperatures that rise to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to freezing in the winter. There is something so funny about watching my high school students run outside when it starts to snow-a fairly rare event-and scoop up an entire yard full of snow to make one tiny snowman. They also run out when it rains because Nevada gets under 10 inches of rain per year (USclimatedata.com) but I've seen years with less. But when it does rain, it rains hard causing flooding in intersections and low lying areas. When I moved there, one low spot under train tracks would close because it would fill almost to the top with water. Rain causes flash flood dangers in canyons and dry riverbeds so even if it's not raining where you are, rain from the mountains can make its way down. Red rock and the Valley of Fire are must see spots if you go to LV. I used to recommend Lake Mead (formed by damming the Colorado River) but it's water level is frighteningly low from years of poor snowfall in the northern areas of the Colorado river. Where else can you stay at the A'Le Inn (pronounces alien) on the Extraterrestrial Highway, in the town of Rachel (though it's address says Alamo), on the outskirts of the Test Site's Area 51. Be sure to get some alien E.T jerky before you leave. Nevada has the Great Basin National Park outside of the Ely area. It has great hiking to the ancient Bristlecone pines to caves with unique stalagtite-stalagmite formations. It's a great way to get cool during the heat of the day. They used to do lantern tours so you could experience total darkness but it's been a while since I've been there. Nevada is definitely a state to experience. It is more than the casino towns of Reno and Las Vegas. I definitely recommend visiting some of the outdoor wonders that it offers.

Sunset Road Plane Viewing is a local favorite spot for plane watching. The viewing lot is located…read moreon Sunset and Eastern near Paradise. Parking is Free. Watching the planes land and take off the runway is actually quite therapeutic, relaxing, and enjoyable. Did you know? Each time an airplane lands, it leaves up to 1 1/2 pounds of rubber on the runway. You'd be surprise how much you'll learn about planes just merely watching, observing, and tracking where they're going, it is fascinating!

I enjoy coming here periodically to watch the planes and take some photos…read more It has been a while because the county closed the area during COVID. The area is open during daylight hours. The fence makes it hard to get photos unless you aim through the openings in the fence. I have seen people with trucks and ladders in the back so they were above the fence height, but that's for the serious person who wants exceptional photos. There are a number of people who come here and keep track of the date, time, and tail number of planes for a record and to check if they've seen the plane before. You cannot park here when Air Force One is landing or taking off. The airport tunnel is also closed during landing and take off. If the president stays overnight, the area is reopened until departure. This is a pleasant place to spend some time when temperatures permit. If you're a plane nut like me, I suggest you make a visit to the viewing area.

After more than a quarter century of wanting to visit this historical location, I was finally able…read moreto in 2026. Tupac was more than just another gangster rapper, as many so-called pundits would describe him as. He was a son, friend, poet, artist, musician, dancer, thinker, philosopher, and so much more. Back in the day, to many inner city youth like myself, he was an idol, someone from the hood like us that "made it." On one side, he was highly intelligent and spoke very eloquently. On the other side he was raw, a thug, a gangsta. I feel this site should be made into a bigger and nicer memorial site in his memory. I've always felt he was my generations Martin Luther King mixed with Malcolm X. He was on the path to changing the world before he was tragically taken from us. Rest in peace Thug life! You will forever be missed.

Tupac Shakur was one of the most prolific rap artists of the 20th century and arguably one of the…read moregreatest rappers of all time. It's hard to believe that this September will mark 30 years since his untimely death. We happened to pass by the makeshift memorial on our way to the Horseshoe. If my friend hadn't spotted it, I would have walked right by it. It was dark so the street art wasn't easily visible. The memorial is located at the corner of Koval Lane and Flamingo Road a few minutes away from the Vegas Strip. For a landmark reference, it is across the street from the Westin Hotel. If you're driving, there's not a designated parking lot/area. There's a souvenir shop, a few gas stations and some hotels in the vicinity. If you choose to park at a nearby business, do so at your own risk. I don't recall seeing the utility pole that has served as the memorial. It's possible that it was there, but it may have been painted over. There was construction in the area and it was not well lit. There's a small concrete slab surrounded by gravel that had graffiti art with quotes from Tupac's lyrics and poetry. It was simple, yet poignant.

The Las Vegas Gateway Arch is located just outside the Strat and is a cool enough thing to see if…read moreyou are on this side of the Las Vegas Strip. Overall, the Las Vegas Gateway Arch is a cool thing to see and I am glad that I had a chance to see this. I also notice that this sign is in an area that is getting more seedy, but it is still something to check out. I would definitely recommend a visit here if you are in the area.

Stopped by the Las Vegas Gateway Arch, pretty easy to park jump out and take a few pictures and get…read moreback in your car.

First off, if you dont gamble, or have a substance issue vegas wont be for you…read more Many people walking around here are either former addicts or current addicts. (I live here so I know). Second off vegas is dirty. You might live in a cute cookie cutter doll house in an HOA neighborhood but have horrible neighbors living next door who rent, Trash all over the streets in neighborhoods that no one picks up. You have to call the city or clean it yourself if you dont like it. Other than that, fairly cheap living with low paying jobs and lots of mountains in nevada. The libraries are a joke. They barely have adult educational books in most of them. Choose wisely before moving here. People can bag on cali all they want but at least there are some people with class living there.

My Apocalypse Vegas Experience has started in North Las Vegas and ladies & gentleman its real. WOW,…read moreI was heading to tour Neon Museum and decided to continue my drive deep into North Las Vegas where no man or woman should drive and discovered the end of the world here! Fellow travelers the Zombie Apocalypse Is real as it get and they live on the streets of North Las Vegas. So I'm driving and the first thing I see is an actual street walking prostitute getting ready for some Friday night tricks, needless to say I didn't stop and say hi.... As my drive continued into the waist-land of human carnage laid upon the streets in cardboard boxes, plastic tents and cement beds I also noticed the wheelchairs (vehicle of choice ) that people sitting around in. You can see the countless police cruisers handling some multiple incidents, so if you wanna watch just follow the flashing blue lights and it's no K-Mart Special happening. This went on for miles while I drove. A few casinos actually existed but you'd take your own life trying to get from parking to the doors without getting clubbed over your skull and robbed. ( Safety NOTE ), so be careful while driving cause people just start walking across the street no matter how fast your driving. I almost had some road kill mounted to the hood of my car while heading out of town for some person just walking ( HELLO RED HAND LIGHT IS FOR TO STOP ) and I even had a green light to drive...I'm fairly sure if you came into contact with anyone in this area you defiantly has a 100% chance of getting either HIV, CV19 or some new immune deficiency that's not been detected. Maybe you wanna take the kids to scare them about the dangers of drugs but you may scar them for life. But if you do I expect a family photo to be posted on YELP... Now if you do journey into North Las Vegas lock your doors cause you've been warned! Aloha

WHAT A GREAT TOWN!!…read more Seriously, Boulder City is the definition of nostalgic! Very cute old town outside of Henderson... just 30 minutes from the Las Vegas strip! Went there to check out the annual Fourth of July parade, and it did not disappoint. There were some really great floats, politicians, including our governor Joe Lombardo, really nice community folks and visitors from all over! Loved that there was definitely a family feel atmosphere! It was over 100° this parade started at nine in the morning and ended around 11 and we stuck it out in fiercest heat. Surrounding the route of the parade were some really cool looking older cafés, eateries, ice cream parlors, antique shops, museums and more. Definitely worth a quick drive over here for any time. Also, it's just minutes away from the Hoover Dam. That is pretty cool.

I have been here many times but we recently passed through here on the way to Lake Mead/ Boulder…read moreBeach; not sure if it was named for the city or the fact that there was no sand at the beach but just boulders and rocks there. Small city, main street has Historical District. There is a major street, where many of the businesses are located. We must go through here to enter Boulder Beach which is part of the Lake Mead recreational park, $25 entry fee for the day, but it's good for 6 days.

Yeah, never fun coming to any court houses, but I must say, I was impressed with Las Vegas's court…read morehouse. Just a few years ago, I had a civil matter I had to take care of with some other roommate Tennant's of mine on the verge of conviction. It was a long day, and we lost our case to the slum manager of an apartment we were staying at. He never showed up to court, but he lawyer did on his behalf. Mr. Wilson did not even put us on a proper lease. So, its really a long story, so we had to leave the premises near the end of the month. I really like how they handle business at this courthouse. Nice and clean courthouse. It does not have that 1970s look or smell like some other American court houses. I was just impressed.

Never fun coming to the court house. I must say the only…read morething I was impressed with is the long line moved fast to get your ticket for the window. The money the city is making! So many people in and out of this place. Not a place I like to come to but I did with someone who got a ticket. Parking is $1 50 a hour!!! They even have change machines incase you Don't have enough quarters. Of course you never know what your in for when you get there so how much do you put in? You go see how much you owe they give you your options then if you don't like that they tell you to go down stairs to see the judge. There was a older man letting people in the court room everyone else sits in the hall. The judge don't want to hear any excuses just gives your options. Well the ticket was $198 ended up being $298 if you don't want points or go to traffic school. Years ago you just said you wanted to go fight the ticket and if the cop didn't show you got out of it. Now the judge tells you if you go to court and lose your ticket could be a lot higher. I guess what it boils down to is obey all signs or come to this place that no one likes! They get you for parking and the tickets! And wasted 1 hour and 20 min left on the meter because we didn't want another ticket! Lol