Highway 50 across Nevada, named "The Loneliest Road in America" by Life Magazine, is a real old school road trip. Start in Reno on I-80 or drive up Hwy 6 or Interstate 95 from Vegas. Take a car, a motorcycle or a bike, an RV or a van. Bring your camping supplies and plan to hang out for awhile. This stretch of road is open, unpopulated and still feels like the old American west. Camping is permitted just about everywhere. There aren't a lot of towns along the way to Fernley, Fallon, Austin, Eureka and Ely are all there is...and I do mean all. No truck stops.

No gas stations. No Triple X Adult Entertainment stores. This trip is as much about the journey as the destination awesome mountains, beautiful sunsets, and once, wild horses pacing me as I rode. Make sure you have fuel and water and let the side roads distract you. You might find a castle, native petroglyphs, a ghost town or a ruined mine. Fallon is the last modern American town you'll see if you leave from you start from Reno. There's a Wal-Mart here, so stock up on everything from cold meds to Tampax. Your options will be limited as you drive. While you're here, check out Lattin Farms, especially in the fall. This is a working farm that offers "Agri-tainment" a cafe (great breads!), a display of vintage farming implements and in autumn a corn maze designed by Adrian Fisher. You'll find it Off Hwy 50 at McLean Rd. and Scheckler Rd. just outside of Fallon. The historic Overland Hotel is worth a look as well. You can get some interesting Basque food (go hungry and order family style) and drink at their saloon where you expect to see Matt Dillon hitting on Miss Kitty. Rooms are cheap. Before the big megaresorts, before Elvis, before the mob, before even the desert this whole region was a marsh of abundant water and vegetation. Native Americans were the first to inhabit it. As time passed and the water receded below the surface, the area became a meadowland. In 1829, Mexican traders following the Old Spanish Trail to Los Angeles passed through and named it Las Vegas, which is Spanish for ?the meadows.Shortly after, Mormons from Salt Lake City also came and settled here.

By 1890 railroad developers had determined the water-rich desert oasis would be a great location for both a train stop and a town. So Las Vegas was officially founded in 1905 and incorporated as a city in 1911. Generally, it served as a watering hole and rest area for travelers on their way to other parts of the country. Although gaming was around, it wasn`t legalized in Nevada until 1931. The first hotel to be built was the El Rancho Vegas in 1941, and soon after Bugsy Siegel opened his famed Flamingo in 1946. A building boom followed and the world-famous Strip emerged. Las Vegas really began to hit it big in the Seventies with gaming revenues reaching the $1 billion level. The dawn of the megaresort began with The Mirage in 1989, and the Nineties saw several more big openings including Excalibur, MGM Grand, Stratosphere, New York-New York and Bellagio. Today, the annual visitors? count is topping 38 million and construction is booming, not only on new casino projects and expansions, but also on a recent phenomenon?high-rise condos.

Las Vegas American City of the Year

The city of Las Vegas has been recognized as a world leader and the American City of the Year for its commitment to improving the quality of life for its residents through innovative leadership. In London today at the World Leadership Awards, the city was named American City of the Year, and was recognized for its commitment to sustainability through its Alternative Fuel Program and the Centennial Hills Master Planned Campus. The World Leadership Awards is a competition that celebrates the very best in modern city leadership. It is an international honor that recognizes the efforts of top cities that set a worldwide example of innovation, imagination and foresight in government.

"Las Vegas is now officially the American City of the year, the world class city,? said Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman. ?Not only are we recognized as the entertainment, restaurant and shopping capital of the world, we have reached a new level being honored for the way we take care of our environment and the way we provide leisure opportunities for our residents. We could not have achieved these prestigious honors were it not for the hard work and dedication of our city employees in serving our citizens and our community." Las Vegas was the only American city to receive City of the Year honors, along with a representative from Africa, Europe and the Asian-Pacific Region. The Centennial Hills Master Planned Campus beat out projects in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, and the city of Lima, Peru. The Alternative Fuel Program beat out entries in the city of Ahmedabad, India, and the city of Bremen, Germany.

More than 400 cities across the world were asked to submit projects in a wide range of activities spanning: Architecture & Civil Engineering, Communication, Culture and the Arts, Economy and/or Employment, Education and/or the Development of the Young, Health, Housing, Environment, Law and Order, Science and Technology, Leisure and Sport, Town Planning, Transport, Urban Renewal and Utilities. ?The city?s Centennial Hills Master Planned Campus is state-of-the-art and goes beyond traditional public recreation concepts,? said Ward 6 Councilman Steven D. Ross, who represents the area where the campus is located. ?What we?ve been able to create is a special place with something for everyone, from active adults, to children with disabilities, to parents looking for something to do that the whole family can enjoy.?

The campus includes a fire station, 53-acre regional park, 98,385 square-foot multigenerational community center with active adult center component and indoor and outdoor aquatics facilities, a 46,000 square-foot library under construction and additional space for a future Metropolitan Police Department substation. The campus is surrounded by a middle school, residential neighborhoods including homes and apartments, and businesses. The facility is also operated with a unique public-private partnership between the city of Las Vegas and the YMCA. The city?s Alternative Fuel Program is one of the first of its kind and has been recognized worldwide for its innovative approach to fleet services. In 1993 the city of Las Vegas became the fifth city in the nation to become a part of the Clean Cities Program, and is recognized as a leader in alternative fuels.

?The city of Las Vegas incorporates sustainability into everything it does and the Alternative Fuel Program is the perfect example of this,? said City Manager Doug Selby. ?More than 90 percent of the city?s fleet of nearly 1,200 vehicles operates on cleaner alternative fuels, resulting in a better environment for today and tomorrow.? In 2002 the world?s first hydrogen energy station was built and put into operation at the city?s Northwest Service Center. Las Vegas was also the first city in the world to test two state of the art FCX Honda hydrogen fuel cell cars in 2004. The city of Las Vegas has also partnered with Ford Motor Company to bring two state-of-the-art, hydrogen-fueled buses to southern Nevada to serve the public along downtown bus routes.

Sand Dunes provide Recreational Opportunity

Visiting sand dunes provides wealth of recreational opportunity an entertaining and short trip from Las Vegas. Gathered grain by crystalline grain by desert winds, mountainous sand dunes symbolize arid regions. Several sand dune systems within easy driving distance of Las Vegas provide cool season destinations for a variety of activities. Depending upon their location and designation, the dunes offer opportunities for hiking, exploring, sliding, driving off-road vehicles and photography. Development long ago claimed most of the sand dunes in Las Vegas Valley. One remaining sandy area lies east of Interstate 15 north of Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas Dunes Recreation Area lures off-roaders using dune buggies, quads, motorcycles and other rugged vehicles. To reach the area, drive north on I-15 to the Apex exit. Head south on a side road on a pipeline road with several access points to the dunes.

The Logandale Trails System provides nearby access to a beautiful region of red sand dunes and high sandstone cliffs. Located north of Valley of Fire State Park, where off-roading is prohibited, Logandale Trails lures hikers, horseback riders, as well as off-roaders. An enterprising outfitter located on the access road leads guided tours of the area for those without vehicles of their own. To reach the area, drive north on I-15 to the turnoff to Logandale and Overton. In Logandale, turn on Liston, cross the railroad tracks and follow the graded road into the Logandale trails area. Passing side trails and a couple of picnic areas, the graded road finally degenerates into a four-wheel drive track.

Motorized use of dunes within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park is prohibited, primarily because of endangered plants and animals among the dunes. These dunes invite nonmotorized pastimes like hiking, exploring and photography. Located just a couple of hours' drive from Las Vegas, Death Valley contains many sandy regions, including the beautiful star-shaped sand dune system near Stovepipe Wells and the remote, 700-foot high Eureka Dunes. Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve comprise the most extensive sand sea and dune system in the Western United States. The dunes cover 70 square miles east of Baker, Calif. Travelers on I-15 some 30 miles to the west easily spot the 500-foot sand mountains. Sometimes these dunes emit sighs, moans, hums or booms when the sand slides down the lee of the crests.

Dunes enthusiasts find the white sands of the Amargosa Dunes or Dumont Dunes as good as snow for sliding. Then try anything that has a slick bottom, such a snow dishes, plastic toboggans, large pieces of cardboard or old snowboards or skis treated with silicone spray. Getting to the top of the dunes is a workout, but the fast trip to the bottom provides plenty of thrills. Dunes open to both foot traffic and wheeled vehicles demand caution. Hikers and sliders hear the noisy machines but might not see them until they roar over the top of a dune. Off-road vehicles should have flags on tall poles. Drivers should always look out for those on foot. Off-road vehicle riders should wear helmets and use harnesses as rollovers frequently occur on the steep slopes.