Visitor Information
The annual Nevada Visitors Guide offers much more than just what's new in Vegas (although that's in there, too), and has lots of information on scenic byways, museums, outdoor activities and parks, places to stay, and area information listings. Contact the Nevada Commission on Tourism, 401 N. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701 (tel. 800/NEVADA-8; www.travelnevada.com). There are also 14 Visitor Centers located around the state in Las Vegas, Henderson, Laughlin, Tonopah, Carson City, Reno, Virginia City, Elko, West Wendover, Winnemucca, Bristlecone, Fallon, and two in Lake Tahoe.
Getting There
By Plane -- Nevada has two major airports: McCarran International in Las Vegas (tel. 702/261-5211; www.mccarran.com), and Reno-Tahoe International Airport (tel. 877/RENOFLY; www.renoairport.com) in the north of the state.
By Train -- The California Zephyr line (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) runs from Chicago to San Francisco, and makes Nevada stops in Winnemuca, Sparks, and Reno, which has the largest train hub in the state.
By Car -- Nevada, which shares a 400-mile border with California, is crossed from east to west by I-80 entering the state from Utah at Wendover, and ending slightly south near Reno and continuing on into California. I-15 begins in Mesquite on the border with Arizona in the southern portion of the state, heads south through Las Vegas, and exits on the western border at the town of Primm. Heading north to south, Route 90 winds its way from the town Jackpot on the Idaho border all the way down to Kingman near the Arizona border.
Special Events
The very weird and possibly wonderful Burning Man Festival (tel. 415/TO-FLAME; www.burningman.com), held for 1 week before Labor Day, is not for everyone, but if you have a hankering to experience radical self-expression and self-reliance -- interpret that however you like, but do go to the website for rules and regulations -- then the temporary community built in the middle of the Black Rock Desert may well be for you. During the week, you provide your own digs, food, and transportation (bicycle is the preferred mode around the "village"), check out everything from family circus performers to political soapbox speakers, with the whole thing culminating in the burning of a wooden "man" on the final evening of self-reliance.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
