If you want to see a city brightly lit with different colors 24/7, then you must go to Las Vegas. The city owes it’s reputation to the many entertainment places found there. The Las Vegas Strip is home to many casino hotels and resorts, entertainment halls, gambling places, restaurants, and shops. The presence of these entertainment places has earned it the title of being “The Entertainment Capital of the World”. At the same time, it has also seen as “Sin City”. In the early days, Las Vegas was just a center or a stopover for miners in the area trying to ship their products to other places in the country. But because of the legalization of gambling in the early 30’s, the city became populated with casinos.

The city has an arid desert climate. It is located in a basin surrounded by dry mountains. Like most deserts, Las Vegas receives very little rainfall in a year thus the place is not only hot but dusty as well. It has about 300 days of sunshine during the year. Temperatures during summer could go as high as 115 0F. During winter it could go down as low as 4 0F. It rarely snows in Las Vegas. If it does snow in Vegas, it does not last long.

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With many entertainment establishments in Las Vegas, tourists flock to this Oasis throughout the year. The population is steadily rising, with it, is the rise in divorce rates. This is mainly because the divorce process is relatively easier there. Many couples get married in Las Vegas so that in the event that it will not work, divorce can be easily sought. It has been featured in many television shows and movies how easy it is to get married in Las Vegas.

Though Las Vegas, Nevada is popular for the many casinos there, there are also other attractions in the place. There are parks, family recreation centers and the famous Hoover Dam. It also has several good universities like the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of Nevada Medical School.

It is true what they say, “whatever happens in Vegas…stays in Vegas.”

A clean and green city is hard to find nowadays. In these times, many cities are already heavily polluted. Air, land and water pollution are such big problems that people are already feeling the effects of climate change. However, there is a city that has fought these problems rather successfully. This city is Portland, Oregon. It is distinguished as the “Most Environmentally Friendly” city in the United States of America and the second most in the world. This is despite it being heavily populated, making it the most populous city in Oregon.

Portland can be found in the Northern section of Oregon. It has the Willamette Rive running through the center of the city. During summer, temperature could reach as high as 81 0F and during winter, it could go as low as 37 0F.

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How the city got its name is rather interesting. It used to be just known as “the clearing” in the early parts of the 19th century. William Overton got interested in the commercial potential of the place so he decided to claim the land with financial help from his partner Asa Lovejoy of Boston, Massachusetts. Overton’s share was later sold to Francis W. Pettygrove of Portland, Maine. The two could not decide whether to name the place Boston or Portland so they decided to solve the issue via a toss coin. In a best of three tosses Pettygrove prevailed so “the clearing” got the name Portland. Now the city has been nicknamed “The City of Roses” because of the many rose gardens there most notable of which is the International Rose Test Garden.

Apart from these rose gardens there are also a lot of tourists’ attractions in Portland. There many parks, concert halls, theaters and museums. It also hosts festivals like the Portland Rose Festival and Oregon Brewers Festival.

Everyone may already know that Oklahoma City is the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The city is the 31th largest state in the union in terms of population. Surprisingly, the cost of living in this city is the second lowest considering that the median household income of a family is the nation’s lowest.

Oklahoma City name came from “okla” and “humma” which literally means “red people.” It was founded in 1889 and is one of the two capital cities that make use of the same name for both city and state. Oklahoma City was made capital in 1910 when there was enough support from a petition to get it transferred from Guthrie.

Located in the middle of an oil field, oil is one of the major products of the Oklahoma City’s economy. Major oil companies and natural gas companies have set shop in the city because of this. Another important source of income for the people of Oklahoma is its livestock. Oklahoma City is one of the major exporters of top livestock and livestock products to its surrounding cities and states.

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Tourists visiting Oklahoma City will enjoy the Chickasaw Recreation Area, Oklahoma’s first national park; the Cherokee Cultural Center which houses a Cherokee Village that has been restored; the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Tucson City got its name from the Spanish city “Tucson,” which literally means “at the base of a hill.” Sometimes, Tucson City in Arizona is referred to as “The Old Pueblo”. The city is the 32nd largest city in the United States and has the largest land percentage apportioned as Indian land.

Originally a Spanish colony, Mexico took over Tucson City in 1821. During the civil war, the city became the source of soldiers and miners. Tucson slowly gained its status with the establishment of the South Pacific Railroad and the University of Arizona in 1880 and 1885 respectively. The city has since then flourished into a major tourist destination in the State of Arizona.

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Tucson, Arizona is one of the most visited cities in Mexico. There are over four million people in terms of domestic overnight visitors annually, alone. The tourism industry in Tucson provides for majority of the employment of the locals and residents. There are many hotels and inns that service the tourists who pass by the city who may be going to other parts of Mexico or are just there in Tucson to shop.

One of the major tourist attractions in Tucson is the Saguaro National Park which is home to the famous saguaro cacti plant. This park, though located within a desert, houses some of the most diverse cacti and other plant species that one may not normally see anywhere else. Another tourist destination in Tucson City is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This museum is unlike any other in the State of Arizona as it features a live animal show aside from its beautiful botanical gardens and natural history museum. It showcases the natural wonders of the Sonora Desert and teaches people how to be in harmony with nature.

New Mexico’s largest city is Albuquerque, and is considered as one of the oldest cities in the United States. If a tourist wants to experience how the Southwest really is, a visit to Albuquerque City should do the trick.

Albuquerque’s history is centuries old. Starting with the Native Americans who inhabited the city, to its official founding in 1706, the city is now a multi-cultural metro of high-tech research which still retains remnants of its rich past. Ancient rock carvings and old plazas are still intact.

Blessed with a multicultural heritage of Hispanic, Latino and Native American influences, Albuquerque is truly a place in New Mexico that a tourist must not miss visiting. With everyday good sunshine-y weather, there are a lot of things that a tourist can do in the city. From hiking to biking or playing a round of golf in one of the famous golf courses in the city.

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Every October, Albuquerque holds the largest hot air balloon fiesta that is internationally known. Tourists and locals troop to the event to witness the amazing hot air balloons that takes part in the fiesta. Because of the perfect weather and the clear blue skies, this event has become one of the most anticipated attractions every year. Albuquerque City is no doubt the hot air balloon capital in the world.

Albuquerque City is uniquely a one of a kind city that will leave the tourist with a lasting impression, new found knowledge and wonderful memories.