Did you ever ask yourself what does “Las Vegas” mean and where is the name coming from?

“Las Vegas” means “The Meadows” in Spanish.

Why Spanish? Well, first of all, a mexican was the one who discovered Las Vegas Valley. Rafael Rivera was part of a caravan that was moving  along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles, in 1829. The caravan camped close to the present Las Vegas Valley, and Rafael left the camp to explore the dessert; he discovered Las Vegas Springs two weeks later, becoming the first non-Indian to set foot in the Valley.

Why The Meadows? Well, because The Valley has always been a sort of oasis. Prehistoric Southern Nevada was a marsh of abundant water and vegetation. With the passing of time, the rivers dissapeared beneath the surface, only to sporadically surface and create an oasis in the dessert.

And how about the famous sign “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas”? In 1959, a headliner named Betty Willis designed the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign - a luminous diamond, each letter of “Welcome” encircled by silver dollars.

Last but not least…. Why is it fabulous? Well, we’ll let you answer this one…

http://www.lvol.com/lvoleg/hist/lvhist.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/13/garden/13VEGA.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=496be654cf88fdc1&ex=1263272400&partner=rssuserland