Mention Las Vegas, and one word comes to mind immediately: casinos. After all, this city that never sleeps is home to "the Strip," that famous boulevard lined with some of the world’s finest gambling parlors, all of them packed with slot machines, blackjack tables, and most every other game of chance on which risk-takers can place bets. And plenty do just that—every day of the year.

That doesn’t mean visitors hoping to win big park themselves in the casinos 24/7. On average, they spend only about four hours a day gambling. They can easily fill up the rest of their time with other exciting activities in this city that bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Many of the Strip’s luxury hotels take visitors on memorable journeys to other magical places, including New York, Egypt, France, Greece, Rome, and the Tropics. Even though you’re on the edge of the Mojave Desert, you can hop into a gondola for a leisurely ride on a Venetian canal, see the sights from high atop the Eiffel Tower, explore King Tut’s tomb, and walk through a tank of killer sharks (well, sort of). The hotels also dazzle crowds with glitzy, sophisticated stage shows that aren’t just about scantily clad showgirls anymore. Think Celine Dion, Cirque du Soleil, and Blue Man Group. The city hosts some of the world’s most-hyped sporting events as well, especially prize fights. And the Vegas dining scene, long scoffed at for its cheap all-you-can-eat buffets, has heated up in recent years with the arrival of high-end restaurants operated by celebrity chefs from culinary hotspots such as Los Angeles and New York City. In addition, there’s a multitude of new shopping malls featuring designer boutiques, as well as decadent spas and fun-packed family attractions.

With all this modern-day development, it’s hard to believe that this is the same isolated desert region that Spanish explorers first discovered back in the early 1800s, when they sought a route along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles. Here in the Las Vegas Valley, they found an abundance of wild grasses and water, which made their long treks west easier and less harsh. A few decades later, in the 1850s, Mormons introduced mining in the region, and then the railroad steamed into town in 1905 with the completion of the main railway linking southern California to Salt Lake City. Again, because of its abundant water supply, Las Vegas was deemed a good resting place for passengers and a good spot for refueling. When the state legalized gambling in 1931, however, the city soon went off in a new direction, ultimately establishing itself as the gaming mecca it is today with all those first-class hotels, casinos, and attractions now operating on or near the Strip.

Of course, that’s all manufactured fun. For a natural high, escape into the great outdoors. An easy drive away from all those one-armed bandits, you’ll find numerous scenic getaways in the mountains, canyons, and valleys that surround the city. Enjoy spectacular sightseeing and a wide range of recreational activities—from hiking, swimming, fishing, biking, and boating to horseback riding, rock climbing, camping, and whitewater rafting. This combination of manmade and natural draws makes Las Vegas a royal flush for visitors.