Things to see and do in Nevada

Take the Black Canyon River Raft Tour (www.grandcanyontourcompany.com/heloraft.htm) in Boulder City. The tour is a 19km (12-mile) rapid-free raft trip, beginning at Hoover Dam.

Delight in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (website: www.fws.gov/desertcomplex/desertrange) complex, incorporating the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge (website: www.fws.gov/desertcomplex/pahranagat), Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (website: www.fws.gov/desertcomplex/ashmeadows) and Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge (website: www.fws.gov/desertcomplex/moapavalley). It is the largest wildlife refuge in the USA. Moapa Valley was the site of Nevada's first city.

Enjoy the Fremont Street Experience (www.vegasexperience.com), a pedestrian mall in Las Vegas dominated by gaming with a spectacular light show every night.

Stop first at the Hoover Dam's (www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam) visitor centre, where tourists can see right over the edge of the Black Canyon precipice. Hoover Dam itself was completed in 1935, and is the highest dam in the western hemisphere. The Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum (www.bcmha.org) houses historical artefacts relating to the workers, and construction of the dam and Boulder City.

Enjoy the outdoors at Lake Tahoe (www.tahoe.com), a top-class skiing resort with a vibrant nightlife, and home to the Shakespeare at Sand Harbor Festival, which takes place in the summer. The spectacular scenery can be seen from the lake's excursion boats.

Discover Laughlin (www.visitlaughlin.com), the second most popular holiday destination in Nevada, owing largely to the reasonably priced accommodation and restaurants, and the fact that it has unusually sunny summers and mild winters considering its location. Laughlin Bay Marina (www.laughlinbaymarina.com) is the hub of entertainment in the Laughlin area.

Get married in Vegas. More than 45 wedding chapels operate throughout the metropolitan area, including some in major hotels in the city. The Little White Chapel (www.alittlewhitechapel.com), 1301 Las Vegas Boulevard South, where Joan Collins was married, has a 24-hour drive-through window.

See where Reno was founded, where Myron Lake's bridge crossed the Truckee River. A white-water park on the river is a popular attraction with kayakers and thrill seekers; the park also includes an amphitheatre, picnic facilities and river access for boaters.

Stop at Scotty's Castle (www.nps.gov/deva/scottys1.htm), a popular, if slightly odd, century-old desert guest ranch.

Go on a backcountry adventure in the Spring Mountains, while Mount Charleston (www.nevadawilderness.org/southern/charleston.htm) is good for winter sports and is home to the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort (www.skilasvegas.com).

See the fascinating landscape of naturally carved red sandstone in the Valley of Fire State Park (www.parks.nv.gov/vf.htm) at the north of Lake Mead.