NEVADA is without doubt the most
desolate state in the US, consisting largely of endless tracts
of bleak, empty desert. Its flat sagebrush plains are cut intermittently
by angular mountain ranges, and the lack of rainfall or fertile
soil has ensured its maintenance as untouched wilderness. Apart
from the huge acreages given over to mining and to grazing cattle
and sheep, much of Nevada is under the control of the military
, who use it to test aircraft and weapons systems, including
Stealth fighters and atomic bombs. Dozens of intriguing small
communities are scattered around the state, some showing signs
of strong Basque influence. Many more are decrepit roadside ghost
towns, often little more than a gas-station-cum-general-store,
flanked by a saloon and perhaps a brothel - Nevada is the only
US state not to have outlawed prostitution ,
though it is illegal in Las Vegas.
Though millions of people pass through on their
way to and from California, there's only one real reason why anyone
ever visits Nevada, and that is to gamble : as
soon as you cross the state border, you'll be attacked by a 24-hour
onslaught of neon signs and gimmicky architecture, each advertising
the best odds and biggest jackpots, nowhere more than in the surreal
oasis of Las Vegas . Even the smaller and more
down-to-earth settlements of Reno and state capital
Carson City revolve around the casino trade.
At least the casinos' energetic pursuit of passing trade keeps
rooms and especially food inexpensive, so the towns make good
places to break a long journey - and, with Nevada's relaxed marriage
and divorce laws, make or break a relationship.
