 (Photo taken on US 93 @ CL/LN county line) |
Clark County & Las Vegas
No other place in Nevada sparks more debate and controversy than Clark County, Nevada's southernmost county and state oddball. Clark's largest city, declared by some as "the Entertainment Capitol of the World" sits at the center of this heated controversy. Clark is Nevada's newest county, created from southern Lincoln County and named for Senator William A. Clark of Montana, builder of the San Pedro-Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railway. Clark's history is rich, with its land crossed by one of Nevada's earliest trails and first ever routes across the state. Among this land was a place called "The Meadows", although today it's more known for its Spanish name; "the Meadows" was an oasis in the desert, a rich land with a perennial water supply. "The Meadows" quickly became a necessary stop on the Old Spanish Trail; the railroads followed, including the newly-completed Southern Pacific Railroad. Mining also played a significant role in this would-be Clark County, with towns such as Searchlight, Goodsprings and Potosi springing up seemingly overnight-- rich mineral deposits that to this day, still contribute to Clark's financial income. These 'outposts' (as they're dubbed today), remain the only proof that there is real rural Nevada still lingering somewhere within Clark's confined county lines.
Leaving "Lost Vegas"
Founded in 1861 during the Civil War, Nevada has coined the nickname, the “Battle Born State”; ironically, a Civil War still continues in Nevada. This fierce feud of "north versus south", a statewide war complete with opposing sides and conflicting ideals, seems far from resolution. The "South", known by another term, "Sin City", is given a personal moniker by fierce Nevada northerners: "Lost Vegas". The "North" encompasses “the rest of Nevada”, meaning every town, small city, and piece of ground outside of Las Vegas. First let's be clear about something:
Clark a county of two faces, a place still fastened to its mining roots and traditional lifestyle. The other face of Clark cares about nothing else except herself. This face LIVES to be a tourist center, by any means necessary. Las Vegans would disagree. Here's how it works, so pay careful attention: Like Hollywood is to California, lobster is to Maine, oranges are to Florida...
1) If you don't live in Nevada, the main perception of "Nevada" is "Las Vegas".
Understood? But again: Las Vegans would disagree.
People in the North find it no surprise that the majority of state assemblymen, senators, and other statesmen in power come from Las Vegas. Not surprisingly, many of the views sought by people in Nevada power focus solely on population growth, expansion of a tourist base and the enhancement of jobs in cities alone. The North finds such proposals disconcerting and unacceptable; the South usually has far more decision-making power than the North because of the South’s two million plus population. Of course money plays a large role in the major feud in our mini Civil War. Nearly half of Nevada’s economy derives from Las Vegas’ gambling and tourist base; people flock worldwide to the Strip’s dazzling casinos and nighttime extravaganza to partake in that all familiar line, “What happens in Vegas...” Unfortunately to pay for the city's annual tourist rush and economic contribution to Nevada, the North is usually forced to make sacrifices; the state of Nevada rushes money to Las Vegas at a staggering rate during the summer to pay for the city’s prosperity, with little thought given to the North. This kind of selfish attitude further fuels the ongoing love-hate relationship between the two sides. The sad part is: I've only begun to break the surface...
"Get the Hell Out!"
The Markers
1) "The Mainland", might take you the longest to conquer; the "mainland" is the county comprising everything NORTH of Lake Mead. This includes the I-15 corridor, a few spur markers such as #102 in Goodsprings, the SR 160 corridor and the highlight of your trip, the two markers within Valley of Fire State Park!
Personally, the first and third areas were great fun for conquering; I paid careful attention to conquer each area before moving onto the next to conserve my gas mileage. In 3 days, I spent only $30 in gas with Clark's average price in March 2009 at $1.99/gallon! Make your own gameplan, and however way you choose to tackle this piece of Nevada, you'll have quite a bit to see and hopefully, loads of great stories to bring home with you.
A word of importance:
~ The Las Vegas Strip, "Entertainment Capitol of the World"
~ Most populated county... Largest metropolitan area in Nevada
~ Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir and outdoor destination
~ The Hoover Dam, "Engineering marvel"
Las Vegas, "The Meadows", needs little introduction. A few rural Nevadans I know would eighty-six me just for mentioning the damned place.
“What Las Vegas wants Las Vegas gets,” Bill said, a rancher from Ely, fed up with Las Vegas’ lust for water.
Bill is like any other angry rural and northern Nevadan who would love to slug a Vegas city slicker across the face; his idea of compromising anything with Las Vegas is the result of a long-lasting feud, a feud that has transpired for at least a decade. To be blunt, the city of Las Vegas is forever caught in a love-hate relationship with the rest of Nevada. The basis of this feud not only frustrates rural Nevadans, but downright devastates a northern Nevadan's livelihood; Bill's theory that "compromise" is non-existent now tends to be a growing theme across rural Nevada.
2) Anyone who lives outside Nevada thinks all of Nevada is only Las Vegas.
3) The rest of us who live elsewhere in Nevada believe the only part of the Nevada that is NOT "Nevada" IS Las Vegas. To us, Las Vegas is suburb of Los Angeles.
The city of Las Vegas fueled Nevada’s "north versus south" relationship further in 2005, when the city constructed pipelines throughout the Great Basin. These pipelines tapped into every source of available water found in the North; the pipelines snaked their way into delicate mountain watersheds of the North, 'stealing water' to be siphoned south; mountain ranges like the Egans, the Schell Creeks and Snake Ranges have fallen under attack by these pipelines. Worse yet, the pipelines even tap into life-giving springs that wildlife depend on for water! The city of Las Vegas continues to buy countless water rights from rural Nevada land for the sole purpose of siphoning streams southward. The impact slams not only Nevada, but strikes other states as well. Long-generation ranches in Utah's west desert have fallen under attack by the South’s thirst and ‘necessity’ for water; these old-generation ranchers continually lose court battles to keep their land and water rights... all for the silly sake of Las Vegas’ jumping dolphins and dancing fountains? In comparison, Bill in Ely barely acquires enough water to support his cattle and pay his dues, three hundred miles away in the quiet and peaceful North. In Nevada, where every ounce of water is priceless, the city of Las Vegas feels it needs to consume every drop, requiring an unbelievable 350 gallons of water per person, per day to sustain its paradise-in-the-desert scheme. “What happens in Vegas...” Now, I guess we know. Few people think about the sacrifices northern Nevadans make to sustain the Strip’s dazzling light shows. To be quite honest, northern Nevadans deserve a long-awaited "thank you." One thing is certain: the people of Las Vegas have a long road ahead of them should they ever wish to achieve peace with the rest of the Silver State. Otherwise as Bill would say, "Who says a war can't go on forever?"
Before continuing, I must say this: if I have offended any Las Vegans reading this column, then good... it also meant I have your attention. Ramblings aside, there is some promise for Clark. In terms of markers, Clark County rates as one of the best counties for conquering! Unfortunately, the county is also home to more MIA's than any other part of the state, all due to the endless urbanization that has taken place over the past twenty years. The good news is you won't have to be solely stuck within the boundaries of Vegas to conquer Clark's markers. Expect this as a general rule: less than half of Clark's markers within city limits, meaning they lie vastly spread out across the Mojave Desert. In other words, game on! Prepare to kick back and let the Creosote tag along on Clark's fast-paced highways. However, don't expect to conquer Clark in one day. Allow at least three days Although you can conquer the markers in two, three days is a MUCH BETTER plan. A hunter could bag the county in a few days, but a much better idea is to spend a full week. A full week's time will allow you to split the county up into parts, visit a few parks and see other things of interest at the same time. For my own sheer convenience in conquering, I split Clark into three individual regions...
2) The Cities of Las Vegas and Henderson themselves make up their own regions. I took a full day to tackle these obnoxious markers accounting for traffic, breaks and pit stops. (Since I'm not a gambler, I could give a beehive's honey what goes on in the city.) The markers' distribution make conquering the cities a challenge, even though Las Vegas and Henderson are not terribly difficult to navigate. However, expect to go back and forth quite a few times, especially if you wish to scout out any of the MIA's for yourself.
3) "The Needle" is the actual "point" of Nevada, the piece of Nevada that extends south from the cities along US 95. This is an enjoyable drive, but prepare to drive it twice. There is no alternate return route back to Las Vegas unless you want to come back through California or Arizona. "The Needle" holds a few MIA's and some of Clark's more interesting markers, including a few superlatives!
Please note that in the above column, I am in no way badgering the city of Las Vegas, it's people, or the county of Clark. In truth, I am sounding both fact and opinion, based on a "Northerner's" point of view... a perspective from somebody who has traveled throughout this great state from corner to corner. No matter which part of Nevada you reside in, city, rural, North or South, awareness is the key to our own preservation, and the very soil we love and enjoy. Compromise is a MUST, beneficial to ALL Nevadans-- not just to one particular city. In closing, I leave you with this Las Vegas: you and your people have a long road ahead of them in the quest of preservation, and an even longer road if you wish to win the hearts (and dollars) back from the rest of Nevada. I certainly hope the fued "North VS. South", amidst the gunsmoke, ends in a draw.
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