Nevada Bed and Breakfast Inns

In 1843 and 1844, explorer John Charles Fremont led the first major expeditions through the Great Basin region of the western United States, encompassing most of what is now the state of Nevada. Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation, and is second only to South Africa in worldwide gold production. Hoover Dam, near Las Vegas, retains the waters of Lake Mead, one of the world's largest artificial lakes. With a dazzling array of renowned hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada has long been the gambling and entertainment capital of the United States. In 1960, there were 16,067 slots in Nevada. By 1999, Nevada had 205,726 slot machines, one for every 10 residents. At present, there are over 197,000 slot machines in Las Vegas alone. Las Vegas also boasts more hotel rooms than any other place on earth. On a more somber note, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission chose a Nevada site to test its nuclear weapons during the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union.