Las Vegas is a world of its own, a city that parties day and night and never sleeps, a realm where gambling reigns supreme and hope springs eternal. Small wonder it drew some 35.8 million visitors in 2000. But Vegas is more than nonstop casino activity and endless neon. It also offers top-name entertainment, fine dining, unique shopping, high culture, and luxurious resort lodgings, with more hotel rooms than any other city in the world. Opportunities for recreation are abundant, and not all are indoors. The area boasts world-class golf courses, tennis courts, scenic desert treks, horseback riding, fishing, boating and other water sports. And despite its reputation as an adult playground, youth-oriented diversions abound, from the pirate battle at Treasure Island to the carnival games and midway-style games at Circus Circus. Once upon a time, farming and ranching were the main economic focus of Las Vegas. The coming of the railroad at the outset of the 20th century changed everything, and brought about the first gambling houses, which soon went underground. Legalized gambling returned in the 1930s, with the first resort hotels — the El Rancho Vegas, the Last Frontier and the Flamingo — arriving in the '40s. The town began to emerge as a major tourist destination after World War II, and high-rise hotels and blazing marquees (powered by nearby Hoover Dam) began lighting up Las Vegas Boulevard — a.k.a. the Strip — like a Christmas tree. Las Vegas also offers plenty of activities for kids. Though gambling remains the number one lure, Vegas has transformed itself into a multifaceted family-friendly destination in recent years, with a trend toward opulence and exotic themed resorts. You can go to the zoo, take in the highlights of New York, Paris, Venice and Cairo, and time-travel back to the Middle Ages without ever leaving town.