At 350.2 metres high, the Stratosphere Tower is the tallest observation tower in the United States and the tallest tower in Las Vegas. It has a separate 24 storey hotel, a 7400 square metre casino and some of the scariest rides in the world!

These rides are open to anyone brave enough to have a go on them, but are not open to children under four years old and aren’t recommended to anyone suffering from vertigo!

The Big Shot at 329 metres is the highest ride in the world. It involves a gravity drop from 329 metres to 281 metres. The ride up is at 45 miles per hour and generates 4Gs; the drop down is free-fall.

Insanity takes place at 270 metres and the victims (sorry, the riders) are suspended out over the edge of the tower in five double chairs attached to an arm that spins them round at 40 miles per hour.

X-Scream takes place at 264 metres. It is a bit like a roller coaster, but has one 69ft long straight track and one open-topped car. The track acts like a teeter-totter, pivoting vertically while the car runs from one end to another, giving the rider the impression that he is about to be tipped off the end, but luckily the car brakes sharply each time.

Sky Jump Vegas is a controlled-speed “bungee” jump. You throw yourself off the platform at 261 metres attached to a high-speed descent wire. Just as you think that you are going to hit the ground, the wire brakes for a gentle touchdown.

To recover from these experiences, you can have a wonderful meal in the “Top of the World” revolving restaurant, or look out over Las Vegas from one of the two observation decks. The Tower Shops are to be found on the second level; the mall connects the tower to the casino with its 50 gaming tables, 1500 slot machines and video poker games. There is a poker room for the real thing and a sports and race book.

Ace Jewelers is known to all the citizens and visitors of Las Vegas since 1993. The store is considered to be the only diamond wholesaler in the city. All the diamonds here are certified and the prices are more than fair. They also deal in high-quality golden jewelery, as well as buy and sell coins.

The Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and Performing Arts was opened in 1931 and is one of the most prestigious art schools in the USA. It is also a very beautiful Art Deco style structure which is listed on the National Historic Register, and is definitely worth a look.

Don't Tell Mama is a gathering spot where you can enjoy live piano music and even sing yourself to an open microphone every night from 7 pm. The bar is not big, but has a lot of sitting places. No food or gaming is available; just the full bar and the piano. The musicians have a big repertoire of songs.

Southern Nevada Center for The Arts is a very interesting place to visit in Las Vegas. The Center has a vast exhibition space filled with objets d'art, paintings and other artistic creations. Alongside the main exhibition, there is a separate space for special temporary exhibitions. The Southern Nevada Center for the Arts is located on the second level of the Neonopolis shopping mall.

If you want to see something more of Las Vegas than, the famous Strip, head for Downtown Vegas and the Freemont Street Experience – you won’t regret it.

This is one huge pedestrian mall with a barrel-vault canopy 27 metres high and 460 metres long. This amazing cover is held up by 16 columns, has 12 million LED lights and 220 speakers. It is a light and sound experience you’ll never forget. Every evening from sunset to midnight the canopy puts on short shows, including “Area 51” a game show of humans versus aliens, “The Drop” a journey that starts with one drop of water and many other shows, concert information – and of course publicity spots.

There are sound stages that host live concerts, souvenir kiosks where you can buy t-shirts, costume jewelry and hats, artists making cartoon sketches and spray-paint artists. A lot of people hang around dressed up as Elvis, Marylyn Monroe or other stars and celebrities and you can have your picture taken with them.

Gambling halls and casinos line the Street, along with various bars and grills. You will find the Neon Museum at the Freemont Street Experience and a fun art gallery called Emergency Arts, which was once a hospital. Now instead of patient rooms there are small art galleries, a coffee shop, reading areas and live music.

Cashman Center is a fabulous structure, a complex that includes two exhibition spaces, an outstanding theater, a baseball stadium and a restaurant. The Cashman Center plays host to a lot of performances, exhibitions, cultural events, concerts, festivals, as well as private events and meetings.

If you are a history buff you will surely want to learn about the Las Vegas area and the best place to do this is at the Old Mormon Fort that stands in the Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park.

The fort was built by Mormon missionaries in 1855 and was the first European building in the area. The Mormons settled here only for a short period and the fort was the mid-point between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. It was built on the banks of one of the creeks branching off from the Las Vegas Springs and the settlers built irrigation ditches to water their crops.

Although the 46 square metre adobe building was called a fort, it wasn’t used for military purposes, but rather as a refuge from Indian attacks. The Mormons left the area in 1857 and for a short time the US Army sent troops there to defend the settlers. Over the years the fort was owned by miners, ranchers and in 1929 it was used as an office during the construction of the Hoover Dam.

Today only part of the building is standing, but in the Visitors Centre you can see artifacts left by the previous inhabitants, including a spinning wheel, bullet mould, butter churner and a pump organ. There is a replica of the first American flag to fly over Las Vegas; it has 19 stars and 13 stripes. There is also a recreation of army living quarters with a narrow bed, table, chairs, lanterns and ammunition.

Although the creek has long since dried up, an irrigation system leads to the “Garden in the Desert” where there is a picnic area and you can see the types of crops that the first settlers planted. There is also a very good gift shop where you can find interesting details about the fort.