Original subtitles

IT’S BEEN CALLED

THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD,

WITH NIGHTTIME SPECTACLES THAT RIVAL ANY ON EARTH.

BUT SHOWS LIKE THIS ARE JUST PART OF A DAY IN THE LIFE

OF LAS VEGAS.

TO KEEP THIS DESERT METROPOLIS RUNNING,

WORKERS HAVE TO CLIMB UP INTO THE SKY

AND DESCEND FROM HIGH ABOVE.

SOME EVEN HAVE TO DIVE.

THERE’S NO END TO WHAT YOU CAN DISCOVER

WHEN YOU SPEND 24 HOURS IN THE SKIES OVER LAS VEGAS.

A MYSTERIOUS AIRLINE THAT FERRIES WORKERS

TO TOP-SECRET U.S. MILITARY SITES...

GLIMMERING FACADES

THAT ARE ACTUALLY BILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENTS GONE BAD.

AND EVEN A TRAILER PARK

THAT’S HOME TO ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS.

ONCE VISITORS FLOCKED HERE TO SOUTHERN NEVADA

TO WITNESS EXPLOSIONS OF ATOMIC BOMBS.

TODAY, THEY SPEND THEIR DAYS PARTYING HARD

AND GETTING THEIR THRILLS HIGH IN THE SKY.

A FEW EVEN DARE TO LEAP FROM THE TALLEST TOWER IN THE WEST.

♪

IT’S ONE OF THE DRIEST CITIES IN THE NATION.

BUT IN VEGAS, WATER CREATES

ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING SHOWS ON EARTH.

AND EVERY NIGHT, ABOVE IT ALL,

THOUSANDS OF NIGHTTIME PREDATORS COME OUT TO FEAST

IN A BEAM OF LIGHT THAT’S BEEN CALLED

THE BRIGHTEST IN THE WORLD.

ALL THIS IN JUST ONE DAY IN THE VALLEY OF LAS VEGAS.

♪

♪

♪

♪

LAS VEGAS IS FAMOUS FOR ITS MILLIONS OF SPARKLING LIGHTS.

IT EVEN CLAIMS TO HAVE

THE BRIGHTEST BEAM OF LIGHT ON EARTH.

BUT THE MOST AWE-INSPIRING LIGHT IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY

IS THIS ONE.

WHEN THE MORNING SUN MAKES IT APPEARANCE

OVER NEVADA’S FRENCHMAN MOUNTAIN,

IT SIGNALS THE END OF ANOTHER COLORFUL NIGHT IN SIN CITY.

BUT IT ALSO KICKS OFF THE BEGINNING OF ONE MORE TOUGH DAY,

FOR THOSE WHO KEEP THIS ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL

RUNNING 24/7.

AND THIS MORNING, TWO OF THEM ARE JUST STARTING THEIR SHIFT,

HIGH UP ON THE GLASS

OF ONE OF LAS VEGAS’ MOST ICONIC STRUCTURES:

THE COLOSSAL BLACK PYRAMID OF THE LUXOR HOTEL AND CASINO.

ULYSSES CERVANTES AND MIGUEL LOPEZ

WORK ON THE FRONT LINES

OF LAS VEGAS’ BATTLE AGAINST DESERT DUST.

THEY START THEIR SHIFT AT 6:30 A.M.,

WHEN THE MORNING LIGHT JUST BEGINS TO BATHE

THE LARGER-THAN-LIFE SIZE REPLICA OF AN EGYPTIAN SPHINX

THAT STANDS AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE LUXOR.

TO GET HERE, THEY CLIMB OUT OF AN OPENING

JUST BELOW THE PYRAMID’S TIP,

THEN THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SECURELY HARNESSED IN,

SO THEY DON’T END UP SKIDDING MORE THAN 400 FEET DOWN

THE SURFACE OF THE LUXOR.

THERE’S ENOUGH GLASS ON THIS PYRAMID

TO COVER MORE THAN EIGHT FOOTBALL FIELDS.

AND SINCE THE LUXOR’S WINDOWS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED

AT 40-DEGREE ANGLES,

THEY ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING COATED WITH NEVADA DUST.

ONCE ULYSSES AND MIGUEL GET STARTED,

THEIR WORK CREATES A RIVER OF SOAP AND DIRT,

SO THEY CAN’T STOP UNTIL THEY’VE REACHED THE GROUND.

OFTEN, THE TEMPERATURE IN LAS VEGAS

RISES ABOVE 100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

REFLECTIVE WINDOWS LIKE THESE MAKE IT EVEN HOTTER.

IT’S LIKE WORKING ON THE SURFACE OF A SOLAR COOKER,

WHICH IS WHY THEY FILL THEIR BUCKETS WITH ICE CUBES

AT THE START OF EVERY SHIFT.

IT’S A JOB THAT NEVER ENDS.

ONCE ULYSSES AND MIGUEL ARE FINISHED CLEANING

THIS SIDE OF THE PYRAMID,

THEY’LL HAVE TO START ON THE NEXT ONE, FROM THE TOP.

AND AFTER THEY’RE DONE WITH ALL FOUR SIDES,

THEY’LL HAVE TO SCRUB THESE WINDOWS ON THE EAST SIDE

ALL OVER AGAIN.

BY THE TIME THE SUN IS UP,

THERE ARE WORKERS ALL ACROSS THIS VALLEY

MAKING SURE THAT THE DAZZLING SPECTACLE OF LAS VEGAS

WILL LIVE ON FOR ANOTHER DAY.

AND SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORKERS IN VEGAS

ARE LIGHTING TECHNICIANS.

HERE AT MANDALAY BAY, JAMES SMITH IS ALREADY STARTING

HIS DAILY DESCENT FROM THE ROOFLINE.

HE NEEDS TO REPLACE ONE OF THE NEON TUBE LIGHTS

THAT MAKE MANDALAY BAY ONE OF THE MOST EASILY RECOGNIZED

CASINOS ON THE STRIP.

IT WAS FROM A 32nd FLOOR SUITE IN THIS BUILDING,

ON OCTOBER 1, 2017,

THAT A GUNMAN OPENED FIRE

ON AN OUTDOOR COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL ON THE STRIP,

MURDERING MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE AND INJURING HUNDREDS MORE.

IT WAS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTINGS IN U.S. HISTORY.

♪

JAMES WORKS FOR ONE OF THE OLDEST LIGHTING COMPANIES

IN VEGAS, CALLED YESCO.

FOR MORE THAN SEVEN DECADES IT’S BEEN CREATING

THE MOST FAMILIAR CASINO MARQUEES ON THE STRIP.

SOME OF THE OLDEST ONES, WHICH ARE NO LONGER IN USE,

HAVE BEEN PRESERVED HERE AT THE LAS VEGAS NEON MUSEUM.

UP ON MANDALAY BAY, IT TAKES JUST A FEW MINUTES

TO SWAP OUT THIS OLD TWO-FOOT-LONG BULB

FOR A NEW ONE.

EVERY DAY, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BLOWN BULBS ACROSS THIS CITY

THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED BY NIGHTFALL.

IF YOU PEER UP AT JUST ABOUT ANY CASINO OR HOTEL

ON THE STRIP IN THE MORNING,

CHANCES ARE YOU’LL CATCH SIGHT OF THE ENGINEERS

AND OTHERS WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO KEEP LAS VEGAS RUNNING 24/7.

BY 7:30 A.M. UP IN THE TOWER AT McCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ARE BUSY, TOO.

THEY’RE LANDING ANOTHER PASSENGER JET

ON RUNWAY ONE RIGHT.

IT’S ONE OF THE NEARLY 1,500 COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS

THAT LAND OR TAKE OFF FROM McCARRAN EVERY DAY.

THEY CARRY MORE THAN 47 MILLION PASSENGERS

IN AND OUT OF LAS VEGAS EACH YEAR,

THROUGH ITS TWO MAIN TERMINALS.

BUT ON THE WEST SIDE OF McCARRAN,

THERE’S A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF AIRLINE.

AND IT DOESN’T SELL TICKETS TO THE PUBLIC.

IT USES TOP-SECRET MILITARY PLANES

AND HAS ITS OWN SPECIAL RAMP AND TERMINAL.

BY 8:00 A.M. EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING,

GROUPS OF WORKERS START FILING ABOARD

A FLEET OF REPURPOSED 737s.

THEY ARE OWNED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,

BUT ARE OPERATED BY A PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTOR

CALLED AECOM.

THE PEOPLE WHO FLY ON THEM

ARE FORBIDDEN FROM TALKING ABOUT THEIR FLIGHTS

AND REVEALING WHERE THEY GO.

THE TERMINAL BUILDING THEY USE IS UNMARKED

AND IS KNOWN ONLY BY ITS NICKNAME, "GOLD COAST."

THESE PLANES DON’T HAVE ANY AIRLINE BRANDING.

THE ONLY WAY TO RECOGNIZE THEM IS BY THEIR RED STRIPES.

PEOPLE OFTEN REFER TO THESE AIRCRAFT AS "JANET,"

BECAUSE THAT’S THE NAME THE PILOTS OF THESE JETS

USE AS THEIR CALL SIGN

WHEN THEY COMMUNICATE WITH CIVILIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.

THEY PLAY A KEY ROLE FOR THE U.S. MILITARY.

NORMAL COMMERCIAL AIRLINES AREN’T ALLOWED TO FLY

INTO TOP-SECRET MILITARY SITES.

SO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE USES THESE RED-STRIPED JETS

TO MOVE ITS WORKERS BETWEEN CIVILIAN AIRPORTS,

LIKE McCARRAN,

AND RESTRICTED MILITARY ONES,

INCLUDING THE AIRFIELD THAT LIES NORTHWEST OF VEGAS

IN THE LEGENDARY TOP-SECRET MILITARY SITE KNOWN AS AREA 51.

EVERY MORNING AT McCARRAN, THESE MYSTERIOUS PLANES TAXI OUT

AND LIFT OFF RIGHT NEXT TO THE STRIP.

AND ONCE THEY’VE DISAPPEARED INTO THE CLOUDS,

THE PILOTS ON BOARD OFTEN CHANGE THEIR FLIGHT PATHS

AND CALL SIGNS, SO IT’S HARD TO TRACK THEM

AND TO KNOW FOR SURE WHERE THEY GO AND WHY.

BUT THIS MORNING, TOP-SECRET MILITARY CONTRACTORS

AREN’T THE ONLY ONES RACING THROUGH THE SKIES

OVER THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY.

EIGHT MILES SOUTH OF THE STRIP,

THE RUNWAY AT THE MUCH SMALLER HENDERSON AIRPORT IS QUIET.

BUT IT WON’T BE FOR LONG.

TWO OF THE WORLD’S PREMIER STUNT PLANES, CALLED EXTRA 330s,

ARE GETTING READY TO TAKE OFF.

FOR ABOUT $500, A TOURIST FROM SOUTH CAROLINA

IS BEING BUCKLED IN FOR WHAT COULD BE

THE MOST THRILLING OR TERRIFYING RIDE OF HER LIFE.

SHE’S HEADING UP WITH PILOTS FROM SKY COMBAT ACE,

TO DO TAIL SLIDES, HAMMERHEADS, SPINS AND TUMBLES

IN THE SKIES OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA.

THERE’S NO END TO THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS

THAT VISITORS TO LAS VEGAS CAN GET THEIR THRILLS.

BUT THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EXTREME.

AS SOON AS SHE’S AIRBORNE,

IT’S OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE

A STANDARD AIRPLANE RIDE!

EXTRA 330s WERE DESIGNED FOR EXTREME ACROBATICS.

THEY’RE BUILT IN GERMANY AND CAN REACH 253 MILES PER HOUR,

AND THEY CAN PULL UP TO 10 Gs WHEN THEY CLIMB AND TURN.

ONCE THESE PILOTS REACH THE SKIES OVER LAKE MEAD,

ON THE NEVADA-ARIZONA BORDER, IT’S GAME ON!

♪

♪

♪

WITH STUNTS LIKE THESE,

SKY COMBAT ACE PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO PASS OUT, VOMIT,

AND EVEN BEG TO BE PUT BACK ON THE GROUND.

BUT FOR THOSE WHO CAN HANDLE IT,

THIS PART OF NEVADA OFFERS ONE MORE THRILL...

THE CHANCE TO RACE THROUGH THE CANYONS OF THE COLORADO RIVER.

IT TAKES TOTAL CONCENTRATION TO FLY AN ACROBATIC PLANE

THROUGH A LANDSCAPE LIKE THIS ONE.

♪

JUST ONE SECOND OF DISTRACTION

COULD SEND A PILOT AND HIS PAYING PASSENGER

SLAMMING INTO A CANYON WALL.

A MISCALCULATED TURN COULD CAUSE

A PLANE’S WING TO CLIP THE ROCKS,

OR TURN THIS THRILL RIDE INTO A DEADLY PLUNGE.

STUNT FLYING IS ONE WAY

THAT PEOPLE IN LAS VEGAS GET THEIR THRILLS.

BUT THE ULTIMATE ADRENALINE RUSH FOR OTHERS

IS A MORE THAN 800-FOOT PLUNGE TO THE DESERT FLOOR.

WHENEVER THE SUN’S OUT IN LAS VEGAS, PEOPLE HIT THE SKIES.

IT’S 12:30 P.M., AND TWO ZIP-LINERS ARE RACING

MORE THAN 400 FEET THROUGH THE AIR,

RIGHT OVER THE STREETS BELOW.

THEY’RE SOARING BETWEEN TWO ROOFTOPS AT THE RIO CASINO.

♪

TODAY, THE RIO IS ONE OF MORE THAN 100 CASINOS

IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY,

AND THE BIGGEST AND MOST EXTRAVAGANT ONES

LIE ALONG THE STRIP.

BUT GAMBLING HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN LEGAL IN LAS VEGAS.

IN 1909, JUST A FEW YEARS AFTER THE CITY WAS FOUNDED,

THE NEVADA LEGISLATURE VOTED TO BAN GAMBLING IN THE STATE.

THAT BAN LASTED OVER TWO DECADES.

WHEN GAMBLING IN NEVADA BECAME LEGAL AGAIN IN 1931,

NEW CASINOS STARTED POPPING UP

ALONG A DESOLATE STRETCH OF HIGHWAY 91,

JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN.

THAT HIGHWAY IS NOW SOUTH LAS VEGAS BOULEVARD,

BETTER KNOWN AS "THE STRIP."

♪

ONE OF THE OLDEST CASINOS HERE IS THE FLAMINGO.

IT WAS LAUNCHED IN 1946 BY LEGENDARY MOB BOSS BUGSY SIEGEL,

WHO WAS MYSTERIOUSLY GUNNED DOWN HALF A YEAR LATER,

SOME SAY FOR EMBEZZLING THE MOB’S CASH.

TODAY, THE FLAMINGO IS SMALL

COMPARED TO THE MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR COMPLEXES

THAT SURROUND IT.

THESE DAYS, BIG CORPORATE INVESTORS,

NOT THE MOB, RUN THIS CITY.

THESE GLASS-COVERED TOWERS, KNOWN AS CITY CENTER,

WERE COMPLETED IN 2009,

AND CAME WITH A PRICE TAG OF MORE THAN $9 BILLION.

♪

WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF LAS VEGAS TODAY,

THEY THINK OF THE STRIP.

BUT THE STRIP DOESN’T ACTUALLY LIE

INSIDE THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS.

♪

IT BELONGS INSTEAD TO AN UNINCORPORATED NEVADA TOWN

CALLED PARADISE.

CITY OFFICIALS IN LAS VEGAS ONCE TRIED TO ANNEX PARADISE

TO INCREASE THEIR CITY’S TAX BASE, BUT NEVER SUCCEEDED.

PARADISE IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY DIFFERENT TOWNS AND CITIES

THAT LIE INSIDE THE VALLEY OF LAS VEGAS.

THE BIGGEST ARE LAS VEGAS ITSELF, NORTH LAS VEGAS,

AND TO THE SOUTH, THE CITY OF HENDERSON.

THE UNINCORPORATED NEVADA TOWN OF PARADISE

LIES RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE,

AND EVEN INCLUDES THE RUNWAYS OF McCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

BUT EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THE HOTELS AND CASINOS ON THE STRIP

ACTUALLY LIE IN PARADISE,

THEY ALL USE LAS VEGAS MAILING ADDRESSES,

BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING LIKE THE LURE OF THE WORDS "LAS VEGAS."

ONCE, THOSE WORDS WERE SYNONYMOUS

WITH CLUBS, VICE AND GAMBLING,

BUT TODAY PEOPLE COME TO VEGAS FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS.

IT’S JUST AFTER 1:00 P.M. AT THE HIGH ROLLER.

WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED IN 2014,

THIS WAS THE HIGHEST FERRIS WHEEL IN THE WORLD.

EACH OF ITS TRANSPARENT PODS CAN HOLD UP TO 40 PEOPLE.

BUT TODAY, INSIDE THIS POD,

FIVE YOGIS HAVE GATHERED FOR A YOGA CLASS IN THE SKY.

THEY OFTEN USE THE HIGH ROLLER TO PRACTICE TOGETHER

WHILE SPINNING OVER THE STRIP.

SINCE EACH CLASS IS AN HOUR,

AND EACH ROTATION OF THE HIGH ROLLER TAKES 30 MINUTES,

THEY’LL GET TWO CHANCES TO LOOK OUT OVER VEGAS

FROM THE WHEEL’S HIGHEST POINT, AT 550 FEET.

IT’S THE PERFECT SPOT TO GET A LITTLE SPIRITUAL LIFT

FROM THE SIGHT OF THE RUGGED NEVADA PEAKS

THAT LIE WEST OF THE VALLEY.

BUT FOR A MUCH MORE THRILLING AERIAL ADVENTURE IN LAS VEGAS,

MANY COME HERE, FOR A DARING DIVE

FROM THE TOP OF THE STRATOSPHERE.

THIS TOWERING LAS VEGAS ICON OPENED IN 1996.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO BE 1,800 FEET HIGH,

BUT THAT COULD HAVE MADE IT DANGEROUS

FOR PLANES ARRIVING AND DEPARTING

McCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

SO THE TOWER’S HEIGHT HAD TO BE REDUCED

BY ALMOST A THIRD.

TODAY, AT 1,149 FEET,

IT’S STILL THE TALLEST TOWER WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER CASINO PROPERTY

IN CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA,

THE STRATOSPHERE HAS RIDDEN A ROLLER COASTER

OF GREAT BOOMS AND BUSTS.

SOON AFTER IT OPENED,

THE OWNERS OF THIS CASINO AND TOWER FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY.

AND TWO YEARS LATER,

THE LEGENDARY INVESTOR CARL ICAHN

WON CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY IN BANKRUPTCY COURT

FOR A FRACTION OF THE $550 MILLION

THAT THE STRATOSPHERE COST TO BUILD.

NEW RIDES WERE ADDED TO THE TOP,

AND AFTER THE LAUNCH OF ITS SKYJUMP,

THIS TOWER WENT ON TO BECOME

ONE OF VEGAS’ MOST DEATH-DEFYING DRAWS.

TEN YEARS AFTER THEY BOUGHT IT,

ICAHN AND HIS INVESTORS SOLD THE TOWER, HOTEL AND CASINO

AS PART OF A DEAL

THEY CLAIM EARNED THEM A BILLION DOLLARS IN PROFIT.

IT CHANGED HANDS YET AGAIN IN 2017.

NEW OWNERS OF THE STRATOSPHERE MAY COME AND GO,

BUT ONE THING ON THIS SOARING STRUCTURE HAS REMAINED THE SAME:

THE THRILL OF A 30-SECOND FREE FALL FROM THE TOP.

EVERYONE WHO DOES IT STARTS THEIR JUMP HERE,

829 FEET ABOVE THE STREETS OF VEGAS.

AFTER PAYING MORE THAN $100,

THEY STEP OUT ON TO A LEDGE, GET BUCKLED IN,

AND THEN LEAP INTO THE SKY.

♪

♪

♪

♪

LAS VEGAS’ ZIP LINES, TOWERS AND RIDES

MAY LURE VISITING ADRENALINE JUNKIES,

BUT MANY LOCALS GET THEIR THRILLS

BY HEADING OUT INTO THE RUGGED MOUNTAINS

THAT SURROUND LAS VEGAS.

AND THERE’S NO PLACE THAT INSPIRES GREATER AWE

IN THIS PART OF NEVADA THAN THIS,

A SITE KNOWN AS RED ROCK.

JUST 17 MILES WEST OF THE STRIP

LIES ONE OF THE MOST STUNNING STRETCHES

OF PROTECTED WILDERNESS IN AMERICA.

IT’S A LONG, NARROW PIECE OF LAND

THAT COVERS ALMOST 200,000 ACRES.

IT’S KNOWN AS

THE RED ROCK CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA.

AT ITS HEART IS THE COLOSSAL PILE OF STONE

FOR WHICH RED ROCK WAS NAMED.

IT’S A MECCA FOR TECHNICAL CLIMBERS.

EVERY MORNING,

BEFORE THE DESERT SUN STARTS TO BAKE THE ROCK FACE,

DOZENS COME HERE

TO TRY AND SUMMIT THESE KNOBBLY SANDSTONE GIANTS.

ONCE YOU GET UP CLOSE,

THEY’RE MUCH BIGGER THAN THEY FIRST LOOK FROM THE AIR.

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO,

THIS AREA, AND THE ENTIRE LAS VEGAS VALLEY,

LAY UNDER AN INLAND SEA.

OVER TIME, THE BONES OF SEA CREATURES

CREATED LAYERS OF LIMESTONE ROCK ON THE SEAFLOOR.

WHEN THE WATERS OF THAT SEA FINALLY DRAINED AWAY,

TECTONIC PLATES IN THE EARTH’S CRUST

PUSHED UP THE LAND INTO THESE TOWERING FORMS.

WIND, RAIN AND EROSION ALSO EXPOSED IRON OXIDES

IN LAYERS OF SANDSTONE THAT EVENTUALLY TURNED RED WITH RUST.

TODAY, THE BRILLIANT COLORS AND DAZZLING ARRAY

OF FORMS OF RED ROCK

ARE A BIG PART OF WHAT LURES

2 MILLION PEOPLE HERE EVERY YEAR.

THEY ALSO CREATE A VISUALLY STUNNING BACKDROP

TO THE CLIMBERS, AS THEY WORK THEIR WAY TO THE TOP.

♪

TODAY, FOUR FRIENDS ARE HEADING UP ONE OF THE WEST WALLS.

DAN, CHRISTIAN, JON, AND JUSTIN ALL LIVE IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY

AND OFTEN CLIMB HERE TOGETHER.

BUT WHAT BRINGS THEM TO RED ROCK

ISN’T JUST THEIR LOVE OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS.

THIS IS ALSO WHAT THEY DO FOR THEIR DAY JOBS:

DANGLE FROM ROPES AND WORK TOGETHER AS A TIGHT TEAM.

♪

THESE FOUR FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS

SPEND MOST OF THEIR DAYS ON THE GLIMMERING FACADES

OF SIN CITY’S CASINOS, EARNING A LIVING BY DOING WHAT THEY LOVE.

SOMETIMES, ANYTHING CAN SEEM POSSIBLE IN A DAY IN LAS VEGAS.

BUT THE MORE THAN 2 MILLION PEOPLE

WHO CALL THIS DESERT VALLEY HOME WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SURVIVE

WITHOUT THE ENGINEERING WONDERS THAT MAKE LIFE HERE POSSIBLE.

WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES 1:00 P.M. IN SOUTHERN NEVADA,

THE SUN IS USUALLY BURNING DOWN AT FULL FORCE.

TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION.

HIGH ABOVE THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY,

THE SNOWCAP HERE IN THE SPRING MOUNTAINS

HAS ALREADY STARTED TO MELT.

THE TALLEST PEAK IN THIS RANGE IS MOUNT CHARLESTON.

IT RISES NEARLY 12,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

EVERY TALE ABOUT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF LAS VEGAS

ULTIMATELY BEGINS HERE.

WITHOUT THESE PEAKS AND THE SNOW THAT COVERS THEM,

THE LAS VEGAS THAT WE KNOW TODAY MIGHT NOT EVEN EXIST.

♪

OVER TIME, MELTING SNOW FROM MOUNT CHARLESTON

AND THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS

MADE ITS WAY INTO AQUIFERS UNDER THE VALLEY FLOOR.

IT WAS THIS RUNOFF THAT HELPED MAKE IT POSSIBLE

FOR NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES, INCLUDING THE MOJAVE AND PAIUTE,

TO INHABIT THE VALLEY AS EARLY AS 13,000 YEARS AGO.

WHEN EARLY SPANISH-SPEAKING TRADERS PASSED THROUGH HERE

IN THE 1820s ON THEIR WAY TO CALIFORNIA FROM SANTA FE,

THEY DISCOVERED A GREEN OASIS

WITH NATURAL SPRINGS, STREAMS, AND FIELDS.

IT WAS ONE OF THESE TRADERS

WHO FIRST GAVE THE VALLEY ITS NAME "LAS VEGAS,"

WHICH IS SPANISH FOR "THE MEADOWS."

♪

BUT THE ARRIVAL OF THE RAILWAY IN NEVADA

IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY CHANGED LIFE HERE FOREVER.

AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE POURED OFF THE TRAINS,

THE POPULATION OF LAS VEGAS GREW

AND SO, TOO, DID THIS NEW WESTERN CITY’S THIRST FOR WATER.

IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE WATER STARTED TO RUN OUT,

AND THE MEADOWS THAT INSPIRED LAS VEGAS’ NAME

BEGAN TURNING INTO DESERT.

♪

WHEN YOU FLY ACROSS THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY TODAY,

IT CAN BE HARD TO BELIEVE THERE’S A SHORTAGE OF WATER.

UP AND DOWN THE STRIP, THERE’S WATER EVERYWHERE,

IN LAVISH FOUNTAINS AND SWIMMING POOLS.

IN FACT, THIS IS WHY MANY PEOPLE NOW COME TO VEGAS,

TO GO DAY-CLUBBING AT PLACES LIKE THIS,

MGM GRAND’S WET REPUBLIC.

AND FOR MANY WHO LIVE IN THE VALLEY,

ENTIRE DAYS CAN BE SPENT

WITHOUT EVER FEELING LIKE YOU’RE IN A DESERT AT ALL...

ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO LIVE HERE,

BETWEEN THESE GIANT ARTIFICIAL LAKES,

IN A DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS DESERT SHORES.

BUT THE REASON LAS VEGAS IS ABLE TO BE SO LUSH AND GREEN TODAY

IS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN THE 1930s,

WHEN THOUSANDS OF WORKERS FROM ACROSS AMERICA

FLOCKED TO SOUTHERN NEVADA TO BUILD THIS!

♪

THE HOOVER DAM.

IT LIES JUST 25 MILES EAST OF THE STRIP.

IF YOU WERE TO PEER DOWN ON THIS STRETCH OF THE COLORADO RIVER

IN THE 1930s, YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN AN ARMY OF WORKERS BELOW.

THEY DRILLED HOLES FOR MORE THAN 8 MILLION POUNDS OF DYNAMITE,

CARVED 8 MILES OF TUNNELS THROUGH THE CANYON’S WALLS,

AND POURED MORE CONCRETE THAN HAD EVER BEEN POURED

ON A SINGLE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

CLOSE TO 100 MEN DIED BUILDING THE HOOVER DAM.

BUT IT’S STILL CONSIDERED

ONE OF AMERICA’S GREATEST ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENTS.

♪

THE MISSION OF THE DAM WAS TO GENERATE HYDROELECTRIC POWER,

CONTROL FLOODING IN THE COLORADO RIVER,

AND TO PROVIDE WATER FOR IRRIGATION.

ONCE IT WAS COMPLETED, THE VALLEY STARTED FILLING UP

WITH THE WATER THAT IS NOW KNOWN AS LAKE MEAD.

TODAY, IT’S A POPULAR RECREATION AREA FOR RESIDENTS OF LAS VEGAS.

A WELCOME WATERY OASIS IN A DESERT LAND.

BUT THIS LAKE IS ALSO WHAT ENABLES LAS VEGAS TO SURVIVE.

IN THE 1950s, PIPELINES STARTED CARRYING WATER

FROM LAKE MEAD INTO THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY.

AND WITH A PLENTIFUL AND NEW SOURCE OF WATER,

THE VALLEY’S POPULATION COULD CONTINUE TO GROW.

TODAY THERE ARE 2 MILLION RESIDENTS IN CLARK COUNTY,

SEVEN TIMES THE NUMBER THAT LIVED HERE IN 1970.

AND 90% OF THE WATER THEY USE COMES FROM LAKE MEAD.

♪

AFTER WATER GETS SUCKED OUT OF THE LAKE,

IT’S DISINFECTED HERE BEFORE BEING PUMPED INTO THE VALLEY.

♪

SOME OF IT ENDS UP

AT THE ANTHEM COUNTRY CLUB IN HENDERSON.

IT’S WHAT ALLOWS MEMBERS

TO SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY ON THE GOLF COURSE

SURROUNDED BY BABBLING BROOKS, WATERFALLS AND TREES,

ALMOST AS IF THEY’RE NOT IN THE SOUTHERN NEVADA DESERT AT ALL.

BUT MUCH OF THE WATER THAT’S CONSUMED

INSIDE HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN LAS VEGAS

GETS DIRECTED BACK TO WATER TREATMENT PLANTS

AND IS THEN USED AGAIN.

THIS STREAM IS ACTUALLY WASTEWATER

FROM ACROSS THE VALLEY.

IT’S MAKING ITS JOURNEY BACK TO LAKE MEAD.

AS IT DOES, MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER ARE BEING PUMPED

BACK OUT OF THE LAKE 24/7

TO KEEP LAS VEGAS ALIVE FOR ANOTHER DAY.

♪

THE BIGGEST AND BEST-KNOWN DISPLAY OF WATER

IN ALL OF LAS VEGAS LIES RIGHT ON THE STRIP.

IT’S A VAST, 8-ACRE LAKE KNOWN AS THE FOUNTAINS OF BELLAGIO.

IT’S PART OF THE BELLAGIO HOTEL AND CASINO,

THAT IS REPORTED TO HAVE COST $1.6 BILLION TO BUILD.

SPEND 24 HOURS IN VEGAS,

AND IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO CATCH SIGHT

OF THE CHOREOGRAPHED DANCES OF WATER

THAT ARE PERFORMED HERE EVERY NIGHT.

THEY ARE THE MOST ELABORATE FOUNTAINS IN AMERICA.

AND JUST LIKE OTHER TOP LAS VEGAS ENTERTAINERS,

THE FOUNTAINS OF BELLAGIO HAVE TO PRACTICE THEIR ROUTINES

EVERY DAY TO STAY IN PERFECT SHAPE.

THEY ARE MANAGED BY ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE TEAMS OF STAGEHANDS

IN THE WORLD.

EVERY MORNING, THEY APPEAR ON A MOTORIZED BARGE

FROM A GROTTO THEY CALL THE "BAT CAVE"

IN THE NORTHERN WALL OF THE FOUNTAIN.

THE MOTORS, PUMPS AND VALVES THAT MAKE THIS FOUNTAIN DANCE

ALL LIE UNDERWATER,

AND IT TAKES SKILLED ENGINEERS WHO ARE ALSO CERTIFIED DIVERS

TO KEEP THEM WORKING FLAWLESSLY.

♪

FIRST, THEY TURN ON THE 5,000 JETS

THAT CREATE THE FOUNTAIN’S FOG,

SO THEY CAN CHECK TO MAKE SURE NONE OF THEM ARE CLOGGED.

ONCE THE FOG IS IN THE AIR, THEY CAN’T CONTROL WHERE IT GOES,

SO THEY HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO RELEASE TOO MUCH.

ONE TIME, IT NEARLY SHUT DOWN TRAFFIC

ON NEARBY SOUTH LAS VEGAS BLVD.

THE TEAM HAS TO DIVE TO GET INSIDE

THE FOUNTAINS’ CENTER RING

SO THEY CAN TEST EACH ONE OF THE WATER JETS.

THEY PULL TANKS OF AIR BEHIND THEM

AS THEY WORK THEIR WAY ACROSS

THE LAKE’S LABYRINTH OF UNDERWATER STRUCTURES.

ONCE THEY REACH THE CENTER,

THEIR FIRST JOB EVERY DAY IS TO TEST THE SHOOTERS.

THEY HAVE TO DO IT MANUALLY, ONE BY ONE.

SHOOTERS ARE JETS THAT USE COMPRESSED AIR

TO SEND WATER STRAIGHT UP INTO THE SKY.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 1,200 JETS IN THIS FOUNTAIN ALONE,

INCLUDING 192 SUPER SHOOTERS THAT CAN REACH 240 FEET.

BUT THE MOST IMPRESSIVE ARE THE FOUNTAIN’S 16 EXTREME SHOOTERS.

THESE POWERFUL JETS CAN SEND WATER 460 FEET

INTO THE SKIES OF LAS VEGAS.

WITH THE SHOOTERS ALL WORKING PERFECTLY,

IT’S TIME TO RUN THE FOUNTAINS’ DANCE TROUPE THROUGH ITS PACES.

THE LEAD DANCERS ARE 200 ROBOTIC NOZZLES KNOWN AS OARSMEN.

EVERY DAY, THESE HIGH-TECH JETS HAVE TO PRACTICE

THEIR UPCOMING ROUTINES IN SMALL GROUPS.

WHEN ENGINEERS STARTED DESIGNING THE FOUNTAINS OF BELLAGIO,

THEY SET OUT TO CREATE A SPECTACLE OF WATER

UNLIKE ANY OTHER ON EARTH.

TO DO IT, THEY INVENTED THE OARSMEN.

UNLIKE SHOOTERS, THESE NOZZLES DON’T RELY ON COMPRESSED AIR.

THEY SUCK WATER RIGHT UP FROM THE LAKE,

AND THEN SEND IT DIRECTLY INTO THE SKY.

THE OARSMEN CAN ROTATE 360 DEGREES

AND ARE SYNCHRONIZED,

WHICH IS WHAT ENABLES THEM TO LOOK LIKE THEY’RE WAVING,

SPINNING, AND PLAYFULLY DANCING TO MUSIC.

THIS LAKE WAS BUILT ON TOP OF A FORMER GOLF COURSE

THAT BELONGED TO A NOW-LONG-GONE CASINO CALLED THE DUNES.

THAT GOLF COURSE USED WELL WATER TO KEEP ITS FAIRWAYS GREEN.

WHEN THE DUNES WAS DEMOLISHED TO BUILD THE BELLAGIO IN THE 1990s,

THE DESIGNERS OF THE FOUNTAINS DECIDED TO REUSE

THE EXISTING WELL ON THE PROPERTY

TO SUPPLY THE 22 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER

THAT ARE NEEDED TO FILL THIS ARTIFICIAL LAKE.

MAKING YOUR LIVING SCUBA DIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STRIP

IS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE JOBS IN ALL OF LAS VEGAS.

AFTER THESE ENGINEERS MAKE THEIR EXIT,

COMPUTERS, SOFTWARE AND CONTROLLERS

INSIDE THE CASINO RUN THE SHOW.

TONIGHT, AFTER DARK,

THE FOUNTAINS OF BELLAGIO WILL TAKE CENTER STAGE IN LAS VEGAS

ONCE AGAIN.

♪

♪

UNLIKE MOST ENTERTAINMENT HERE,

THIS IS A SHOW THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY TO SEE.

MODERN ENGINEERING HAS MANAGED TO MAKE LAS VEGAS GREENER

AND MORE POPULATED THAN EVER BEFORE.

BUT THERE’S ONE BIG PIECE OF ORIGINAL NEVADA DESERT

STILL LEFT HERE.

15 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE LAS VEGAS STRIP,

OUT BEYOND THE RUNWAYS OF NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE,

LIES AN ENORMOUS STRETCH OF SAND

THAT’S KNOWN AS THE NELLIS DUNES.

IT’S ALSO A VERY POPULAR RECREATION AREA

FOR OFF-ROAD VEHICLES.

BY 3:00 P.M., RIDERS START GATHERING,

READY TO HEAD OUT AND RACE ON THE SAND.

THESE DUNES WERE CREATED FROM SEDIMENTS

DEPOSITED BY RIVERS THAT ARE NO LONGER HERE.

AFTER THE RIVERS DRIED UP,

WIND AND RAIN STARTED MOVING THE SEDIMENT,

CREATING THESE SAND DUNES.

EVERY THRILL IN LAS VEGAS COMES WITH ITS OWN SET OF RISKS,

AND RIDING ON THE NELLIS DUNES IS NO DIFFERENT.

SCIENTISTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RECENTLY REPORTED

THAT THE EARTH HERE CARRIES THE HIGHEST LEVELS

OF NATURALLY OCCURRING ARSENIC EVER RECORDED ON EARTH.

♪

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS OR ATVs KICK UP THE SAND,

IT CAN SEND CLOUDS OF TOXIC ARSENIC-LADEN DUST INTO THE AIR.

RIDERS NEED TO BE CAREFUL.

BUT PEOPLE IN LAS VEGAS ARE USED TO THINKING ABOUT

THE DELICATE BALANCE OF RISK AND REWARD.

THAT’S BECAUSE THEY’VE HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT

TO SOME OF THE BIGGEST BOOMS AND BUSTS IN AMERICA.

WHEN THE SUN’S OUT, THE WINNERS AND LOSERS ON THE STRIP

ARE OUT THERE FOR ALL TO SEE.

THIS VAST PROJECT OF CONCRETE AND STEEL IS ONE OF THEM.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY NAMED THE ECHELON

AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FOURTH LARGEST CASINO

IN LAS VEGAS,

BUT IT’S BEEN STANDING HERE UNFINISHED FOR ALMOST A DECADE.

AND THE ECHELON IS SMALL COMPARED TO A NEARBY COMPLEX,

ORIGINALLY CALLED THE FONTAINEBLEAU.

THIS SHIMMERING TOWER WAS DESIGNED

WITH A 100,000-SQUARE-FOOT CASINO FLOOR

AND THOUSANDS OF HOTEL ROOMS AND CONDOS ABOVE.

EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THE WINDOWS WERE INSTALLED,

THE INTERIOR IS STILL JUST A CONCRETE SHELL.

AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN $2 BILLION BUILDING IT,

THE DEVELOPER FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY IN 2009.

TO FINISH IT, ANY NEW OWNERS WILL HAVE TO INVEST EVEN MORE.

DAYLIGHT IN LAS VEGAS MAKES IT HARD TO HIDE

THE CARCASSES OF BILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENTS GONE BAD.

BUT IT ALSO REVEALS THE TREMENDOUS WEALTH

OF THOSE WHO DO MANAGE TO MAKE IT BIG ON THE STRIP.

AND THE BIGGEST WINNERS AREN’T GAMBLERS,

THEY ARE CASINO OWNERS.

THERE’S NO ONE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN THE HISTORY OF SIN CITY,

BASED ON HIS PERSONAL WEALTH,

THAN BILLIONAIRE CASINO MAGNATE SHELDON ADELSON.

THE COMPANY HE FOUNDED, LAS VEGAS SANDS,

OWNS THE LEGENDARY VENETIAN

AND MORE CASINOS ABROAD IN MACAU AND SINGAPORE.

IN 2017, HE WAS REPORTED TO BE WORTH MORE THAN $35 BILLION.

TO JET ITS EXECUTIVES AROUND THE WORLD,

LAS VEGAS SANDS HAS ITS OWN FLEET OF 747s

PARKED AT McCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

RECENTLY, ADELSON BOUGHT A LARGE PARCEL OF LAND

HERE IN THE SUBURB OF SUMMERLIN,

AND THEN BUILT THIS 44,000-SQUARE-FOOT HOUSE.

IT HAS AN ELABORATE SWIMMING POOL ON THE NORTH SIDE

WITH ITS OWN SANDY BEACH.

BUT CASINO OWNERS AREN’T THE ONLY ONES

WHO BUILD BIG IN VEGAS.

TOP ENTERTAINERS DO, TOO.

SINGER WAYNE NEWTON IS ONE OF THEM.

HE’S PERFORMED SO MANY TIMES ON THE STRIP,

HE’S KNOWN AS MR. LAS VEGAS.

AND HE USED HIS FAME AND FORTUNE TO DEVELOP THIS 52-ACRE RANCH,

WHICH HE NAMED CASA DE SHENANDOAH.

NEWTON NO LONGER LIVES HERE,

BUT HIS ARABIAN HORSES STILL GRAZE IN ITS FIELDS.

CASA DE SHENANDOAH NOW OFFERS TOURS TO THE PUBLIC

AND FUNCTIONS AS A MUSEUM.

BUT ACROSS TOWN,

THE ESTATE OF TWO OF LAS VEGAS’ BEST-KNOWN ENTERTAINERS

IS ALMOST NEVER OPEN TO OUTSIDERS.

IN 1981, GERMAN MAGICIANS SIEGFRIED AND ROY

BEGAN PERFORMING AT THE NEW FRONTIER CASINO,

WHICH WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2007.

THEIR SHOW WAS A HIT AND KICKED OFF A 13-YEAR RUN

HERE AT THE MIRAGE.

IT EARNED SIEGFRIED AND ROY THE NICKNAME

"MASTERS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE."

IT ALSO EARNED THEM MILLIONS,

WHICH THEY USED TO BUILD TWO VAST ESTATES WEST OF DOWNTOWN.

THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

THEY CALL IT "LITTLE BAVARIA"

AND PERMIT VERY FEW PEOPLE TO ENTER.

BUT THEY DID ALLOW THE WHITE LIONS THEY USED IN THEIR ACTS

TO ROAM FREE HERE.

AND THEY OFTEN SWAM WITH THEIR BIG CATS

IN LITTLE BAVARIA’S POOLS AND FOUNTAINS.

ON EITHER SIDE OF A SHARED CENTRAL HOUSE

ARE TWO SEPARATE HOMES--

ONE FOR SIEGFRIED AND ONE FOR ROY.

IN THE MIDDLE IS THEIR OWN PRIVATE CHAPEL.

THESE DAYS, THE ONLY CREATURES IN LITTLE BAVARIA

ARE SWANS THAT GLIDE ACROSS ITS POOLS

AND ALPACAS THAT GRAZE IN ITS FIELDS.

IN 2003, DURING A PERFORMANCE AT THE MIRAGE,

ROY WAS BADLY INJURED ON STAGE BY ONE OF THEIR BIG CATS,

A WHITE TIGER NAMED MONTECORE.

ROY HAS ALWAYS CLAIMED THAT THE TIGER WAS TRYING TO HELP HIM,

NOT HURT HIM AFTER A FALL.

IN 2014, THEY ANNOUNCED THAT MONTECORE HAD DIED

FROM AN ILLNESS.

FROM THE AIR, IT’S EASY TO SEE THAT MANY

WHO MAKE THEIR FORTUNES IN LAS VEGAS LIVE LARGE.

BUT NOT ALL!

ONE OF THE VALLEY’S MOST SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

PREFERS TO LIVE DOWNTOWN IN THIS TRAILER PARK.

IT’S 12:00 P.M., AND TONY HSIEH,

THE CEO OF ONLINE SHOE GIANT ZAPPOS

IS THROWING WHAT HE CALLS A FUN-DAY BRUNCH.

AFTER AMAZON BOUGHT ZAPPOS

FOR MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS IN 2009,

HSIEH DECIDED TO MOVE OUT OF HIS LUXURY CONDO

AND INTO THIS AIRSTREAM TRAILER PARK,

WHICH HE DEVELOPED FOR HIMSELF AND OTHER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS.

HE’S FAMOUS FOR ENCOURAGING ZAPPOS’ EMPLOYEES

TO CELEBRATE THEIR INDIVIDUALITY,

AND HE LEADS BY EXAMPLE.

TODAY, HSIEH’S MOHAWK HAIRCUT AND STRIPED PANTS

MAKE HIM EASY TO SPOT FROM THE AIR.

ONE OF THE PARK’S RESIDENTS IS AN ALPACA NAMED MARLEY.

HE’S ZAPPOS’ UNOFFICIAL MASCOT,

AND INSPIRED THE TRAILER PARK’S NICKNAME, LLAMA-LOPOLIS.

HSIEH HAS MANAGED TO TURN THESE ONCE-DESOLATE STREETS

INTO A THRIVING COMMUNITY.

ON A LOT NEARBY, HE’S INSTALLED A GIANT SCULPTURE,

CALLED "BIG RIG JIG," BY ARTIST MIKE ROSS.

MADE FROM THE CABS OF REAL TANKER TRUCKS,

IT WAS A HIGHLIGHT AT THE NEVADA DESERT FESTIVAL, BURNING MAN.

A PAINTED MURAL CAPTURES THE NEW SPIRIT

OF THIS PART OF DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS.

FROM HIS AIRSTREAM TRAILER,

HSIEH CAN BICYCLE TO WORK AT ZAPPOS HEADQUARTERS.

HE MOVED THE COMPANY HERE IN 2013

WHEN DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS WAS JUST STARTING TO EMERGE

FROM AN ECONOMIC SLUMP.

♪

AFTER BUYING 60 ACRES OF LAND,

HE ALSO LAUNCHED WHAT HE CALLS "THE DOWNTOWN PROJECT"

USING $350 MILLION FROM HIS OWN POCKET.

AT ITS HEART IS A SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX,

BUILT ENTIRELY FROM USED SHIPPING CONTAINERS.

STANDING AT ITS GATES IS A DOMED 4K THEATER

AND A GIANT PRAYING MANTIS CRAFTED FROM STEEL.

THEY’RE HELPING DRAW PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE STRIP,

BACK TO THE CITY’S HISTORIC CORE...

ESPECIALLY AFTER DARK!

♪

BUT ONE OF DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS’ MOST LEGENDARY SPOTS

HAS BEEN HERE FOR DECADES.

IT’S A BAR CALLED ATOMIC LIQUORS.

IT HAPPENS TO BE THE OLDEST FREESTANDING BAR IN LAS VEGAS,

WITH TAVERN LICENSE NUMBER 00001.

MANY LOCALS IN THE VALLEY DON’T GO TO THE CASINOS TO HAVE FUN.

THEY COME TO NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTS LIKE THIS ONE INSTEAD,

AND THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, A WIDE RANGE OF CELEBRITIES HAVE, TOO.

BARBRA STREISAND, CLINT EASTWOOD, MARTIN SCORSESE,

AND MANY OTHER FAMOUS NAMES

HAVE STOPPED IN AT THIS LOCAL WATERING HOLE.

IT DIDN’T GET ITS UNUSUAL NAME, THE ATOMIC, BY CHANCE.

STARTING IN 1951,

65 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY,

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TESTED ATOMIC BOMBS

IN A PLACE THAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE NEVADA TEST SITE.

EVERY FEW WEEKS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE,

COLOSSAL EXPLOSIONS ROCKED THIS STRETCH OF NEVADA DESERT,

WHICH IS ONE REASON THIS LAND IS STILL HEAVILY POCKMARKED TODAY.

LOCAL OFFICIALS IN LAS VEGAS SAW THE TESTS

AS POTENTIAL TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

AND EVEN CREATED A LIST OF THE BEST PLACES FOR VISITORS TO GO

TO WATCH THE DETONATIONS.

LEADING UP TO THE TESTS, CROWDS GATHERED TO DRINK AND PARTY

ON CASINO ROOFTOPS ACROSS VEGAS, JUST LIKE THEY STILL DO TODAY.

BUT BACK THEN, JUST BEFORE DAWN,

ALL EYES TURNED TOWARD THE MUSHROOM CLOUDS

THAT ROSE IN THE DISTANCE OVER THE NEVADA DESERT.

THAT’S HOW LAS VEGAS GOT ITS NICKNAME, ATOMIC CITY.

THESE DAYS, ATOMIC BOMBS ARE NO LONGER BEING TESTED IN NEVADA,

AND LAS VEGAS HAS A NEW NICKNAME--SOLAR CITY--

THANKS TO THIS OTHERWORLDLY SITE JUST A FEW MILES AWAY.

IT’S 3:00 P.M. IN THE SKIES OF SOUTHERN NEVADA,

22 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE LAS VEGAS STRIP.

DOWN BELOW, IT LOOKS LIKE GIANT SEMICONDUCTORS

HAVE BEEN WELDED ONTO THE DESERT FLOOR.

BUT UP CLOSE, IT’S POSSIBLE TO SEE

THAT PART OF THIS HIGH-TECH FACILITY

IS MADE UP OF THOUSANDS OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS,

ALL PERFECTLY POSITIONED

TO RECEIVE THE MOST DIRECT SUNLIGHT POSSIBLE.

THESE ARRAYS ARE CALLED BOULDER SOLAR ONE AND TWO.

WHEN THEY RECENTLY CAME ONLINE,

THEY WERE THE LARGEST SOLAR GENERATING STATIONS

SUPPLYING NEVADA.

TODAY, BOULDER SOLAR ONE IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY SUPPLIERS

OF POWER TO THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS,

AND HAS ALLOWED OFFICIALS TO PROUDLY CLAIM

THAT THE CITY GOVERNMENT

IS NOW RUNNING ENTIRELY ON RENEWABLE ENERGY.

IT’S PART OF A GROUP OF MASSIVE SOLAR FACILITIES

HERE OUTSIDE BOULDER CITY, NOT FAR FROM THE HOOVER DAM.

BUT ALL THE ELECTRICITY GENERATED HERE

STILL ISN’T ENOUGH TO POWER THE ENTIRE LAS VEGAS VALLEY.

THESE DAYS, SOME CASINO OWNERS

ARE INSTALLING VAST ARRAYS OF THEIR OWN.

MGM IS ONE OF THEM.

SOLAR PANELS NOW COVER THE ROOF

OF ITS CONFERENCE CENTER AT MANDALAY BAY.

BUT FOR NOW, THE LIGHTS OF LAS VEGAS STILL GOBBLE UP

MORE ENERGY THAN ROOFTOP SOLAR HERE PRODUCES.

♪

AND WHEN NIGHT FALLS ON THE STRIP, IT’S EASY TO SEE WHY.

AS SOON AS THE SUN STARTS ITS EXIT,

LAS VEGAS TRANSFORMS INTO A SEA OF COLOR AND LIGHT.

♪

THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE TO WITNESS IT ALL THAN FROM ABOVE.

♪

ALL ALONG THE LAS VEGAS STRIP,

LIGHTING DISPLAYS ARE USED TO LURE, ADVERTISE,

AND SIMPLY DAZZLE...

JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK.

♪

WITHOUT ITS OWN UNIQUE AND ELABORATE LIGHTS,

A CASINO SIMPLY WOULDN’T SURVIVE ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP.

♪

BUT THERE’S ONE BEAM OF LIGHT HERE

THAT’S MORE POWERFUL THAN ALL THE OTHERS.

♪

IT’S JUST AFTER 8:00 P.M.,

AND THE SKY BEAM AT THE TIP OF THE LUXOR

HAS JUST BEEN SWITCHED ON.

IT MAY LOOK LIKE A SINGLE RAY OF LIGHT,

BUT THIS BEAM IS ACTUALLY MADE UP OF 39 7,000-WATT BULBS.

ITS LIGHT IS SO POWERFUL,

THE F.A.A. HAS DESIGNATED IT AN OFFICIAL NAVIGATION BEACON.

WHEN PILOTS LIFT OFF FROM LOS ANGELES,

MORE THAN 200 MILES AWAY,

THEY CAN OFTEN SPOT THE LUXOR’S SKY BEAM

AFTER THEY REACH CRUISING ALTITUDE.

WITH ALL THIS ENERGY,

IT’S BEEN REPORTED THAT THE AIR JUST ABOVE THE PYRAMID’S TIP

CAN REACH UP TO 500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

HUMANS MAY STARE AT IT IN AWE FROM A DISTANCE,

BUT ON STILL NIGHTS LIKE THIS ONE,

THE HEAT OF THE SKY BEAM ALSO DRAWS THOUSANDS OF INSECTS

OUT OF THE DARKNESS.

THEY TURN THIS SHAFT OF LIGHT

INTO THE PERFECT FEEDING GROUND FOR BATS!

LOOK CLOSELY INTO THE SKY BEAM’S BRIGHT POOL OF LIGHT,

AND YOU CAN SEE THOUSANDS OF THESE WINGED NOCTURNAL PREDATORS

SWARMING IN THE NIGHT SKY.

THEY CREATE A FEEDING FRENZY THAT REACHES UP IN A COLUMN

ABOVE THE TIP OF THE PYRAMID.

THESE BATS SPEND THEIR DAYS UNDER THE EAVES OF HOUSES

ACROSS THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY

AND EVEN IN CAVES AS FAR AWAY AS RED ROCK.

BUT WHEN CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT, THEY APPEAR BY THE HUNDREDS,

OUT OF THE NIGHT SKY, TO FEAST HERE ABOVE THE LAS VEGAS STRIP.

IT’S AN ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET FOR BATS

THAT’S OPEN ALL NIGHT LONG.

IT’S ALSO ONE MORE REASON THAT THE GLASS OF THE LUXOR BELOW

WILL NEED TO BE SQUEEGEED AGAIN COME DAWN.

♪

WHEN YOU SPEND A DAY IN THE SKIES OVER LAS VEGAS,

THE SURPRISES NEVER END.

WHETHER YOU’RE RACING ACROSS THE DUNES ON ITS DESERT FLOOR,

GLIDING OVER THE SNOWCAPPED PEAKS THAT TOWER HIGH ABOVE IT,

OR PEERING DIRECTLY DOWN ON THE ENGINEERED WONDERS

THAT LINE ITS STRIP.

IT TAKES DARING WORK

TO KEEP THIS ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL RUNNING 24/7.

BUT THERE’S SIMPLY NO OTHER PLACE IN AMERICA

THAT COMPARES TO LAS VEGAS.

♪

♪