Nevada

Nevada is mostly desert and mountains once you get outside Las Vegas, though the Strip is still what draws most visitors here in the first place.

Las Vegas runs on casinos, shows, and an all-hours food scene, but Red Rock Canyon and the Hoover Dam are both close enough for an easy day trip. Reno, further north, has its own smaller casino scene alongside easy access to Lake Tahoe. The rest of the state is some of the emptiest, darkest land in the country.

Summer heat in Las Vegas regularly passes 105 degrees.