Desert in Bloom. Las Vegas, Nevada
The Mojave desert surrounds Las Vegas and extends almost all the way to Los Angeles. Even though most visitors to Las Vegas are interested in gambling, restaurants and shows, there is a beautiful natural world just outside the city limits. The Mojave desert is named after the Mojave Indians who met explorer Father Francis Garces in 1776 after he successfully crossed the Mojave desert. Mojave tribal peoples were concentrated along the Colorado River and the Mojave trail was their main trading route. Other intrepid explorers would follow Garces, including Jedediah Smith in 1826 and John Fremont in 1844.