All language subtitles for Aerial Cities Series 1 1of6 Las Vegas 24 1080p

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.

♪

♪