Page 5 - 2019 Las Vegas & San Miguel Co. Visitors Guide
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WelCoMe To The oriGinal las VeGas!
 I’m Tonita Gurulé-Girón, Mayor of Las Vegas, NM. I am very proud of the community which I serve because it is a great place to visit and a better place to live!
There is literally no place like Las Vegas, as our history is unique, our cul- ture is distinctive and the cuisine is “red hot.” We have over 900 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, more than any other municipality in the USA.
Our Community is the gateway to the most beautiful and undiscovered lands including the Sabinoso Wilderness, 1900 acres of wild natural beauty, which has been made accessible to the public the last two years. Outdoor rec- reation opportunities are endless in the great state of New Mexico and specif- ically in the City of Las Vegas and surrounding areas. Whether you like to bike, hike, birdwatch, fish, camp or jet ski, you will love it here. The Las Vegas Wild- life Refuge is a few miles to the east of us, the Pecos Wilderness is to the west.
Las Vegas is a great jumping-off point for motorcycle day-trips. The Las Vegas area was the backdrop for the movie “Easy Rider” which just celebrat- ed 50 years in Las Vegas and “Red Dawn” celebrating 35 years. This year we are honored and proud to have Las Vegas as an inductee to the New Mexico Film & Television Hall of Fame. The beginning of July draws thousands of visitors who fill the Historic downtown area to celebrate Fiestas de Las Vegas. Fiestas celebrated 130 years last year with a 6 day event and winning a final
olD Trails
neW aDVenTUres
Founded in 1835, Las Vegas, which translates to “The Meadows,” remains both historic and authentic. During the heyday of the Santa Fe Trail, we were Americans’ entryway to Old Mexico. In 1846, General Kearny announced New Mexico’s annexation to the United States right in our Plaza. In 1912, when New Mexico became the 47th state, Las Vegas was its biggest city. We retain much of our history, with over 900 buildings listed on various historic registries. Not much bigger than we were at statehood, we have friendly, mostly locally-owned businesses, with an emphasis on art and antiques.
Browse through this Guide, and you will see there are lots of things to see and do, whether you like history, the movies, fishing, hunting, biking or hiking. You can walk the same streets once walked by Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday. Our Bridge Street has been named “One of the Ten Best Main Streets” in America. From silent films featuring cowboy Tom Mix, through “Easy Rider,” “Red Dawn,” “True Grit,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Paul,” and TV’s “Longmire,” Las Vegas and San Miguel County have been favored locations for Hollywood since forever. We are surrounded by state and national monuments, parks, forests, and refuges.
Mark your calendar for our 4th of July Fiestas and Heritage Week in Au- gust. You are invited, through this 2019 Visitors’ Guide, to discover our old trails and what new adventures you can have traveling down them.
Andrea Gottschalk
President, Las Vegas First Independent Business Alliance
Throughout our Visitors guide you will find excerpts from the author Howard Bryan’s “Wildest of the WILD WesT”
Bryan’s book about
Las Vegas, New Mexico, in its boom town days is colorfully expressed through the exploits of the outlaws and lawmen whose mutual goal was to corral the town for their own good.
Thank you Clear Light Publishing for usage. This book and others by Howard Bryan can be found at clearlightbooks.com; in Las Vegas at Paper Trail, Tome on the Range & Plaza antiques.
nomination for Outstanding Event at the New Mexico Top Hat Awards.
In town, we have historic hotels and great restaurants. Stay at our Plaza Hotel, El Fidel Hotel or newly renovated Harvey House, the Castañeda Hotel.
You don’t have to drive to get here. Make the
trip memorable by arriving on the Southwest
Chief Amtrak line just like back in the days of
the wild west. Relax on the Southwest Chief as
it is elegant, affordable, has top-notch car din-
ing and beautiful scenery. The Southwest Chief runs daily on a 2,265 mile route stretching from Chicago all the way to Los Angeles, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Cali- fornia on the way.
Whether by plane, train or automobile, come visit Las Vegas and enjoy our friendly atmosphere and small town hospitality. You will be glad you did!
Sincerely,
Madame Mayor Tonia Gurulé Giron
     Las Vegas & San Miguel Co. Visitors Guide 2019 | 5
Photo courtesy Lee Ledoux






































































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