The name of what American tourist city means "the meadows" in Spanish?

The name of this iconic Nevada city, often associated with neon lights and desert entertainment, actually holds a much greener meaning in its original Spanish. "Las Vegas" directly translates to "the meadows." This seemingly contradictory name for a place now famous for its arid surroundings tells a story of its origins rooted in a very different landscape.

Long before the casinos and resorts transformed the landscape, the area was indeed characterized by fertile patches of land. Natural springs bubbled up from underground aquifers, creating vital oases in the otherwise harsh Mojave Desert. These verdant areas, where grasses and other vegetation could thrive, were a welcome sight for early Spanish explorers and later travelers traversing the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and Los Angeles in the 19th century.

Such "meadows" made the site an essential stopping point for rest and water in the vast, unforgiving desert. The name stuck, a testament to the life-sustaining qualities of these spring-fed lands. While the modern city bears little resemblance to those original green patches, the legacy of "the meadows" remains embedded in its very name, reminding us of its humble beginnings as a crucial desert oasis.