Black Meetings and Tourism

Recreation Area, which provide for a range of activities from ghost town tours to hiking through the canyons. Some of the state's most popular recreational sites sur- round Lake Tahoe. On the south shore of the lake, you'll find Zephyr Cove, the Heavenly ski resort and several hotel casinos. The north shore has the picturesque Tahoe Rim hiking trail. There are 18 alpine ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area. Reno, another favorite gaming destination, is also home to Bethel A.M.E. Church, the state's oldest surviving Black insti- tution. Other area attractions include the downtown Riverwalk District and the National Automobile Museum. NEW MEXICO Two landmarks in Albuquerque that highlight New Mexico's relatively small African-American presence are the Grant Chapel A.M.E. Church, founded in 1883, and Mount Olive Baptist Church, whose Black congregation was founded in 1898, albeit at a different location. Other places to see include the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the National Hispanic Cultural Center and the Sandia Peak Ski Area, which boasts the world's longest tramway. Las Cruces, the state's second largest city behind Albuquerque, is home to the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, the largest agricultural museum in the United States. Santa Fe, a popular haven for artists, is the nation's oldest state capital. Major local attractions include the Palace of the Governors and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art. Taos, the gateway to the Enchanted Circle and the Taos Ski Valley, is the site of Taos Pueblo, where Native Americans dwelled for more than 1,000 continuous years. Black Meetings & Tourism February/March 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 75 Interstate I-10 leading into Las Cruces New Mexico with mountains in background LAS VEGAS The Moulin Rouge Hotel, which opened in Las Vegas in 1955 as Nevada's first integrated hotel, is no longer around, but you can see exhibits highlighting the city's Black history and culture at the Walker African-American Museum. The Hispanic Museum of Nevada, the Asian- Pacific Cultural Center, the Jean Weinberger Museum of Jewish Culture and the Lost City Museum — which hous- es Native American artifacts — provide a further look into the multicultural her- itage of Vegas. Some of the city's casino resorts offer meeting space as well as gaming and entertainment, and the Las Vegas Convention Center is undergoing a major renovation. Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino Photo Credit: Las Vegas CVA Photo Credit: Las Cruces CVB OKLAHOMA The only state capitol ever built over an oil well is found in Oklahoma City. If you go there, you can visit the Deep Deuce Historic District, which was once a bustling Black business and entertainment hub. Other points of interest include the Bricktown entertainment district, the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Tulsa's historically Black Greenwood District is the site of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, the Greenwood Cultural Center and the Mabel B. Little Heritage Center. The nation's first Black bank was founded in a town about

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