Las Vegas area adding MonteLago, SouthShore resorts

Las Vegas is continually developing something new to attract visitors. The newest attraction this time, however, is 17 miles east of The Strip at Lake Las Vegas. It will consist of two extensive resort areas, MonteLago and South-Shore, connected by a Florentine-style bridge spanning 375 feet of Lake Las Vegas' inner harbor.

Now building in MonteLago on the north shore is the nearly completed Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas hotel and resort.

The nine-story resort will feature a Mediterranean theme throughout. A shopping esplanade will occupy the first floor and the remaining floors offer 283 guest rooms providing guests the choice of lake or mountain views.

Ritz Carlton Club-class rooms will extend onto the upper levels of the bridge with 67 "bridge rooms" on the upper two levels.

The lowest level of the bridge will provide a covered walkway to SouthShore lined on both sides with retail shops, restaurants and outdoor cafes.

The hotel also will offer extensive meeting and banquet spaces, a business center, a 30,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, and the Falls Golf Club. The club will sport an 18-hole course de-signed by Tom Weiskopf, scheduled to open in May.

Already on site at MonteLago is the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas, which opened in 1999; the Reflection Bay Golf Club with a course designed by Jack Nicklaus; and the Village at MonteLago, set on 50 acres at the west end of the lake.

Plans for the Village also include a gaming hall, the Casino at MonteLago, as well as luxury condominiums.

On the opposite end of the bridge is SouthShore, a mainly residential community offering gated estates, beach-style and courtyard homes, and lakefront executive homes.

There is also the SouthShore golf club, a private Nicklaus course opened in 1996.

A fourth course to be built will be Rainbow Canyon, meandering through the Rainbow Gardens Geological Pre-serve.

Both sides of the lake will provide ample marina facilities for both sailboating and motor boats, as well as water sports facilities.

The resort area can be reached easily by car from downtown Las Vegas and is approximately 25 minutes from McCar-ren airport which serves Las Vegas.

The Lake Las Vegas resorts offer vacationers an additional option for luxury accommodations, water sports and golf in the high desert climate of Nevada, yet they are still close enough to the city to enjoy the shows and casinos of the Strip.

Your travel agent will be delighted to reserve your rooms at this special new resort experience.

(Linda and Dr. Don Overend are principals in The Travel Group, a full-service travel agency formed by the merger of Ozark World Travel, Con-sulting Travel and Thomas Travel.)