For most people, the state of Nevada is embodied by the luxurious casinos, resorts, and hotels of Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. But go beyond the borders of these tourist-driven cities, and you'll find vast stretches of uninhabited desert dotted with the occasional oasis of civilization. The name "Nevada" means "snowy," and is actually derived from the Sierra Nevada ("snowy peak") Mountains that run along the California-Nevada border. The name may seem ironic in the midst of the summer heat, but the desert can become quite frigid during the winter, especially at night. Snow isn't entirely out of the question.