Ellen is a good hostess in several ways: well-informed about the Las Vegas area and happy to share any information that made our stay easier; easygoing with breakfast time and other arrangements as well as with our comings and goings; never intrusive, but open to questions and conversation; steeped in the history of the area with a particular interest in desert ecology. Her home is close to the airport and not far from downtown, though the area she lives in is quiet and her property is quite large for a residential area.