Sin City

Many things found in Las Vegas are fake, gaudy and over-the-top. However, not even Lyme Disease or antibiotics can keep me from my annual Vegas odyssey. I sometimes ask myself why it is one of my favorite vacation spots because I never tire of visiting it. I like the variety of experiences available and I always find something new to see or another extravagance to observe.

On this trip, we saw the new City Center complex which has opened with another experience for tourists. The City Center is so huge, a monorail snakes around from hotel to hotel which is helpful in hot weather. It has all the usual shops, hotels, restaurants, casino, and the required Cirque du Soleil show which we haven't seen yet. The Beatles show at The Mirage is fantastic, but we aren't Elvis fans so we skipped the Elvis show at Aria in City Center. Instead we repeated a trip to see KA at MGM Grand. KA, as well as O at Bellagio are my favorite Cirque shows because of the technology and high level of performances in both. Many Olympians in swimming, diving and gymnastics find employment in these shows which I feel are worth every penny in entertainment. 

We aren't devoted gamblers, but we hit the slots briefly. We spend less than it would cost to attend a pro athletic event in any big city. It is just entertainment and soon bores because you know all the bells and whistles just mean we donated to the casino again. The winners are few and far between which we already knew.

The dichotomy of the city is jolting. A street minister stands on a street corner and yells about Sodom and Gomorrah in the middle of a group of immigrants hawking the latest peep shows and snapping brochures in your face. A woman wearing religious head gear walks down the street while passing behind her on The Strip is an advertising truck proclaiming "Hot Babes, 24/7 in your room in 20 minutes. They want you!" Of course, they mostly want your wallet. It must be hard for those serious poker players to concentrate on their game while a pole dancer slithers around on a table in front of them.

The location of Vegas makes it a good home base to take side trips to visit the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Red Rocks Canyon or other points of interest outside the city limits. We like to drive outside the city at times and take in the nature scene too. The environment is very different from our region.

Vegas is amusing and it makes me smile but after a point, enough already and I've had enough for another year. I know I'll return because it is full of noise, energy, audacity and defiance. It is a great place to meet friends or family from other parts of the country because there is something for everyone to enjoy. As long as the city continues to put up new, more exciting extravaganzas to enjoy, people will continue to trek through the desert to waste gasoline, money, water and their time in the name of entertainment for a brief time.