With the grand opening of City Center, Las Vegas , and the comedy hit "The Hangover" recently released on DVD, I have Vegas on the brain. But not the real Sin City. I’ve been thinking about ‘movie Vegas’, the town where I don’t blow the rent money, eat shovels full of bellyache buffet food, drink like Dean Martin and wake up the next afternoon wondering why I bet $500 on the Detroit Lions. Instead, I sit back and watch actors do these dumb things. And I love it.

I mostly enjoyed “The Hangover”.  Though apparently not as much as some Vegas visitors, who after seeing the movie are hot to stay at Caesars Palace, where many of the scenes were filmed. ... Read More

     
October, 1982. Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal walks out of the Tony Roma’s restaurant on Sahara Avenue carrying an order of take-out ribs. When he slides behind the wheel of his Cadillac Eldorado, the car explodes.  “Lefty”, legendary sports handicapper and boss of the mafia-connected Stardust casino, survived the attempted “amateur night” mob hit. But symbolically, the old Las Vegas, the Vegas run by the Chicago Outfit and entertained by the Rat Pack, was dead.

I’m too young to have seen Sinatra at the Sands or Elvis at the... Read More

 
This post has been contributed by Linda Butler, an auto travel counselor for AAA Tidewater in Virginia.

AMAZING!!  By day three of our week in Las Vegas my friends were begging me to find another word.  Grandiose, extravagant, over the top?.  Those all work really well in describing the western ‘City That Never Sleeps.'  That’s what Las Vegas reminded me of, too -- a western New York City -- lots and lots of people and traffic, huge buildings, lots of concrete and half-price ticket booths sprinkled throughout the Strip.

After you pick up your... Read More

     I have no idea how many tons of all-you-can-eat crab legs, shrimp and prime rib are served in Las Vegas each year. But I do know there are more than 60 hotel buffets in the greater Vegas area. From perfunctory spreads to the new breed of super buffet, that’s a lot of bloated bellies and Alka Seltzer. Naturally, the glut of smorgasbords means there are many bad ones. And when I say bad, I’m talking places that’ll remind you of the horrific spread from “Vegas Vacation.”  On my last trip, I stuffed my... Read More

     AAA travel editors recommend these Las Vegas experiences, excerpted from the AAA Travel Guide: Las Vegas:

- Get the best view of the city skyline from the Stratosphere Tower, at 1,149 feet, it's the tallest freestanding tower in the United States.

- Visit the Bellagio, where dancing fountains, a conservatory with seasonal flowers and plants and Dale Chihuly glass appeals to a visitor's sense of sight, smell or touch.

- Walk under the spectacular canopy of 2 million lights and LED screen suspended 90 feet above a four-block section... Read More

A Reno local told me of a tradition where jilted wives, post-divorce, toss their wedding rings into the Truckee River. Thank goodness the river runs swiftly through town or there would likely be a marked increase in divers looking for glimmering cast-offs!

But the alleged sparkling sand under a cold river is just part of the shine returning to Nevada’s second city. Sadly, too many travelers looking for bright lights and blaring slot machines venture to the warmer south end of the state, ignoring what this old cowboy outpost has to offer a modern audience. Las Vegas gets the headlines. It has top... Read More

Question: Kathleen Michaelson asks:  I would like to plan a day trip in April with three kids from Las Vegas to Zion or Death Valley. What do you suggest?

Answer: Kathy Mackdanz, travel planner at the AAA office in Minneapolis answers: April is a great time to visit either of these areas. Death Valley National Park, a AAA GEM attraction, is a great day trip from Las Vegas. From the city to Death Valley is approximately 110 miles going via Mountain Springs and Pahrump, Nev. Take the Death Valley... Read More