Leaving Las Vegas

I have just spent a few sunny days in Sin City, proud nickname of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Since my last visit was about 13 years ago (where I famously tried to show my kids what a waste of money gambling is, and put a quarter into a slot machine. Chinga chinga ching! I won about four bucks.) things have changed tremendously.

No more Prime Rib $6.95! signs in the motels. In fact, there are no more motels on the Strip--just big resorts. I stayed at Caesar's Palace to attend and report on a conference of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association and the Sheet Metal/Air Conditioning Contractors' Association. Yes, unions. About a dozen women and 550 men.

I also found out that an unaccompanied woman walking through a casino at midnight gets a lot of stares from men. (And no, I wasn't dressed like I was selling!)

The food has improved, but it's expensive. Theme hotels have sprouted everywhere--and Caesar's is huge. Used to be, you parked in a vast lot and walked up to the casino. No more. You need a map to navigate the labyrinthine parking garage. There are at least three towers with hundreds of rooms. And this is just one resort. The Bellagio is next door, with fountain made famous by the Ocean's 11 and 13 movies--I have to say, though, it is beautiful. Music blaring at all times--in the elevator, speakers on the street, from the cafes, etc. I had dinner all alone on a Friday night in the Paris casino and hotel restaurant. They built an Eiffel Tower in the middle of it. I couldn't find out how much it was to take the elevator to the top, so I didn't do that.

I did lie out by the pool on two afternoons. Caesar's has the most gorgeous pools in Vegas. Going home, I was seated on the plane next to a guy who had spent several days skiing in Aspen. And I had been in my bathing suit in 80-degree weather! This is a great country.

No, I did not gamble one dime. I don't like wasting money, so I couldn't care less about gambling, but I admit I did sit down at a nickel slot machine. I fished in my purse for a few nickels, but there was nowhere to put them! The machines are all electronic, and you need to use a dollar or a five, or "tickets," which I had no idea how to obtain. A nickel slot only means each bet is a nickel. So I didn't even spend that on the slots!

The resorts are building like mad. I counted nine cranes in a three-block area when I was flying out. With the economy the way it is, I cannot believe they can fill all those rooms. Maybe there will be some bargains in the next year or so.

So, yes, I would go back, but only if my husband went with me and there was a show I seriously wanted to see.