It's
easy to lose yourself in Las Vegas.
Anyone
who's ever set foot on the glowing glory of the
Strip knows that to enter the towers of concrete
and glass - themed casino hotels that rise dramatically
from the flat expanse of the Nevada desert - is
to escape into a world of polished marble, ornate
plasterwork, and other excesses of elaborate décor.
Stepping onto an intricately detailed rug in a
casino lobby, neck craned to examine the details
of a hand-painted mural on the elevated ceiling,
it's not difficult to forget where you are
hell,
to even forget who you are. You may be
an account manager back in Indiana, struggling
with your mortgage and car payments, but here
in Las Vegas, you could be the next big thing
a
millionaire
a high roller. And perhaps by
the time you leave this city of sin and relentless
sun, you will be.
And
then, of course, that's where the gambling comes
in. Thousands heed the call of the incandescent,
chirping slot machines; the glorious sing-song
clinking of quarters against metal offering the
everywoman a chance at riches for a mere one-time
investment of twenty-five cents. The yards of
green felt that snugly dress the game tables prove
equally enticing, beckoning to gamblers like a
sprawling park of lush greenery to cramped city
dwellers. There's the tell-tale slap of a dealer's
hands as he exchanges your bills for vibrant-colored
chips of wood or plastic - and then it's your
chance to make a fortune. Or lose one.
Let's
not forget the entertainment, the grand theaters,
the elaborate costumes encrusted with crystal
beads and giant jewel imitations, the wide, scarlet-lipsticked
smiles of long-legged showgirls, dancers and actresses.
Accompanied by pitch-perfect music, the smooth,
ethereal motions of show performers as they unnaturally
twist their bodies leave you in open-mouthed awe,
but also remind you of your own physical limitations.
And the following night, you're off to the next
act at the casino-hotel down the street, barely
giving a second glance to the mountains in the
distance - the gray curves are only a wide, rugged
border against a sapphire-tinted wall, not much
different than the sky-painted corridors of Caesar's
Forum Shops.
Yes,
it's easy to lose yourself in Las Vegas.
But
for all of the sensory overload you'll experience
in this city, there's also a fair amount of respite
to be had in its spas
and in its restaurants.
Using
the links below, navigate through some of the
best. We'll be adding to this section as we continue
to explore Sin City. And that, friends, isn't
a gamble - it's a sure thing.
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