Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

By now you’ve all come to know (and love, no doubt) my obsession with Las Vegas. Back in August, I mentioned that my Vegas fever was on the rise again, even though I was just there in May. I also mentioned that I would be tagging along on my husband’s business trip to Vegas in October…

Well, that day would have been today. Sadly, airfares to Vegas are so insane that they cancel out the benefit of having a free place to stay. And since the trip was only a Friday through Sunday deal, it just wasn’t worth it.

So here I sit in my living room with two little boys fighting over the Wii, while my husband is on a plane to Sin City…one of my happiest places on earth. *Sigh*

To lift my spirits, I thought we could review a few of my favorite things about Las Vegas (your indulgence is appreciated):

Circus Circus

Shown here in its heyday, Circus Circus is a charming/sleazy remnant of old Vegas. Where else can you gamble while trapeze artists fly above you? But the main reason I love it, of course, is that it contains the site of one of my favorite scenes in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (the book and movie): the Horse-a-Round Bar. In reality, the bar more closely resembles a prop in a high school play than a cultural landmark. And yet, I cannot contain my giddiness as I sip my Mai Thai in this spinning wonderland...unable to stop myself from muttering, "It's not ever going to stop."

The Slots

I've mentioned my love of The Price is Right many times. These remain my favorite slots, but they seem to be a dying breed (although I'm hoping the release of the Wii game might signal a revival). In order to properly feed my slot obsession, I've had to expand my love to include other game-based slot machines. Deal or No Deal is good. LIFE is good. Wheel of Fortune is acceptable. But when forced to choose a slot machine other than The Price is Right, my first choice is Monopoly. There are a lot of varieties of Monopoly slots, but the Big Event slots increase your chances of winning by giving you a bonus every time anyone in your bank of slots hits a bonus...I want to play right now.

Fine Dining

Two out of three of the best meals of my life were had in Las Vegas and I'm still holding out for the 16-course tasting menu at Joel Robuchon. Vegas knows how to make fine dining fun and exciting, but the most important part (to me) is that it's accessible (assuming you've got the cash). In a tourist town, you can't pull any 3-month waiting list nonsense. Here, anyone can call up and get a reservation -- and it's always been worth the hefty price tag.

Oh, Vegas, how I miss you. But even though I can't be with you this weekend, things are looking good for the beginning of December...my husband has another work trip and some quickly-accruing airmiles with my name on them. I've never seen Vegas at Christmastime...