Pool & Spa News: Come and play: Las Vegas provides visitors with an enticing playground

Las Vegas is all about the experience. Whether you're a high roller or prefer lower stakes, the city delivers--usually to excess.

The bustling casinos offer a maze of games, drinks are plentiful, celebrity sightings abound at the top-name nightclubs, and wedding vows can be professed any time day or night. Oh, yeah, and there's enough business to go around for a boatload of Elvis impersonators.

Its Mafioso past, Rat Pack ties, showgirl revues and current reputation as the place to let loose and party lend a sense of danger and excitement to the city's three-mile stretch of road called the Strip, home of more than 30 casinos and resorts. Each venue emits its own vibe and pampers guests to no end. Where else can you visit New York, Paris, Venice and "ancient" Greece without leaving town?

While the town's glitz and glamour may be caked on a little heavy --and the tourists may be more casual than in its heyday--all of these things and more add to the mystique of Vegas. The city operates on its own schedule; it's always time to party, so why go to bed? (There's a reason there are no clocks to be found on the casino floors.)

Substance amid the sequins

For all its hard-partying ways, the city boasts a refined style as well. Vegas has become a cultural center of sorts: a gathering spot for high art, fine dining and top-rated entertainment.

Museums and cultural centers share space with many of the casinos. For example, masterpieces from renowned artists such as Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh can be seen at Bellagio's Gallery of Fine Art. Not to get too refined, there also are museums dedicated to Elvis, Liberace and the city's classic neon signs.

According to the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, three restaurants have achieved the AAA Five Diamond rating: Bellagio's Le Cirque and Picasso, and The Mirage's Renoir. Top chefs--including Wolfgang Puck, Todd English and Emeril Lagasse--and sommeliers from around the world lend their time and talents to various hot spots on the Strip.

While "Mr. Las Vegas" himself, Wayne Newton, is enjoying his 40th year in the Entertainment Capital of the World, he faces competition from nationally and internationally known acts. Many of the latest and greatest individuals and groups, from Celine Dion and Elton John to multiple Cirque du Soleil casts, now grace the stages of this storied town.

Whatever your definition of fun, this playground should keep you busy at all hours of the day or night. Just be sure to get to the Expo on time!

Gaming, by the numbers

* Las Vegas casinos took in $6.1 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2003.

* Race and spoils betting tops $2 billion per year, including tens of millions wagered on single events such as the Super Bowl.

* Eighty-seven percent of visitors say they gamble during their stay.

* In 2003, visitors had an average gambling budget of $480 per trip.

* The average visitor gambled 3.9 hours each day.

Source: Los Vegas Convention 6 Visitors Authority