Viva Las Vegas!

Blackjack, poker, roulet wheel are probably the first things that come to mind when people think of Sin City. This may have been true fifty, maybe even twenty years ago, but today's Las Vegas is so much more.
Sure, these things are still part of Vegas but today's Vegas is also a place with excellent shows, restaurants, and shopping.

If you haven't been to Vegas lately, allow me to quote Kathy Griffin and "get yourself a plane ticket and see the biggest freakshow ever." Well, it's not a freak show but it's actually one of the most spectacular shows you will ever see in Vegas or elsewhere. I had the opportunity to see Celine Dion's show "A New Day" or should I say Céline and let me just tell you it was fantastic. Dion's voice is incredibly powerful in person and the raw emotion she transmits is compeltely palpable. Dion really connects with the audience as she's surrounded by 70 incredible dancers. The giant IMAX screen behind her creates visions of backgrounds that seem so real.

Besides that, there all these awesome flying objects and people that make absolute no sense but add to the visual appeal of the show. There are flying pianos, angels, swinging people, dancers riding bycicles up in the sky a la Wizard of Oz. It's a must see and the show will run until Dec. 15.

Besides, that show there are so many others that are must-see; ranging from the family-friendly to the burlesque. Las Vegas has some of the highest concentration of excellent restaurants. Places to dine from the five-star to the bargain basement. Lastly, you can shop 'til you drop--sorry for the cliché. From high-end designers in the hotels in the Strip to high-end designers and cheaper brands at the outlets, Las Vegas is a shopping mecca.

The big downer is the scorching oven-type heat. It's a dry heat but at that point it's too much. At 105 no one cares that it's a dry heat. Anyway, Las Vegas is definitely a happening place and absolutely never boring.