LEAVING LAS VEGAS

Are the beckoning hedonistic lights of Las Vegas dimming? Are more Americans rejecting the lascivious city for more grown up, realistic duties? Has the downturn of the economy made people begin to repress their wild side?

If you look at the local U-Haul in Henderson, it sure looks so. They’ve seen far more outgoing rentals than incoming. And across the landscape, empty homes sit, for sale, foreclosed and rapidly accumulating. Stalled casino projects lay abandoned, gasping for financing. Even Mother Nature added her two cents: purifying the region with a white blanket of angelic snow last month.

But all is not lost. As the economy’s been hit, hotels, shows, even airlines have lowered costs to become more attractive. And there’s nothing like the ability to find not only a seat at a craps table, but have some room to stretch out on a Saturday night. In fact, if you can swing it, these are some of the best times to be in Vegas. The big pond mentality has dried up. Now, even tourists can feel like locals, treated to amazing deals on bottle service in clubs to limo service around town. And the quality of available entertainment is at an all-time high, including shows such as Le Reve, Cirque du Soleil, David Copperfield, Jersey Boys, Elton John and Donny and Marie.

The media might cry that the sky is falling, but in Las Vegas, the sky will always have its place, above the glittering lights.