Even without a distinct gay scene, Las Vegas is still the second-most-popular destination for queer travelers. It's possible to visit the city on a budget or to live like royalty, depending on where you look.

The elegant water ballet at the Bellagio fountain is a great but inexpensive attraction to enjoy in a city that’s open 24/7.

LAS VEGAS, Most vacation destinations indeed, most cities have peak seasons and off-seasons. Aspen is a ghost town in July. Tourism at Walt Disney World drops off when hurricanes are forecast. No one wants to walk Boston's Freedom Trail in two feet of snow.

But Las Vegas is the Denny's of vacation spots: It never closes. There is no "right time" to see Celine Dion, roll craps or score free drinks. Southeast Nevada otherwise perhaps the most desolate and unattractive of North American landscapes is a happenin' place, year-in, year-out.

But when you're open 24/7, there's almost too much going on at any given time. How can you narrow the list of what's worth doing, and for what price?

What something is "worth" in a town like Las Vegas is a complicated issue of perceived value: An incomparable live performance or a once-in-a-lifetime experience might be worth anything you can afford. But a pricey hotel with all the modern amenities might be meaningless if you're there just to play blackjack or lie by the pool.

All of the suggestions here, then, fall into one of three categories: Those that are worth the cost to travelers for whom money is no object (high roller); those that give affordable value for those on a budget (dollar slots); and those who think the best things in life are free buffets (penny ante).

Where to stay

The majority of hotel-casinos are crowded around a roughly two-mile track of Las Vegas Boulevard called The Strip. The two biggest corporate conglomerates in town, owning many of the main casino properties, are MGM Mirage with 10 hotels, including the Bellagio and the Luxor; and Harrah's with six, including Paris and Caesars Palace. High-end properties stand and at each end: the recently opened Wynn at the north, The Hotel at Mandalay Bay at the south. And in between, most of the activity in town takes place.

The era of the huge hotels started with the MGM Grand in the late 1980s (that hotel changed Las Vegas, according to Anthony Curtis, who publishes The Las Vegas Advisor, a newsletter on the best bargains in the city). But within the last five to seven years, mega-casinos have mushroomed: Where gambling revenues once accounted for 70 percent of a casino's income, many now are as low as 40 percent, with the majority of money coming in room rents, dining and entertainment.

Where you decide to hole up can be either the most or the least important consideration. The casinos are designed to keep visitors happy inside their walls, so the right hotel can be the vacation. For glamour and ritz, book a room at the Mirage, the Bellagio, the Venetian, the MGM Grand, the Wynn, Mandalay Bay or Caesars Palace.

On the other hand, with so many options, why not sample a little from each hotel? If you're interested in spending money on something other than accommodations, try the mid-range Monte Carlo, Treasure Island (now being marketed as TI) or Luxor, where rates run as little as $100 ($150 on the weekends). Dollar slots. Go even cheaper with Circus Circus and Excalibur, where weekday rooms can cost as little as $50. Penny ante.

Perhaps the best-themed of the amusement parks er, "resorts and casinos" is New York New York. Strolling the interior is like walking through the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando: Street facades look just like the real thing, even if it's all pretending. It's also a great place to find some fun nightlife: In addition to Cirque du Soleil's "adult" show "Zumanity," there are several friendly bars with no cover charges, like the Bar at Times Square. This Big Apple-style Irish drinking pub features lively, dueling pianos with a surprisingly young and hip (although hopelessly hetero-oriented) vibe. Penny ante.

Considered one of the better values on the Strip, Monte Carlo's rooms can run as low as $100. One extravagance to consider: Book a room on the concierge level, which offers private keyed elevator access; a concierge on duty; great penthouse-level views; and the Club Monaco lounge, which provides free continental breakfasts, sandwiches, drinks (even wines) and sandwiches. For only about $25 more per weekday night, it's a cost-effective alternative for couples (especially those who want to grab a bite without paying for a buffet or cafe, and without having to wait in the city's notorious lines). Dollar slots.

For sheer glitz, nothing compares to the Bellagio. With its Chihuly glass lobby ceiling (a stunningly colorful collection of flowers), pricey retail strip (the Via Bellagio), and renowned water fountain ballet, it exudes luxury. High roller.

What to see

LET ’EM EAT CAKE: The “Sirens of TI” show is a cheap way to enjoy Las Vegas’ two notorious kinds of cake: beefcake and cheesecake.

Once upon a time, Wayne Newton and the Rat Pack were considered the pinnacles of showmanship in Vegas and they were about the only games in town, other than half-naked chorines. But Las Vegas has embraced its reputation as Adult Disney, and now offers a seemingly endless slate of shows.

Considering that Las Vegas is the second most popular destination for gay travelers, if may come as a surprise that the gay community and specifically the "gay scene" is not particularly strong. (See What You Krave sidebar.) That seems to be because the entire city has a decidedly queer sensibility on its own.

One good example: The Thunder from Down Under. Anyone who saw last year's reality TV show "Strip Search" is familiar with the competition to find hot muscle-studs to open the Australian beefcake show in Las Vegas. The show is still going strong at Excalibur, and hooting is encouraged.

"Mamma Mia," the smash ABBA musical, is one of the few Broadway-style shows that has consistently brought in crowds ("Hairspray" closed after less than four months; "Avenue Q" lasted about twice that.) Tickets are available in the $40 range for some shows. You can also camp it up with Dragapella, courtesy of the Kinsey Sicks, who are playing an unlimited engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton. Dollar slots.

One of Cirque du Soleil's newest show's, "Ka" at the MGM Grand, stands as one of the most impressive pieces of stagecraft every attempted anywhere. The most thematically unified production the troupe has ever attempted (there is a plot this time), it's a dazzling display of technological wizardry, daring acrobatics, theatrical drama and great looking athletes in tight-fitting costumes. Tickets will set you back about $125, but are well worth it. High roller.

Cirque du Soleil isn't the only source of midway entertainment not when you have a casino called Circus Circus. This family-oriented casino has free big top-style shows such as contortionists, trapeze acts and jugglers (performing every hour during peak periods), and it doesn't cost a cent. Penny ante.

For those who like seeing well-built guys dance around but who don't want to spend any money to do it, catch the "Sirens of TI" spectacle cheesy music, dancing and many, many hot bodies, both of women and musclebound pirates who look like they enjoy a little yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum with each other. This 20-minute production is old-school in an amusement park way, but also free and goofily entertaining. Penny ante.

Another old-school entertainment is the Lance Burton magic show at the Monte Carlo. David Blaine aside, magic seems very disco-era, but Burton manages many enjoyable "how'd-he-do-that?" moments. Dollar slots.

For GLBT travelers, the Celine Dion show at Caesars is almost required viewing. At up to $300 a ticket for the best seats, it ain't cheap, but almost everyone agrees: It's a fabulous show, even if you're idea of fun isn't Canadian hand choreography. High roller.

Where to drink and eat

Las Vegas is famous for its food (both in terms of quality and quantity). Ellis Island, a property off the Strip near Bally's, has one of the best values in town: a $4.95 sirloin dinner that comes with the works and is actually quite good. It's crowded during peak dining hours, but open all day so you can go late-night or even early morning (clocks have little meaning in Vegas, where there are no rules about stopping alcohol service). Penny ante.

Buffet Bellagio offers $15 lunches and $25 dinners with gourmet treats sushi, venison and barbecue wild boar ribs that are heavenly. It also serves pastries from Jean-Phillippe Maury, the executive pastry chef for the entire Ballagio property and owner of the Jean-Phillippe boutique in the lobby.
Boxed sets of handcrafted delights can cost $50 and more, but gawking at the chocolate fountain (it contains $42,000 of the delicious liquid goo) costs nothing.

Trendier eateries are plentiful. R Bar, a casual but exceptional seafood restaurant in the Mandalay Place underground, serves delicious key lime pie, diver scallops with ginger aioli and crab cakes with tarragon remoulade. Dollar slots.

L'Atelier by Joel Robuchon in the MGM Grand serves exquisite French-style cuisine in a gorgeous and organic setting, but The Mansion next door raises the bar even higher: 16 course dinners for as much as $350, served under Swarovski crystal chandeliers. If you aren't already a high roller, dining here might make you one.

What to do

Just because you don't want to shell out the bucks to stay at a casino like the Bellagio doesn't mean you can't take advantage of what it (and other properties) has to offer. The conservatory and botanic garden display in the lobby changes five times a year, and they go all out each time. This summer, they will cycle through more than 65,000 blooming white azalea plants (grown in their own 45,000 square foot greenhouse), and display a huge two-tier train-track (with a working mini-locomotive). Best of all, it costs nothing to wander through. Penny ante.

The Fontana Lounge inside the Bellagio has an excellent view of the magnificent outdoor fountain, which shoots jets as high as 450 feet with movement set to more than 30 songs. Just entering the lounge, though, requires a two-drink minimum but from the Strip, you can see the show for free. Penny ante.

If you hate to miss your gym ritual while on vacation, consider a day-pass to the hotel spa. They offer a co-ed exercise room and same-sex steam baths, saunas, whirlpools and cooling pools, for only about $25 day. Dollar slots.
You can a fancier spa treatment (for instance, a deep-tissue massage) for about $100 and the spa waives the day-pass fee. High roller. Still too much? Work on your tan by the pool. Penny ante.

You probably don't expect to find sea creatures thriving in the middle of a desert, but the Mirage which featured Siegfried and Roy's celebrated lion-tamer act until Roy was mauled nearly two years ago specializes in making the unlikely seem ordinary.

The exquisite Chihuly glass ceiling in the Bellagio lobby is alone worth a visit.

Five dolphins live in a habitat on the casino grounds, which makes for an unexpected but lovely way to spend some time. If you love porpoises and have a lot of money to spend, consider the full Trainer for a Day package: For six hours, tour behind the scenes and get up-close-and-personal with the bottle-nosed dolphins you can even kiss them. (Think you look good in a form-fitting wet suit? This is the way to show off.) At $500 per person, it's not for the budget conscious. High roller.

Save some money with the observer-only version, which doesn't get you in the water but does put you near the dolphins. Both come with gourmet breakfast and lunch, and this non-wet-suit experience will set you back about $150. Dollar slots. Or, just enter the habitat as a patron and watch everyone else do it. You don't have to stay all day and still get a Sea World fix. Penny ante.

If you think you might like to play a few rounds at the card table but are afraid of looking like a rube or losing your shirt there's no cheaper way to learn that ropes that a free gambling lesson, available at most casinos. They'll teach you when to hit and stand, the different between a dealt deck and a shoe, any why you get those cold stares when you talk too much at the blackjack table. Penny ante.

And there's always doing the other thing Vegas is known for: Getting hitched. Although it doesn't offer the same legalities as a union in Canada, Massachusetts or Vermont, the MGM Mirage properties open the chapels at eight of their properties to same-sex couples who want the thrill of an elopement or just a tacky Vegas wedding without the documentation.

Go for something dreamy at the Bellagio's Terrazza di Sogno (Terrace of Dreams) or camp it up at TI's chapel, complete with pirate ring-bearers, ship deck ceremonies or armor-clad knights. Why should Britney Spears be the only one to have fun in a Vegas chapel?



WHAT YOU KRAVE

Two years ago, the largest gay bar in Vegas located in an area known affectionately as the Fruit Loop held about 350 people. Then Krave opened with a capacity of 1,800, and the Strip has never been the same. One thing that sets Krave apart, according to marketing director Ryan Smith, pictured, is that much of the vibe comes not from local but from the transient population, especially Southern Californians. Angelenos regularly come up to Vegas for a weekend or even a night to party, gamble, see the club's Fashionistas drag show or attend the personal appearances of porn stars. All of which makes Krave a gay bar like none other in Vegas.

Krave is really two linked clubs with their own personalities: some nights, Smith says, you'll find Goth kids in black lipstick on the lounge side, shirtless go-go boys and drag queens dancing up a storm on the club side.

"We have comedy shows, straight girls doing bachelor parties, even erotic flyboys" says Smith of the aerial-trained booty-shakers.

But Krave is also trying to develop a more unified gay community. Owners have been working with groups like the Human Rights Campaign as well as corporate sponsors MGM Mirage and Harrah's to stage the area's their first sit-down fundraiser it just won't be a Black Tie dinner.

"That's not Vegas at all," Smith says.

A.W.J.




This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, June 16, 2006.