Las Vegas is Changing. Try to Keep up.

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Las Vegas at Night

Las Vegas Strip at night

Question: Where do most Hawaiian residents go on vacation?

Answer: Their number one out-of-state destination is Las Vegas! The lights, casinos and block-length breakfast buffets provide a multi-sensory escape for those already living in paradise. And there’s nothing like a stumble down the Las Vegas strip to shake the sand out of your sandals and forget about palm trees for a while. In fact, some call Vegas the ninth Hawaiian island!

Hawaiians aren’t the only ones who go to Las Vegas. The city is considered a top global vacation destination, hosting more than 40 million visitors each year, and that number is steadily rising. Roughly 12 percent of those visitors come from foreign countries, with Mexico and Canada topping the list.

Milwaukeeans can fly directly from Mitchell International Airport (MKE) to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas multiple times weekly on Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Sun Country Airlines. From LAS, it’s just a short cab ride to the Las Vegas Strip. You can view flights here.

Gambling—or maybe “gaming”—still holds the top card in Las Vegas, Spanish for “the meadows” due to local water sources that historically hydrated the oasis in the middle of the dry Nevada desert. Since most hotels double as resorts and casinos, there’s no shortage of opportunities to try your luck at either the high- or low-stakes tables. Remember, never bet more than can lose. (And in Las Vegas you can lose a lot.)

 Gourmet dining long ago took the place of most all-you-can-eat buffets as one of the city’s main attractions. Try Joel Robuchon (MGM Grand), a Michelin 3-star restaurant offering dishes like truffled langoustine ravioli and foie gras-stuffed quail; é by José Andrés (Cosmopolitan), a taste of Spanish-inspired avant garde molecular gastronomy with a $275 tasting menu; or Cut by Wolfgang Puck (The Palazzo), one of the city’s best steak houses. For these and others, make reservations well in advance, expect a dress code, and pricey ($$$$) menus. There some very good less expensive options as well.

Live music and comedy performances also have long been a Las Vegas staple. Vegas traditionalists can even catch up with Englebert Humperdinck (Aug. 29-30 at the Orleans Showroom) or Donny Osmond (multiple dates in August and September at Harrah’s Showroom.)

Of course, the city’s most exciting entertainment venue is The Sphere, a $2.3 billion venue that took five years to build and offers programing inside and on its spherical exterior surface. The 18,600-seat auditorium hosts live and recorded performances on its wall and ceiling taking full advantage of its spherical shape. This fall The Eagles have a 12-performance residency starting Sept. 5 and ending Nov. 8.

But that’s not all. Las Vegas has had a lot of cultural “niches” during its lifetime, not the least of which were Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack in the 1950s and ‘60s, and the relaunch of Elvis Presley’s career in 1969. But there also was a longstanding Milwaukee connection to the city in the persona of Liberace, the gaudy, colorful, not-quite-out pianist and entertainer who became a Vegas favorite.

The West Allis native, who died of HIV in 1987, was a massive collector, and his cars, pianos (including one once owned and played by Franz Liszt), and outrageous wardrobe were long on display at The Liberace Museum, located slightly outside the tourist area. Although the museum no longer formally exists, parts of his collection can still be viewed at several city locations, including the Liberace Garage and Thriller Villa, the former Las Vegas home of the late Michael Jackson.

Liberace, who often performed with many rings to complement his often-sequined wardrobe, was once asked, “How do you play the piano with that many rings on your fingers?” “Very well, thank you,” came the artist’s reply.

Even in a town like Las Vegas, you can’t keep a spirit like that down.