In Las Vegas, sin and forgiveness are side by side

by Josh Lew on

It might be called Sin City, but that doesn’t mean that it is a complete place of moral decay (sorry). There are churches of the Catholic denomination located right on the Las Vegas Strip. The most noticeable one is Guardian Angel Cathedral, which located next to the newest of the Wynn casinos. It is actually not preaching fire and brimstone to the tourists who descend upon the city throughout the year. Its main goal is to serve the legions of casino employees, nearly 40% of whom claim to be Roman Catholic. Of course, that probably doesn’t discourage a few down-on-their-luck craps players from lighting a votive candle for good luck.

Las Vegas development guru Steve Wynn offered to construct a new church in return for turning the land where the old one sat into a parking garage for his new project. Church leaders decided not to take Wynn up on his offer, saying that the current church had already been blessed and therefore couldn’t be destroyed. So even in Sin City, you can still get holy, if you want.

[via LA Times]

Travel Alert! Southwest launches 50% off sale to Vegas

by Grant Martin on

Down to the last $1000 in your 401K? Why don’t you take it all to Las Vegas and put it on black? The nation’s largest low cost carrier just kicked off a fare sale to Sin City from ALL of it’s departure cities for flights through March 11th, meaning prices have officially reached “dirt cheap.”

With the Vegas economy in the dumps right now, it’s also a great time to score some cheap hotel rooms and package deals for your stay, so once you’re on the ground you can also save cash.

The fare sale runs ONLY from today until tomorrow, December 31st, and you have to travel by March 11th, so get your itinerary together quick, make a decision and pull the trigger.

Heck, you might even see some snow while you’re there.

Southwest Airlines not your style? Many of the legacy carriers matched the fares that were just published, so if you want to earn your precious miles, fly in first or skip a connection, make sure you check with your favorite airline as well.

Also, you can ONLY get these fares directly from Southwest — traditional online agents like Kayak and Orbitz don’t quote their prices, so make sure you go directly to the Southwest website to cash in.

[Thanks to George over at Airfarewatchdog for pointing us out to the sale.]

Snowstorm… in Vegas?

by Grant Martin on


As part of the hellacious weather that we’ve been experiencing across North America this past month, the most unexpected destination recently received an unexpected snowstorm: Las Vegas. The hedonistic city oft known for gambling, sin and excruciatingly hot weather received several inches of snow in a sudden downfall, paralyzing traffic, surprising residents and delighting children.

These pictures, taken by Ethan Miller for Getty Images show some of the action first hand: surprised tourists, miserable workers, blanketed buildings and a general air of amazement in the desert city. I would have loved to have been there.

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Tips for Adult Expo: Take a shower

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Every year, there is a quiet war waged at Adult Entertainment Expo (safe for work, just links to a previous article). On the one side are the throngs that come from across the country, eager to have that one-time meeting with Ava Rose or desperate to inhale Vivian West’s cigarette smoke. Opposing are the insiders, the people who work in the porn business. They use the convention as a way to reconnect with suppliers and clients … and to strike the deals that will feed them for the rest of the year. The insiders know that you will be there, and they know that you’ll be in the way. They’ve learned to live with this fact. I’ve been told, though, that they would like to pass along one request this year: take a shower.

I know how it is. You hit Las Vegas, and the excitement takes hold. You don’t need to eat or sleep. The booze and casinos are enough of a stimulant. Add a bit of porn, and the adrenaline spikes. You have no choice but to move nonstop. When I’ve covered Adult Entertainment Expo in the past, sleep was optional (usually about three hours a night), and I was lucky to eat once a day. I subsisted on caffeine and nicotine, and I loved it. But, I took a shower every day. At least one.

Want to know why? Given Gadling’s editorial policies, I have to hide the answer behind the jump …

A friend of mine, who is a fixture in the skin biz, asked that I share her advice plea with you:

You forgot to mention the #1 complaint about the fan boys at AEE [Adult Entertainment Expo] though… Please take a fucking shower at least twice during the four days you are at AEE! Seriously – that is the number one complaint from everyone working the convention, from porn chicks all the way through to the security.

Okay, there it is. If you think you have a shot with any of the young ladies whose work you have enjoyed in the past, you at least need to be clean. So, do us all a favor and use the plumbing in your hotel room. They don’t charge extra for it, and you’ll probably wind up having a better time. Assault a starlet’s nasal passages with your stench, and she’ll rush you out of her presence. If you don’t smell offensive, you may actually get a smile.

Lonely Planet names top 10 “weird” cities

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Top 10 lists are the lifeblood of blogging. How else, dear reader, can we quickly inform you of all you need to know about a topic in a format that is quick to read and simultaneously entertaining? The end of the year is fertile ground for top 10 lists, providing an opportunity to take a look at the previous 365 days and gaze at the marvelous things that have come to pass.

With this in mind, travel publication extraordinaire Lonely Planet has published their 2008 list of the “world’s top 10 weirdest cities” as part of their book, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009. Here’s a few of their picks:

  • Tokyo, Japan – I don’t think anyone is going to argue with this one
  • Las Vegas, Nevada – true only if you find $5 all-you-can-eat lobster tails to be eccentric
  • Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – a country with flaming holes and an eccentric dictator definitely qualifies in our book
  • Amsterdam, The Netherlands – whoa, cannabis and sex shows. So weird!
  • Guanajuato, Mexico – I had always thought of Guanajuato as a charming Mexican colonial city, but that’s wrong. Apparently they have mummies. Mummies!

Anyone interested in checking out the full list can find it here. You have to wonder who was in charge of compiling these cities, but considering that Gadling might some day want to publish their own book of top 10’s, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

What do you think of this list of top 10 weird cities? Think it’s a load of crap? Have any cities you think they left out? Leave us a comment below and tell us about your favorite weird city.