Inspiration in Las Vegas

It's easy to feel that you're on a movie set as you wander about this city that's been the subject of countless films as well as quite a few books and novels. Some of the most memorable literary works that have featured Sin City include Larry McMurtry's Desert Rose, which relates the tale of a showgirl struggling to prevail in Vegas as her age catches up with her; and Hunter S. Thompson's vaunted classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a gripping work of gonzo journalism that takes us through a drug-induced road trip to Las Vegas. Fools Die is one of mob-chronicler Mario Puzo's most entertaining novels about Vegas, offering an up-close glimpse of the city's infamous casino culture.

Among the best films to whet your appetite for visiting, take a look at Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret romancing one another in the 1964 musical Viva Las Vegas, or watch Nicolas Cage come undone as a down-and-out alcoholic in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas. The loveably silly Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery provides a nice on-film tour of Vegas, as does Steven Soderbergh's 2001 remake of the classic Ocean's Eleven.

Visitor Information

Before you go, contact the city and state tourism offices for general information. When you get there, you might want to visit the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (3150 Paradise Road), next door to the Las Vegas Hilton, for brochures and general information. Hotels and gift shops on the Strip have maps, brochures, pamphlets, and free-events magazines—What's On in Las Vegas, Showbiz, and Las Vegas Today—that list shows and buffets and offer discounts to area attractions.

The Las Vegas Advisor, a monthly print newsletter and online Web site, keeps up-to-the-minute track of the constantly changing Las Vegas landscapes of gambling, accommodations, dining, entertainment, Top Ten Values (a monthly list of the city's best deals), complimentary offerings, coupons, and more and is an indispensable resource for any Las Vegas visitor. Send $5 for a sample issue, or buy a 72-hour membership to the Advisor's online version by logging on to www.lasvegasadvisor.com. Annual print memberships cost $50, and online memberships cost $37 per year.

Contacts

Las Vegas Advisor (702/252-0655. www.lasvegasadvisor.com). Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (702/892-0711 or 877/847-4858. www.visitlasvegas.com). Nevada Commission on Tourism (775/687-4322 or 800/638-2328. www.travelnevada.com).