Universal Attraction: Welcome to Las Vegas!

Journey to the Center: AV in LV

Sooner or later, most Americans will pay at least one visit to Las Vegas, Nevada. This city has become the number one tourist attraction for world travelers during the past ten years. Las Vegas is considered the largest adult playground in the world, and is sometimes also called “Sin City” because of legalized gambling and the open access to prostitution. But, behind the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip), there percolates a dynamic spiritual vortex that continues to attract those of us who are plugged into the forces of love, peace and universal harmony. Part of my trip was devoted to reuniting with a group of fellow metaphysical practitioners and learning some new techniques and tools of the trade. In many ways, my trip to Las Vegas was a journey to the center of the mind.

Planning is necessary to assure the lowest possible rates. I have always found it important to do my own research. Consulting with Websites to get comparative airline, hotel and entertainment rates takes only a few minutes, but will allow you to get a feel for the average prices and make you an educated consumer when you finalize your itinerary. In my case, I found average airline fares on Continental.com for the dates and times I wished to travel. I then consulted the Websites of some hotels that interested me. The final figure I arrived at would not be my final budget, however, as the most important step will come next. With my draft budget in hand, I visited Liberty Travel, an agency that deals exclusively with matching vacation packages with a traveler's demands. I had a short list of three casino hotels and was able to get a complete package that included air fare, transfers, hotel stay and entertainment credits that saved me hundreds of dollars over anything I could have done myself. In fact, a four-night stay at the Wynn resort cost me less than $700, which included a free buffet dinner, tickets to Spamalot, a non-stop flight from Newark Airport to Las Vegas plus jitney transfers to and from the airport to the Wynn. By the way, the draft budget I did on my own was over $100 more and didn't include any of the perks I got with Liberty Travel. Resorts often give their best deals to travel companies, many of which are not published elsewhere. I subscribe to Liberty Travel's newsletter, which alerts me to a miriad of deals for travelers able to take advantage of short-term opportunities.

This was my sixth visit to Las Vegas in the past 15 years, so I hit the ground running upon arrival at the airport. Taking only a carry-on bag saved me up to an hour at the carousel at McCarran Airport, which is notoriously slow. The arrival and departure gates are at a distance from the main terminal, so there is a tram ride involved in getting to your baggage. Not to worry, however, since the shuttle buses and taxis to the hotels are just downstairs from the tram's terminus. In my case, Liberty Travel gave me a voucher for transfer via Bell Trans, a dependable and high profile carrier. But, the caveat here is that the driver will wait until he has a full busload of people before leaving to make his drop-offs at the individual hotels. We waited for 30 minutes before wending our way down the Strip, stopping at each hotel to drop off or pick up riders and their bags. The Wynn is one of the farthest hotels from the airport, so we didn't arrive until over 90 minutes had elapsed. I made an inquiry at the Wynn's taxi desk and found that the return trip to the airport via cab would cost only $15. To save time, we dismissed the return voucher for Bell Trans when it came time to go home and relaxed during a ten-minute ride back to the airport.

Not Only for Gamblers Although there are slot machines everywhere you go in Las Vegas (even at the airport), the city exudes a high-energy vibe conducive to any activity. Atlantic City, Las Vegas' cousin in New Jersey, currently has the advertising slogan "Always Turned On," but doesn't deliver the 24-hour, pulse pounding excitement that Las Vegas offers. Even though I put in a full day at work before flying into town, I wasn't tired in the least and let the manic mood of Las Vegas just settle into my psyche. You are seldom alone when you stroll the pavement at 3 am, greeting boisterous revelers along the Strip. But, the major surprise was meeting up with hundreds of construction workers toiling at the many sites along the Las Vegas Boulevard. Pedestrian detours abound, as it is necessary to twist around and through Hard Hat sites that provide evidence of the city's abundant development. By the second day, these workers became like old friends, one of them even asked me if I could bring back coffee for his 2 am break.

I counted at least three new resorts in their final stages of construction. One in particular, the Palazzo, the upscale brother to the Venetian, looms large across the street from the Wynn. Not to be outpaced, Steve Wynn has begun contruction on an all-suite addition named the Encore. But, the ultimate reason for my trip to Las Vegas was to meet fellow metaphysical practitioners and learn about new techniques. I must say, the exposure did me a world of good and introduced me to the wonderful world of aromatherapy. Also, I purchased a professional model head massager that literally sends shivers up and down my spine and helps open all the chakras of the kundalini. Such a wonder was experienced by those of us taking part in this activity, that I will be certain to write more about my metaphysical ramblings in Las Vegas in a later blog post. We also visited one of the omnipresent Oxygen Bars scattered throughout Las Vegas. The pleasure of breathing in the oxygen mixture while getting a scalp massage with eucalyptus oil really wakes you up and energizes the whole day!

One of my fellow metaphysicians actually lives and works in Las Vegas. Dorothy, an old friend from my days in Washington, D.C. dances as "Nesrin" the belly dancer in a club on the Miracle Mile; located in Planet Hollywood, the mall contains 170 specialty stores,15 tantalizing restaurants, and an array of entertainment experiences. Sensual dance is one of the many ways a person can practice the metaphysical arts. By offering her expert services as a massage therapist during the day and performing her mesmerizing dances at night, Dorothy is able to participate in all aspects of the mind-body connection. It was good to meet and greet other metaphysicians and swap our life stories and gain insights into the workings of the Universe. On the final day of my visit to "Sin City," I was able to indulge in the miracle of massage and aromatherapy. The bathtubs of many resorts are quite large and include a Jacuzzi. Meditating for what seemed like hours while being gently caressed by the aromatic bubbles, we were relaxed and able to rise at 3 am for the return flight home.

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