Question: With Vegas becoming more "adult," what are your picks for doing a true Sin City vacation?

Jeff in Baltimore

Answer: Thanks for the question, Jeff.

To answer, I'm going to use an excerpt from my new travel guide Moon Handbooks Las Vegas. This is one of many "travel strategies" you'll find in the book, tailored to specific interests. This one is called, appropriately, "Sin City."

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Come on, are you really planning on going to Vegas for the museums? I didn't think so. You're going because Vegas is the place where fantasies come true; illicit behavior is not only tolerated but encouraged; and sex, booze, and gambling are the staple crops.

At least that's what the television commercials would have you believe.

In truth, while the hedonistic image of Las Vegas has become a part of our pop-culture lexicon ("What happens in Las Vegas ..."), the reality is it's all just a tantalizing ruse, a tease, a facade. Sure, the sin part of Sin City may look real, but so does that Eiffel Tower in front of Paris Las Vegas. Yes, it's big and shaped like the real thing, but in reality it's only half the size and nowhere near as entertaining. I'm going to step out of the way and let you complete that analogy anyway you want.

To put it bluntly for the men, you have seemingly limitless opportunities to see the female breast, but the chances that you're actually going to get to touch one are much more limited.

Strip clubs ... sorry, gentlemen's clubs ... abound and cater to just about every taste. You've got the posh Treasures, with enough marble and gilt edges to make you think you're in one of the expensive hotel lobbies. Then there's the more "earthy" attitude at places like the Girls of Glitter Gulch along Fremont Street. They've even got what claims to be the largest strip club in the world with Sapphire, a 71,000-square-foot behemoth with multiple stages, bars and things shimmying to look at.

But keep in mind before you enter one of these establishments, the ladies (and in some cases the gentlemen) are strictly for looking at. Touching is forbidden and will get you more acquainted with the big, burly bouncer than with any of the dancers. And don't even think about soliciting one of them for their time. That'll get you well-acquainted with a jail cell. In general, it's worth noting that strip clubs within city limits are subject to slightly less lax laws than those under county jurisdiction. I'm not going to go into the details here, but let's just say there may be more friction involved in that lap dance in a Vegas strip club than in a Clark County strip club. A quick call will tell you which one you're heading to.

The hotels and casinos have been in the topless business for a long time with showgirl extravaganzas like Folies Bergere at the Tropciana around since 1958 (if you want to see one of these archaic but still entertaining shows, Folies is the one to go to). But as time and technology marches forward, so does the evolution of the topless Las Vegas show. Nowadays, they couch their nudity in artistic pretensions with shows such as La Femme at the MGM Grand, a moody, almost introspective examination of the female form, and Zumanity, a sex-ified version of Cirque du Soleil's acrobatics and theater. The fact that neither show is actually very good seems to escape a lot of people, who apparently feel better about their leering if it comes with a glossy program and a high ticket price.

Some of the hotels are trying to bridge the gap between the stages of the strip club and the stages of the clubs on the Strip with the modern-day equivalent of the burlesque show. Ivan Kane's Forty-Deuce at Mandalay Bay, Tangerine at Treasure Island, and the Pussycat Dolls Lounge at Caesars Palace are just a few examples of the scantily clad naughtiness, but more are on their way. Heck, they've even got a Hooters Hotel and Casino just a few hundred feet away from the Strip. Tells you everything you need to know, I think.

Now, of course, if the "sin" you're looking for in Sin City is drinking and gambling, there's no shortage of that here. You can do both 24 hours a day, and the city's nightclubs and casinos are often packed to the rafters until dawn on weekends.

You can read more about the book in the Moon Handbooks Las Vegas section of Vegas4Visitors.com.

If you have a question you'd like to submit, click here.

The Full Story

• Vegas Q&A: Putting The Sin In Sin City
• Hard Rock Sold To Company Making Vegas Push
• Another Plan Forms To Revitalize Downtown

In Next Week's Column

Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.

Plus, don't forget to send your questions about Las Vegas. I've got room for more, so send them in today!

Find the hotel that's right for you with Vegas4Visitors.com's reviews!

And check out the new Moon Handbooks Las Vegas.