Let’s go somewhere! Take advantage of travel deals to sunny Las Vegas.

By MARILYN ROBITAILLE

If you’ve grown overly accustomed to the four walls of your living room, and you’re confident that you have the right antibodies, consider picking up where you left off last March.

Las Vegas with its city lights comes calling!

Gambling doesn’t always have to be the only party that happens in Vegas, and as things in Sin City are awakening, travel bargains seem to be popping up everywhere.

For around $500 per person, you can book air from DFW, rent a car and a long weekend in a five-star luxury suite. You’ll have to up the ante for a room with a great view of the Strip, but the ambiance created by all that neon is definitely worth a few extra dollars.

Choose a room with a terrace (and don’t call it a balcony or porch).

If you’re a gambler and plan to spend most of your time winning money (or losing it), then you might prefer to skip the rental car since most of the luxury hotels have shuttles and ample gambling opportunities in their mammoth lobbies. Not all do, however, so do some homework if you’re sure you’ll hear that 2 a.m. call of the slots.

If you tend to look for a variety of entertainments, then the car can save you time and money. Although ride-share companies offer ample opportunities to be driven, spending the required $10–$15 to go to an off-the-strip restaurant can add up fast.

One of the best breakfast places in Vegas, The Egg and I, requires a 10-minute drive towards the suburbs.

Stocking up on snacks to make your terrace-sitting spectacular means a stop at a grocery store. Step away from the snacks provided in the hotel because that bag of stale pretzels can set you back $5 when the one you buy at the grocery store costs a fraction of that amount.

If the mini-bar uses modern tech, you’ll be charged for moving anything, so oftentimes, you can’t put your grocery-store wine in the fridge.

Plan ahead, so you can ice that crisp bottle of white you purchased at the local Winn-Dixie in the hotel ice bucket or sink.

Having a sense of adventure with a car means you can go places some tourists would never venture. Once you’re off the beaten path, you’ll find great restaurants full of Nevada locals, flea markets both indoor and out, and an occasional garage sale with great finds. How about a signed, first edition Stephen King novel?

Drive only a few minutes out of town and you can hike the beautiful trails of Red Rock Canyon or learn about hydropower at Hoover Dam.

For those who aren’t faint of heart, you’re only a couple hours’ drive to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s a near-death experience to be on the clear glass walkway that extends over the sheer canyon drops.

Don’t miss the chance to enjoy some new scenery. The weather in Vegas is mild and everybody’s disposition is sunny.

And, of course, what happens in Vegas definitely stays in Vegas, so have fun!