Bachelorette weekend in Las Vegas!

If you're going to Vegas for a bachelor/ette weekend, you MUST make a stop at one of the strip clubs in town. The most popular one and most famous, it seems, is Olympic Gardens at the north end of the strip.

Quick Tips:

Knowing we were going to be paying covers to a lot of clubs (as well as stuffing dollar bills down g-strings) we waited until our last few hours in Vegas to gamble. Believe me, there is enough to do in Vegas!

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking during the day. If you're partying at night, drive to your clubs because most have free parking, but only do this if you have a designated driver. Otherwise, cab it. There are plenty of cabs around and most of them are pretty friendly. NOTE: If you're with a group, the maximum amount of riders per cab is FIVE.

The rooms at Excalibur were clean and well-kept. As we were there for a bachelorette party, we had previously requested two non-smoking adjoining rooms when we made our reservations. But when we arrived at our rooms, they were not adjoining, only next to one another. A phone call to the front desk quickly remedied the problem as the manager took care of our party and moved us immediately to the rooms we had requested.

Service staff is prompt. We requested extra pillows and within 15 minutes they arrived.

The price range listed above was a special offered at the time. I believe that normally, rooms run from $75-$200.

There are four separate towers, two on either end of the hotel. If you''re not careful, it''s very easy to get turned around in there. Of course, you have to walk through the barrage of slots and tables to get to your room, but that is par for the course.

Each tower has a security guard and only keycard holding guests and their parties) are allowed up to the rooms. I rather enjoyed that aspect since it prevents for ne''er-do-wells from creating a ruckus in the residences.

There is a food court on the 2nd floor of the hotel (accessible through the main casino) which includes a McDonald''s, Cold Stone Ice Creamery, Krispy Kremes, Wetzels Pretzels, and Cafe Expresso.

There is also Sir Galahad''s Pub & Prime Rib House as well as Regale Italian Eatery for those who want a little more sustenance.

There is plenty of parking, so no need to valet unless that is your preference.

Slots seem to pay out fairly. I won $80 on my first pull, but still kick myself for putting in two coins instead of three.

For more info, check out their site at www.excaliburlasvegas.com

We may have been a bit stupid, but it took us awhile to find the entrance to Baby's, a popular nightclub at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas. The entrance is through two double doors (by the main casino area) which actually leads into their concert area. There, you stand in a queue for a good hour before entering the nightclub.

During actual concerts, I believe the line forms outside of the hotel.

Cover is $20, but whether we were the exception or the norm, women were not charged the cover the night we were there.

You make your way down a flight a stairs to a small lounge area where a small 6-8 oz. bottle of water was $5. Go further in and that's where all the action is. Guest DJs from around the world spin their tunes at Baby's.

Sadly, the DJ we had who was supposedly one of the best was probably one of the worst. He didn't seem to have his act together as what he was mixing could hardly be called dance music.

DJs at Baby's play house, trip-hop, and drum & bass dance music. FYI.

As always, with a popular hangout, there seemed to more people than fire safety regulations allowed and do not be surprised to see ladies of the night and their respective johns working the joint.

This was not a place I would frequent again. We spent more time in line than we did in the actual club. With the variety of nightlife available in Vegas, Baby's is low on my must go to again list.

If you want to dance, this is the place to go. Large dance floor accommodates all who want to cut a rug. People of all ages (over 21, anyway), ethnicities, and sizes move to the rhythm of the night.

Club Rio was an enjoyable experience and a place I would return to. It was fun, the cover charge wasn't outrageous, and did I say it was fun!?

We heard about The Beach from a lot of people in Vegas and thought, okay, if everyone's talking about it then we should definitely check it out.

Note to self: Don't listen to everybody.

The Beach reminded me of the bars in Orlando I went to when I was in college. Definitely a place geared toward the male set. Women in bikinis dancing on top of bars to Beach Boys music, men (and some women) taking body shots from female servers clad in bikinis.

Again, I don't know if we were the exception or the rule, but we were able to enter without a cover. Men were charged $20.

An All-American atmosphere surrounds the place - a great place for foreign tourists to visit if they want a taste of "Baywatch America."

If you want to see living flora and fauna in all its splendour and glory then you must visit the Bellagio and their Botanical Gardens just off the main entrance into the hotel.

Everything is fresh, none of the plants are artificial in the Botanical Gardens. The scene changes every two weeks and usually has some sort of theme. For Chinese New Year, the flowers were in various shades of red, gold, and yellow and included a dragon topiary. The day we were there, the theme seemed to celebrate Easter. Topiaries and arrangements were adorned with pastel tulips, roses, and hydrangea.

A definite must-see. No fee to enter.

It's somewhat hard to imagine that someone as silly and humourous as Steve Martin can also be an aficionado of fine art.

His collection of Modern and Contemporary paintings and drawings ranging from Picasso to Hockney, Seurat to Lichtenstein is as interesting as the man himself.

The admission of $12 (cheaper if you are a Nevada resident or have a valid student I.D.) also includes an audio tour narrated by Martin himself. It's the narration that makes the tour more than worthwhile. His personal views and commentary about the art and why he chose to purchase it makes for good conversation later on.

My personal favorites include "Accident #2" by John Koch and "Synchromy" by Stanton MacDonald-Wright.

Once you exit, you'll find yourself in a small gift shop which includes various prints of the artwork inside and books and plays written by Martin.

Unless the Bellagio plans to extend it, the private art collection of actor/comedian/writer extraordinare Steve Martin is on view from April 7 - September 23, 2001.

Beam me up, Scotty!

If you're a fan of Star Trek or just appreciate the show and the subsequent series, you'll enjoy this motion simulator ride.

When you purchase your ticket you have the opportunity to save a few dollars if you purchase admission into Star Trek: The Experience and Race for Atlantis IMAX ride (located at Caesar's Palace Forum Shops).

As you stand in the queue for the ride, you'll have the opportunity to learn the history of Star Trek and the Federation of Planets as well as view memorabilia from the original show and its incarnation.

When you enter, you'll be "beamed" aboard to the main bridge of the Starship Enterprise D. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it would be the Enterprise seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation. From there you'll move onto the turbolift and then into the shuttle ride that dodges Klingons and alien ships.

What is cool about this simulator ride is that the film screens are not only in front of you, but also on the sides and above you which truly give simulate movement.

You'll exit out into a gift shop area (of course!) and can then enter Quark's Bar, if you wish. The casino area immediately as you exit has a sci-fi theme to it. I didn't win any money there, but who says you won't?

A definite must for any Star Trek fan and/or simulator ride fan, so...Engage!

Definitely a ride.

There's a little bit for everyone at GameWorks. These days, the games can be a bit complicated for a person such as myself, but those teens take to it like a duck to water. But never fear! Classic (a.k.a. old) games like Joust, Centipede, Frogger, Space Invaders, and Galaga can be found at GameWorks as well.

Feel like rock climbing instead of playing video games? No problem. As you enter, you'll be privy to a 75-foot-tall rock-climbing structure called "Surge Rock," supposedly the tallest freestanding climbing wall in the world. Souvenir photos are available.

A reusable and rechargeable Smartcard is available and may be used to purchase games, but also food and souvenirs.

There is no doubt that everyone can find something to do and enjoy at GameWorks.

Here's a woman's wet dream come true - all your favorite shops in one place.

The Forum Shops is one big mall, essentially, but with specialty stores and the Vegas atmosphere. You feel as if you're shopping in Rome (to an extent) with the faux sky ceiling and various Roman architecture throughout.

From the budget conscious to the max-out-your-credit-cards-with-one-purchase, stores include Alfred Dunhill, Banana Republic, Bernini, Emporio Armani, Escada, Versace, Lalique and Salvatore Ferragamo.

I noticed many of the chain stores including Gap and the Disney Store seemed to have a larger selection than their middle America mall counterparts.

You can easily spend thousands of dollars in minutes at The Forum Shops so window shop first and then go back to buy!

How can anyone go to Las Vegas for a bachelor/ette party and not go to a strip club?

I have to admit I was a little hesitant about going to a strip joint (the stories you hear), but after we arrived and went upstairs to the All-American Male Review my eyes were opened to a whole new world.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I definitely didn't expect choreographed dancing and packs of women hollering for more! Extremely toned (and probably college students, but that's ok) men danced around in costumes that would fill any woman's fantasy - pilots, cowboys (good and bad), detectives in trench coats, etc. made their way onto the stage and performed a dance before the announcer calls out the names of the brides-to-be and birthday girls in the room. Those women end up on stage with the stripper of their choice (predetermined when you pay for the stage dance - approx. $30-$35+ depending on what they do) and proceed to be embarrassed and/or aroused by the gyrations and actions of the stripper.

The most hysterical part of the evening was to see the various brides-to-be on stage and their reactions. Some were timid and still in shock over the whole fantastical display, but others jumped right into the throes of these men who could easily replace Fabio on any romance novel cover.

Note to the Brides-to-be: Don't pick the first stripper you see for your stage dance because you'll inevitably see a half dozen you'll like even more.

With the $20 cover, you'll get two free drinks. Everyone seemed to be with a birthday party or a bachelorette party and absolutely hysterical fun to be had by all. A most memorable evening.