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It's easy to lose yourself in Las Vegas.

Anyone who's ever set foot on the glowing glory of the Strip knows that to enter the towers of concrete and glass - themed casino hotels that rise dramatically from the flat expanse of the Nevada desert - is to escape into a world of polished marble, ornate plasterwork, and other excesses of elaborate décor. Stepping onto an intricately detailed rug in a casino lobby, neck craned to examine the details of a hand-painted mural on the elevated ceiling, it's not difficult to forget where you are…hell, to even forget who you are. You may be an account manager back in Indiana, struggling with your mortgage and car payments, but here in Las Vegas, you could be the next big thing…a millionaire…a high roller. And perhaps by the time you leave this city of sin and relentless sun, you will be.

And then, of course, that's where the gambling comes in. Thousands heed the call of the incandescent, chirping slot machines; the glorious sing-song clinking of quarters against metal offering the everywoman a chance at riches for a mere one-time investment of twenty-five cents. The yards of green felt that snugly dress the game tables prove equally enticing, beckoning to gamblers like a sprawling park of lush greenery to cramped city dwellers. There's the tell-tale slap of a dealer's hands as he exchanges your bills for vibrant-colored chips of wood or plastic - and then it's your chance to make a fortune. Or lose one.

Let's not forget the entertainment, the grand theaters, the elaborate costumes encrusted with crystal beads and giant jewel imitations, the wide, scarlet-lipsticked smiles of long-legged showgirls, dancers and actresses. Accompanied by pitch-perfect music, the smooth, ethereal motions of show performers as they unnaturally twist their bodies leave you in open-mouthed awe, but also remind you of your own physical limitations. And the following night, you're off to the next act at the casino-hotel down the street, barely giving a second glance to the mountains in the distance - the gray curves are only a wide, rugged border against a sapphire-tinted wall, not much different than the sky-painted corridors of Caesar's Forum Shops.

Yes, it's easy to lose yourself in Las Vegas.

But for all of the sensory overload you'll experience in this city, there's also a fair amount of respite to be had in its spas…and in its restaurants.

Using the links below, navigate through some of the best. We'll be adding to this section as we continue to explore Sin City. And that, friends, isn't a gamble - it's a sure thing.

The Palms -- Get Hip with the Palms Spa and Little Buddha
Spa at New York-New York
Fine Dining on the Strip: It's Elementary, My Dear
A Whole New World: The Elemis Spa at Aladdin
Relaxing at the Ritz-Carlton -- Lake Las Vegas

 

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