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After instruction, participants get into the driver’s seat of an authentic Winston Cup-style stock car, and go, go, go!

Surely the closest one gets to being launched into outer space without actually doing it. The “slingshot” electronic technology launches passengers on “Speed,” the aptly named roller coaster. A 360-degree loop and a vertical climb of a 225-ft (68-m) tower (both forward and backward) add to the excitement – and it’s all over in 48 seconds.

Connoisseurs swear that the 99-cent margaritas, with just the right amount of salt rimming the chilled glass, are as good as any you can find elsewhere at many times the price.

Each major Las Vegas show has a shop associated with it, usually located near the box office. Commemorative T-shirts and various production recordings are the most common items for sale. However, anything that can be sold will be sold, including magicians’ equipment, Chinese circus plates, and logo-emblazoned bottle stoppers, skipping ropes, and yo-yos.

Have your picture taken dressed as a pioneer, a cowboy, or a showgirl. Or, if the fancy takes you, you can dress up in a medieval outfit. Alternatively, have your face substituted for a magazine-cover celebrity. The photos generally cost $25 or less and make fun mementos.

You may need to take an expert with you to explain the joys of the Belavi facelift massage system, mineral-rich seaweed or clay body wrap, and hot or body-temperature jet spas followed by a refreshing spearmint body rinse. For those with simpler tastes there are those good old standbys, the Swedish massage, saunas, and a steam room.

Topline furnishings and personalized service are hallmarks of this spa, which is a certified Reebok facility complete with a large gym. Heliotherapy, body wraps, body scrubs, facials, and a variety of massages are on the menu of services.

After a hard day on the tough streets – and slots – of New York, rejuvenate with an Aroma Stone massage (using warmed stones and essential oils), a Green Tea body glow, a Fijian Pineapple Sugar Rub, or a Caviar Indulgence Facial.