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Ferocious roars sound a warning as you approach the glass viewing tunnel.

This is Las Vegas at its lavish best: after dark, every 15 minutes, the “volcano” at the Mirage blows its top (see The Mirage Volcano).

Take a table at the sidewalk café, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy the view of Bellagio’s fountain show.

The Nevada State Museum system is one of the best in the United States, and its Las Vegas branch is well deserving of a visit. The emphasis is on the anthropology and natural history of southern Nevada, with dioramas containing stuffed bighorn sheep, cougars, and other impressive wildlife. On a totally different subject, head for the excellent Cowboy Up! exhibition, which charts more than 100 years of rodeo history. Temporary displays include items such as Indian baskets, fiber arts, and saddle blankets.

A century ago, Oatman was a thriving gold mining center; today, visitors are taken back to the old days of the Wild West, with burros roaming the streets and staged gunfights in the middle of town. The Oatman Hotel was where honeymooners Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stayed in 1939. The town has been used as the location for a number of movies, including How the West Was Won .

Las Vegas has a lot of bowling alleys, but the Orleans, which has no fewer than 70 lanes, is consistently voted the favorite in the annual newspaper poll. Reasons for its success include the spacious surroundings, numerous tables and chairs, a state-of-the-art computerized scoring system, and a snack bar with a big choice of items.

The Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe are faithfully and impressively reproduced at Paris Las Vegas Hotel, albeit on a smaller scale than the originals. Buy fresh baguettes from a street vendor, and nibble to the strains of tunes by the great Maurice Chevalier, as interpreted by a wandering accordionist.

It may not be quite the real thing, but well-observed touches lend the place a characteristic joie de vivre .

Chainsaws, boom boxes, fake Rolex watches, belt sanders, diamond rings, car jacks, and hundreds more items are piled on counters and hung from the ceilings in the shops of the plaza. This astonishing assemblage is testimony to the fact that some gamblers will sacrifice almost anything. Nevada law permits a monthly six percent interest on pawn shop loans – few pledges are redeemed.