Free circus acts and dueling pirate ships are just some of the attractions you will find on the 3½-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard. Photo: Las Vegas News Bureau RELATED LINKS Return to Las Vegas City Guide

A Federally funded Works Progress Administration travel guide published in 1940 praises Las Vegas for its "sound and far-sighted public policy" with regard to tourism development. "Relatively little emphasis is place on the gambling clubs and divorce facilities," the guide says, and "no attempt has been made to introduce pseudo-romantic architectural themes, or to give artificial glamour and gaiety."

More than half a century later, nothing could be farther from the truth. Casino gaming and convention business aside, the most compelling reason to visit Las Vegas is to immerse yourself in the all-encompassing round-the-clock fantasy world of the Strip, where a day of aimless wandering can lead you from New York to Paris, Venice, Luxor and beyond.

Nowhere in the world will you find a more mind-boggling amalgam of extreme architecture, over-the-top interiors and quirky tourist attractions, all squeezed into a 3½-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard. We’re talking free circus acts, dueling pirate ships, pink flamingos, cheesy cocktail lounges, indoor gondola rides with stripe-shirted gondoliers, fabulous musical fountains, King Tut’s tomb, a sky-high rollercoaster, fine art galleries, Greek gods and a whole lot more.

Sure, much of what the Strip has to offer is gaudy and tasteless, but hey, this is Vegas, baby -- just go with it.