Photos show what it's really like to live in Las Vegas, from grocery-store slot machines to tarantula sightings

It may be the heart of summer, but JetBlue is already looking ahead to fall, and putting one-way flights on sale starting at just $39 to celebrate.

Last year, a friend's husband messaged me for the sweetest reason — he wanted to surprise his wife with a four-night getaway and wondered if I wanted to go along. As someone who loves travel and now writes about it, I was all for it.

I've been to Las Vegas many times in the past 15 years with friends and family but most of the time I've gone by myself. As an avid global solo traveler, it's become one of my favorite places to visit.

It’s a couple of pandemic years behind schedule, but on July 5th The Sphere was lit up for the first time, changing the Las Vegas skyline forever. But that was just a tease, and next month, on September 29, The Sphere will be opened in its full glory by U2 – with the band’s first live performance anywhere in the world in nearly four years.

Every time I take a trip to Las Vegas, I visit the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. Stationed directly next to the hotel lobby, the 14,000-square-foot botanical garden features a seasonal showcase of sculptures, plants, flowers, water features, music, and digital projections.

Vegas has come a long way, baby. No longer a Mecca for gambling and other less licit activities, the city has become synonymous with family fun, world-class dining, and big-name entertainment.

By traditional measures, Alaska Airlines is a carrier of decidedly modest size, even after its acquisition of Virgin America. Its own flight network is small, compared to those of American, Delta, and United. And it’s not a member of one of the three global airline alliances.

For all their copious complaints about tight seating and sketchy service, consumers have proven themselves to be remarkably price-sensitive, willing to forego all manner of niceties to save a buck or two. Proof positive is the reliably robust financial performance of the likes of Southwest and Spirit.

The long lines, missed flights, and traveler outrage have been front-page news for months. And there’s little prospect that the bottleneck at the TSA’s airport security checkpoints can be ameliorated in time to for the summer travel crush.

As reported by USA Today, lawmakers in Missouri are expected to pass a bill that will amend the state’s liquor law to allow travelers to take alcoholic drinks with them to their boarding gates.