EVERY year readers of , published by the State Tourism Commission, select what they evaluate as the best of the best. does the same, with its results out this spring.

If you haven't been to the state with the 25-hour day recently, some choices may surprise you. There's no disputing this is a playground in perpetual orbit, a landscape where one casino goes down and another replaces it with amazing frequency.

So anyone who hasn't been back for a while may not even recognise some winners. But, of course, that gives Vegas fans an excuse for a return visit just to see what's going on. There's an abundance of new towers soaring above existing properties, even a Strip monorail. entire selection is taken very seriously, covers the entire state and picks no fewer than 100 favourite attractions. These range from golf courses and boating possibilities to best casinos, even camp grounds, restaurants and glitziest hotels, but also family oriented state-wide vacations.

First fact that greeted me when opening the results was Wayne Newton, again voted best entertainer. As I mentioned last time covering these awards, I've not seen Newton's act. But I did enjoy a glamorous private reception and dinner at the ranch where he raises thoroughbreds and he was certainly a most gracious, very personable, down-to-earth host.

You know, the kind of celebrity who actually looks you in the eye when chatting, not over your shoulder to see if someone more important is there . . . a person who seems so interested in your conversation that you begin to feel you're monopolising his time.

Because competition in all categories is so fierce, the state is divided in half, with Newton voted best in the south appearing at the Stardust and Gordie Brown northern winner. The singer-impressionist performs at Harrah's Reno.

You've heard it said an army travels on its stomach . . . so do vacationers and the Rio once again holds first place in the category its dominated since ratings began six years ago. Those who have never visited a Vegas buffet should really start here because the selection must be seen to be believed. Breakfast at its Carnival World Buffet costs $9.99, lunch $11.99, dinner $16.99, brunch Saturday and Sunday $16.99.

I've done lunch there and believe me, you won't be truly hungry for days. Take small portions, eat slow or you'll never be able to taste all the varied offerings. It's a taxi ride away from centre of things but worth the effort. Rio was also re-voted Las Vegas' best place to gamble.

Reno also came up with encore votes for Peppermill's Island Buffet and its casino as number one choices. Other winners in the gambling selection were the Carson Nugget in Carson City, Carson Valley Inn and Caesar's Tahoe. In rural Nevada, voters declared Jackpot's Cactus Petes "best place to wager".

time I write about Las Vegas, it brings up childhood memories of our first trips driving through there en route to California on incredible, unforgettable six-week vacations. Cars were not air-conditioned and Dad had purchased a coolerator which attached to the front passenger window. Water deposited into it brought some very temporary relief crossing parched desert.

A water bag was a necessity, so was a full tank of gas and parents' patience contending with two restless children in the back seat must certainly have qualified them for some sort of an award. "Shirley's sitting on my half of the backseat" . . . "Jim's making faces at me" . . . "How much farther?" . . . "Are we almost there?" . . . and so the chorus continued as miles rolled by. But it was truly fabulous!

Small wonder my great favourite, Uncle Arthur (who was magic with children and soiled us all), once stopped in the absolute middle of nowhere, at the end of his patience. He placed his miserably spoiled whining seven year old beside the road and the misbehaving son was back in the car before his father. After endless warnings to turn off the tantrums, he thought a few moments alone might change little Arthur's attitude. No luck . . . he grew up unfazed in full tantrum mode.

Each time we did this, there was an overnight at what was then the edge of the desert, with departure around 2 a.m. to beat the heat. All I can remember is neon glitter of a huge sign showing a horse-drawn stagecoach galloping at full speed in front of the Last Frontier, at that point not much more than a motel.

Dad would pause atop the hill out beyond town so we could look back at the glowing scene below. It looked pretty glittery to children . . . but compared to Las Vegas of today it was like comparing the light of a candle to the sun.

If you're a shopper (is there a Bermudian who isn't?) it should come as no surprise Las Vegas goes more than slightly overboard. Of course, there are the expected collection of designer outlet shops and malls, a large 24,000-square-foot antique centre and glitzy, overpriced casino shops hopeful of parting gamblers from any winnings.

What you may not expect is the Halloween experience which offers more than 5,000 items year round. Masks, costumes, props: www.halloweenmart.com

Cowtown Boots seems appropriate in this western setting, featuring both hand-made and brand names at discount prices. More of a surprise is Toe Rings and Foot Things on the Strip at the Boardwalk Casino which stocks 200 different types of fitted toe rings in diamond, gold and sterling silver, in addition to other jewellery.

There's also an expected collection of fantasy designer shops that can turn anyone into a lookalike showgirl, if that's their choice.

I've often admired fragile hand-blown glass perfume bottles made in Egypt. Although resisting the temptation to bring them home from Cairo and even a remote Sinai shop, both price and ease of hand-carrying them from a Luxor Casino gift shop was irresistible.

If you're intrigued by ancient Egypt culture, you might also want to check on suites at Luxor Hotel which goes to considerable effort to capture that mood. Their decor is special, very Egyptian.

If, like this traveller, you're not inclined to spend all your time surrounded by many thousands of other travellers and ready to seek out scenery combined with more solitude, some of the other "Best Of"

choices will be of special interest.

You're within easy day trip travel to a long list of headline attractions. Fly to the Grand Canyon (45 minutes by plane or helicopter) or a three-hour trip for as little as $88. I'd been pleased with my flight-seeing excursion with Scenic Airlines and it was easy to see why it was chosen as best sightseeing company.

There's the red sandstone beauty of Valley of Fire, and Hoover Dam 35 miles southeast regulates the flow of the mighty Colorado. Lake Mead offers 550 miles of shoreline and a one-and-a-half-million-acre recreational area. Death Valley, 145 miles west, is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere.

Mount Charleston, surrounded by National Forest, is only 36 miles from Las Vegas and popular with skiers, hikers and anyone seeking an alpine environment. It's normally 30 degrees cooler than the city in summer.

A bit further away are two of this traveller's personal favourites . . . Zion National Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with a wealth of attractions between. This is a great way to end your trip and unwind for a few days before heading home.

Meanwhile, back in town, there's still more best of the best. It's been widely publicised, Las Vegas is among the fastest growing US cities. Annual rate of population growth in Clark County where it's located is four per cent with around 5,000 residents moving there monthly. County population is projected to reach two million by 2012.

One of the incentives is no state income tax. But clouds on the horizon involve water shortages and expansion so rapid, services have trouble keeping pace with expansion. An average of 310 sunny days may be one incentive, but summer temperatures more than 100 degrees do sizzle.

the entertainment side, won praise as the state's best new show. Presented at the Greek Isles Hotel and Casino (formerly Debbie Reynolds' Hotel), it focuses on Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop and Dean Martin who made headlines here from late 1950s to early '60s.

Best Resort is always competitive, with Bellagio repeated as best in Vegas. With more than 3,000 rooms, supersize is an understatement. I attended a banquet there on my last visit and it was like running a marathon getting there from the lobby.

Peppermill, tops in Reno-Sparks, retained its title. Harrah's Lake Tahoe took it away from Caesar's Tahoe by one vote. Carson Valley Inn was a winner and Cactus Petes best in rural Nevada.

But not all awards are for indoor headliners. Golfers decided Revere Golf Club in Henderson, Red Hawk Golf Club in Wingfield Springs and Arnold Palmer-designed Dayton Valley Golf Club were all tops.

For boating it was Lake Mead, Lake Tahoe took camping honours and Mount Rose Ski Resort edged out Tahoe's Heavenly and Vegas' Mount Charleston.

When it came to festivals and special events, Reno's Hot August Nights, which celebrates music and cars from the Fifties and Sixties, took the prize, along with Vegas' December National Finals Rodeo and Virginia City's September Camel Races.

There's good reason for Nevada being called the Silver State. Reflections on that mining history put Tonopah's Historic Mining Park in first place as best rural museum, with Carson City's Nevada State Museum the northern winner. Liberace Museum has consistently won in Las Vegas for the past six years.

Celebrating an anniversary or honeymoon? Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas was rated the best place for a romantic evening, with Lake Tahoe northern choice. Interestingly, Eiffel Tower's Chef Joho is from a very small Alsatian village where we dine each summer and also made a great success of Chicago's highly rated Everest Restaurant.

Circus Circus Adventure Dome Theme Park was tops with its dozens of indoor rides as best place to take kids. Lake Tahoe was understandably first in the north, Virginia City greatest fun in rural Nevada.

We personally found the buffet at Reno's Eldorado worth attention and voters focused attention on that property, giving it their best saloon and best brew pub designation for The Brew Brothers. Virginia City's Bucket of Blood Saloon has become perennial winner there. That historic mining town also won "best historic place" in a landslide.

, published bi-monthly, is available by subscription and on newsstands and gift shops across Nevada. 1-800-495-3281; www. nevadamagazine.com. For further information on state of Nevada, www.travelnevada.com

is published every two weeks with nearly 200 pages covering all aspects of Las Vegas. Some call it that city's version of 1-800-494-2876; http://www.ilovevegas.com

4 Adventure travel