Rob Kachelriess

When it comes to road trips, there's really only one way to travel between Las Vegas and Los Angeles -- by channeling your inner-Hunter S. Thompson and taking a drive through the desert on Interstate 15. The journey is at least three hours and more than 200 miles, but it's far from boring.

A new era of fine dining and celebrity chefs is turning restaurants into attractions alongside slot machines and poker tables. Nearly 40 of them were in the spotlight Saturday at the Las Vegas stop of the USA TODAY Wine & Food Experience.

Why roll the dice? From restaurants to pools, these nine Reno resorts prove casino culture is about more than slots and table games.

Mike Tyson hasn't had a professional fight since 2005, but the strength in his handshake suggests the former boxing champ still packs plenty of power in his fists.

It's been a good decade for superheroes, from The Dark Knight, which just turned 10 years old, to last month's Ant Man and the Wasp. But while Warner Bros. and the Walt Disney Company are raking in the box-office billions, a school in Las Vegas is in the business of grooming a generation of real-life superheroes.

Two cities known for their casino culture couldn't be more different. With a high-stakes poker tournament as the backdrop, Monte Carlo reveals how its gambling scene compares to Las Vegas.

From flying between two hotel towers on the VooDoo Zipline to browsing the Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally's, it’s easy to pack plenty of action into just three days in Las Vegas. Of course, you’re going to need all the energy you can muster to tackle the city, and the key is staying well fed throughout it all.

Here's the craziest thing about Laughlin, Nevada: It didn't even exist 55 years ago.

Dr. Scott Martin hasn’t written a prescription in more than a year. He says that makes him an anomaly among the roughly 60 pain doctors in Las Vegas.

"Before there was Coachella, there were raves," says Pasquale Rotella, the founder of the Electric Daisy Carnival. And no matter how big the event becomes, he says, it will always be rooted in rave culture. "It's the largest dance music festival in the world -- definitely in North America," says Rotella.

You could go to Las Vegas, stay in a fabulous suite, and never leave the resort. But an equally enjoyable and appropriate move for a Vegas vacation is to head outdoors and take advantage of the incredible scenery that surrounds the city.

Everything changes in Las Vegas when the sun goes down. As the glow of casino marquees illuminates the skyline, voices get louder, dresses get tighter and inhibitions begin to fade.

Las Vegas has the most overlooked and underrated Chinatown in the country. Learn about the restaurants proving to be quiet, compelling alternatives to the flash and gloss of the Strip.

With a distinctive logo and marketing campaign, Absolut has a unique identity that sets itself apart from the competition. What most people don’t know is how much attention to detail goes into every bottle, especially with Absolut Elyx—a luxury brand with an artisanal foundation.

There’s a rock n’ roll comeback on the Las Vegas Strip. This Saturday, Queen + Adam Lambert will kick off a series of 10 dates throughout September at the Park Theater. “We’ve never ever done this in our illustrious and long career,” says guitarist Brian May. “We’ve never done a residency. So this is kind of exciting for us.”