Traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard in the middle of the strip doesn’t slow down at night.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Gargantuan. Glamorous. Glitzy. Gaudy. Gambling. And much, much more. That’s what you’ll find when you visit the fabulous whirlwind mecca known as Las Vegas. The city that never sleeps is a very fitting description for one of the fastest growing communities in the nation, with close to 40 million visitors showing up last year and more than $30 billion in new projects planned. Having a daughter who is a resident there, I’ve made the journey a dozen times or more. But I’m always amazed at the spectacle of the Strip. From the magnificence of Mandalay Bay at the south end to the tallest structure in Las Vegas, the Stratosphere, at the north end, it’s just one great entertainment resort after another. Presently, the City Center, the most expensive privately funded construction project in U.S. history, is about a year from completion. Valued at more than $11 billion, the 68-acre project sits between the Monte Carlo and Bellagio and is the work of MGM Mirage Corp. It will be a mini city within itself with a fire station, casinos, condos, theaters, parking garage, restaurants, convention center and more. Our stay this trip was at the Monte Carlo, right next to the City Center’s construction, which was not really a problem at all. The people of Las Vegas are used to the renovation and remodeling, and they handle the traffic quite well. Although this is a four-star resort and casino, the price was very reasonable, around $65 a day for the room.