| Every city in America has a main street. Many | | | | animation and video. One second it may be a TV |
| European cities do, too, but as many of them are | | | | broadcast, the next an indefinable kaleidoscope |
| round it's sometimes hard to tell which it is. But | | | | that pops your pupils. Among the better known |
| that's not a problem in Las Vegas. Fremont | | | | signs is Glitter Gulch's Vegas Vickie, exemplifying |
| Street is it. Of course, those who walk The Strip | | | | everything that is Las Vegas. Kitsch, fun, carefree |
| will argue. But visit Fremont Street and you'll be | | | | and silly. Videos are projected onto the canopy, |
| convinced. New York has Times Square at | | | | too. Some last several minutes and run the gamut |
| Broadway where the neon lights astound visitors. | | | | from 'The Drop', a psychedelic 'happening' ala the |
| Paris is appropriately nicknamed the City of Lights. | | | | '60s, to 'Area 51', showing earthlings in battle with |
| But Las Vegas is unique. Nowhere outside Asia | | | | aliens. 'Above and Beyond' gives visitors a view of |
| can you find such a dazzling array of sights and | | | | the Earth from outerspace, while 'Fahrenheit at |
| sounds, with crowds to match. Housed under a | | | | Night' displays some of what Vegas is best known |
| permanent canopy, the casino-lined street has | | | | for: beautiful women. There are dozens of shops, |
| over two million lights and a state-of-the-art | | | | everything from small indoor venues to free |
| sound system. The combined effect is, well, | | | | standing kiosks. Many of the offerings are just |
| electric. Under the $70 million canopy walk a million | | | | what you'd expect - little trinkets that will break |
| visitors a year, if 'walk' is the proper term. On | | | | the first time your child goes to play with it. But |
| many nights, it's more like being the ball in a pinball | | | | there is the odd interesting item here and there. |
| game. Not that it's overcrowded, it's just that you | | | | If nothing else you can grab a doughnut at Krispy |
| spend so much time trying to take in all the | | | | Kreme and enjoy the sights from the outdoor |
| sights, you have to bump shoulders fairly | | | | patio. The canopy is 1,400 feet (about 1/4 of a |
| frequently. Ninety feet above your head there are | | | | mile), so you'll have plenty of opportunity to miss |
| 12.5 million synchronized LED lights producing | | | | something interesting. Better plan to go twice, at |
| millions of color combinations, accompanied by | | | | least once when you're sober. |