Thanks to Allegiant Air, the Sin City now is a weekend destination for us in the Ozarks.
And I was one of those who boarded the airline's inaugural flight on April 21 to explore Las Vegas.

There were some perks on the company's first nonstop flight out of Springfield.

Free champagne was offered, T-shirts given away and drawings held for freebies, including several round-trip tickets.

I didn't win anything, but who was not a winner when the round-trip fare cost as low as $128?

For that price, however, passengers have to give up free snacks and drinks.

I couldn't care less about losing my share of salted peanuts and pretzels, but I felt the airliner went too far when it charged for water.

That was a bit cruel, I thought, especially when the flight would last about three hours each way.

But Allegiant had some niceties I didn't expect.

The 36-row McDonnell Douglas jet was comfortable with leather seats with contoured headrests.

That means you wouldn't embarrassingly find your head on a stranger's shoulder when you are dozing off, which is not unlikely after three nights in Las Vegas.

And I did doze off on the way back, after three fun days in the Sin City.

There, gambling is only one of many things you can do, and there are plenty of penny and nickel machines for people who don't want to lose big but faintly hope to win big one day.

In Vegas, you can shop.

It has the only M&M specialty shop in the world, where you can stock up on the candies in a variety of colors.

It has shopping malls within casinos, such as Caesars Palace and the Venetian.

In Vegas, you can go to shows.

I went to see Rick Thomas' magic show. At $25, the price was reasonable and the performance was stunning.

The magician turned a white handkerchief into a dove, made a woman disappear in midair and seemingly cut a girl in half before putting her back into one piece.

In Vegas, you can dine.

I sampled a delicious, crispy omelet with mussels at Lotus of Siam. I tasted the most decadent desserts at Le Notre in Paris. And how about a lobster and steak dinner for less than $10?

Finally, in Vegas, you can exercise.

I mean, you would be burning so many calories by walking up and down the Strip that any big meal would be justified.