Calling Kershaw-Ryan State Park an oasis is an understatement. The small gorge, just south of Caliente, is green from canyon wall to canyon wall.

My favorite repairs were at showrooms. The upper-level bar at Zumanity, for example, had an open view of the show, so after I fixed whatever was broken — usually something as simple as replacing an empty bag-in-the-box the bar back forgot to change — I would hang out at the bar to, you know, “make sure the machine didn’t break again,” and catch the rest of the performance.

How my limp attempt at penning the next hot erotica franchise reminded me what writing is really about.“What are you doing here?” Marlena followed him to the kitchen, not at all paying attention to his well-sculpted shoulders or the identical tattoos of a marine compass on each shoulder blade.

Filmmaker Ted Faye’s “Weird Tales” remind us that Death Valley is, well, yeah, pretty weirdThe uninitiated call Death Valley many things. Bleak.

Jesse HighleyActor, singer, clownJesse Highley is an actor in “Tony n' Tina's Wedding,” currently playing at Bally's Las Vegas, a singer aboard Holland America Line's cruise ships and a professional clown who once toured with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Want to get high? (On sugar.)Sink your sweet tooth into these liquid treatsFor a tougher side of sweet, the five-skulled Fink Bomb at Frankie’s Tiki Room (1712 W.

Behind every cocktail, there’s an arsenal of gadgets and garnishes. Here’s a primer on a fewGadgetsJigger {1}Ensures perfectly measured cocktail ingredients: Yay! Also prevents overpouring: Boo!MuddlerFrom palm-sized to billy club.

The mentor: Chris HopkinsProperty mixologist at The CosmopolitanBack story: Hopkins’ mixology skills have taken him from Australia to London to San Francisco until he settled at The Cosmopolitan when it opened in 2010. He worked as the general manager of Vesper, the resort’s lobby bar, before being promoted to his current position.

Amid rising travel costs, one unsung airline offers a surprising array of quick, affordable trips from Las Vegas to — well, where do you want to go?October is the single best time of year for hitting the highway in the United States, and Las Vegas is a world-class road trip hub. Not only can road warriors drive to a wide array of great destinations, they can multiply their possibilities almost endlessly by catching a flight on Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air.