Las Vegas-bound travellers are in for more than the usual dose of surprises that city always has to offer. Its usual glitter and glamour continue to bubble over, not unlike the champagne so liberally poured in its increasingly posh restaurants.

But there is so much on its current drawing boards, one can barely absorb one dramatic new announcement before another 'can-you-top-this?' one appears.

Changes occur here so fast and furious it's almost dizzying. Nearly all the hotels of note during the Rat Pack era have succumbed to the wrecking ball. Replacing them are conversation-stopping, upscale luxury properties, one more dramatic than the next.

Hard to imagine, but the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority recently reported $30 billion in construction under way, give or take a few billion.

Someone in the know reported land on the strip going for $35 million an acre. That's up a few million from this time last year.

Coming next year is a 400-room Mandarin Oriental Hotel while Echelon, a $5-billion development, is set for a 2010 opening featuring a complex of hotels including a five-star Shangrila.

A destination dedicated to reinventing itself, change in Las Vegas is perpetual. The concept of a faux foreign destination is being replaced by the concept of ultra luxury, as the area targets a much higher income market than previously.

Even the Luxor, whose Egyptian decor made this traveller feel I was back across the Nile from the Valley of the Kings, is changing. The pyramid exterior will remain, but the inside will totally disappear and those cartouches and hieroglyphics will be history.

A $300-million project to recreate it from ancient Egypt will be phased in. Pity . . . its suites were very special, with every detail reminiscent of a trip to Egypt.

The popular Venetian glistens even more after a $100-million renovation, and Treasure Island reinvented itself at a cost of hundreds of millions.

MGM Mirage is creating a $7-billion City Centre covering 76 acres. It will include a 4,000 room and a 60-storey city centre resort tower with 165,000-square-foot casino.

Dubai World invested $5 billion in this project last August. It's the government-owned investment portion of that Persian Gulf country.

Yes, the skyline is definitely changing rapidly and in some areas will temporarily resemble a major construction site.

How has the slowing economy affected travel there? A Wall Street Journal article in mid-March had some surprising revelations . . . ones that will not be welcomed by all those developers.

For starters, occupancy remains high, but to make sure it stays that way, casinos are offering special discounted packages this spring and promotional campaigns intended to boost slower summer months are under way.

Some include food and beverage credits, two-for-one spa treatments, even credits for free slot machine play. So your vacation escape there may carry a lower price tag.

It used to be felt "the gambling industry is somewhat immune to larger economic forces. But that was back in an era when Las Vegas depended almost totally on gaming. That's now changed, with emphasis shifting to hotels, spas, restaurants, retail and other tourist pursuits. These are all much more susceptible and vulnerable.

And as the article pointed out, visitors there used to buy splurge items they would consider much too extravagant at home. That, too, is changing during this economic slowdown.

The Convention Authority posted occupancy rates at 84.9 per cent, but gambling along the strip dropped just over three per cent, taking some casino share prices with it. The decline had been repeated for the second month in a row.

Casino analysts at a number of international banks admitted: "Las Vegas is feeling the impact of a difficult economic environment."

While convention travellers are still coming, they're shortening stays and on stringent budgets.

But savvy travellers know that's often the best time to visit a place, when bargains are available and the tourist is more treasured.

Few places in the US have seen building booms like those in Las Vegas and Reno. We were stunned last autumn at the extent to which Reno had expanded with new subdivisions stretching for mile after mile.

Many of the homes there were purchased with absolutely no money down by people who couldn't afford them and now can't meet monthly payments. Mortgage terms are now being looked at by the FBI in some circumstances. Those interested in that area for a possible second residence might want to look at sale prices now very deeply discounted. In mid-April, Nevada, along with California and Florida, were listed as the three states with the highest foreclosure rate in all of the United States.

But be warned . . . it's been found that many such foreclosed homes have been stripped, damaged, left in dreadful condition, cement even poured in WCs and often sometimes occupied by squatters. Owners simply walked away, holding no equity in the property.

It's become a nightmare in such areas, with banks and mortgage companies now owning property they're anxious to sell. So as a consequence, it's become a buyers' market. And there are some bargains, but don't consider buying sight unseen.

Proceed with caution. It's truly a case of caveat emptor . . . buyer beware. So-called Sin City likes to proclaim its mantra: "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Unfortunately, there are now a lot of residents who won't be staying because their home has been foreclosed.

We'll be going through Reno on our way to Lake Tahoe again later this year and we'll be telling you about some of Nevada's natural wonders that would put it on the map as a prime vacation destination, even if there wasn't such a place as Las Vegas.

There's also another totally different side to the coin which bears little relationship to life in the fast lane . . . gorgeous mountain and desert scenery, the spectacular beauty of Great Basin National Park, and a well-preserved historic mining history.

Carson City and Virginia City are very worthy destinations, Nevada's Northern Railway Museum lures train buffs from around the world and lazing along Lake Mead in a rented houseboat is a very different kind of waterborne adventure.

Did you know there was a time when celluloid celebrities sought out the solitude of Nevada's ranches? It wasn't solely to enjoy the relaxation of riding and chuckwagon dinners, but to establish the residency requirements of divorce.

Many of those get-away-from-the-world sites remain. And in some cases, casino resorts are also actually moving further out into the country for those who like to wake up surrounded by scenery.

Your travel agent will be able to tell you about them. One is Loews Lake Las Vegas. It labels itself "An Oasis of Calm" built in a planned desert resort on a 300-acre man-made lake.

Only 17 miles (about a 30-minute drive) from the Las Vegas Strip, it has a Moroccan theme. Originally a Hyatt, it became a Loews with 50 suites and nearly 500 rooms.

If you're ready for a splurge, ask about the Casbah Suites in separate units complete with fireplace, terrace, patio, kitchen and barbecue. Yes, it gets cold enough in the desert at night that a fireplace can be very cosy.

It's rated "family friendly", with a special Kids Club. Originally built in 1999, its rooms have been recently renovated.