Most Expensive Show: Bette Midler at Caesars Palace
The hottest ticket on the Strip is also the most expensive, anywhere from $110 to $265 for a date with the Divine Miss M beneath the dome built for Celine Dion (877-723-8836; bette.aeglive.com).

America's Largest Bronze Sculpture: The MGM Lion
The big pussycat guarding the front of the MGM Grand is 45 feet tall and weighs a whopping 50 tons. Made from 1,600 individual bronze plates, the statue was cast by the late Arizona sculptor Snell Johnson (877-880-0880).

Longest-Running Drag Show: "Queens of Las Vegas"
The sweet painted ladies--Cher, Bette Midler, and Madonna among them--take the stage at the Freezone nightclub every Friday and Saturday night for a drag show that's lasted ten years and counting (610 E. Naples St.; 702-794-2300; queensoflasvegas.com).

Biggest Slot Jackpot: $39.7 million
A 25-year-old software engineer from Southern California fed three dollars into a slot machine at the Excalibur hotel casino in March 2003 and walked away with the largest jackpot in Vegas history (877-750-5464).

LOCAL SINNER: Wayne Newton
You can't talk about Las Vegas icons without talking about Wayne Newton, a man who's done more for the bouffant, rococo furniture, and, of course, his beloved Vegas than perhaps anyone else. We asked Newton to tell us what he considers the prides of his hometown

They don't call him "Mr. Las Vegas" for nothing—ever since the 1950s, when he first hit The Strip as a baby-faced teenage crooner, Wayne Newton has logged more than 30,000 shows (top that, Celine!) including marathon runs at the Stardust and Aladdin. He's always been bullish on Vegas, and one of its staunchest advocates. And the city returned the love by naming one of its busiest thoroughfares after the man who gave the world "Danke Shoen."

When not relaxing at Casa de Shenandoah, his 52-acre ranch on the urban outskirts, Newton is out and about with his wife and family. His favorite restaurant is Piero's, an old-time Italian eatery just off Paradise Road near the Las Vegas Country Club (325 Hughes Ctr., 702-892-9955). "It is the last of the original Vegas restaurants," says Newton. "The food and service do not get any better." And neither does the list of lounge lizards who have dined there over the years—Jerry Lewis, Dana Carvey and Keith Richards amongst them.

Newton's favorite watering hole is the Foundation Room at the top of the Mandalay Bay, a posh private club that blends Gothic décor and Asian artifacts with vertigo-inducing views from its perch on the 43rd floor (3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; 702-492-3960). Picking the best spot for tunes, however, isn't as easy. "There are so many good places," he reflects. "But if I had to name one, I would say The Palms for the diversity." And as for his favorite show? "I think I have to recuse myself from answering this question due to the lack of objectivity on my part."

Fair enough. But he has no qualms about recommending the best way to while away a lazy summer day. "My favorite place to play is on Lake Mead on our yacht," says Newton, speaking for his whole clan. The Valley of Fire State Park with its spectacular red-rock formations is another Newton favorite. On winter weekends, he takes the family up to Mt Charleston, a small ski resort about 35 miles north of The Strip (800-955-1314; mtcharlestonlodge.com). Nearly 12,000 feet high, the peak also provides one stunning view of the town that Newton helped build.