Crazy things happen in Vegas.

In 72 hours, you can:

Gamble your life savings
Get hitched by a fake Elvis
Eat copious amounts of maki, pasta salad, prime rib and ice cream–all in the same buffet
Buy a condo on the Strip with your winnings and turn it into a Las Vegas vacation rental
Party with Mike Tyson, only to find his tiger in your bathroom

(Oh wait, that was a movie.)

Well, there’s another side of Sin City that singletons oft forget: the shopping. Yes, folks, there is life outside the casinos. From The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace to the Fashion Show (which hosts regular catwalk events), consumers can snag the best of the best in couture handbags, glitzy clubwear and casual and work gear from mainstream brands like The Limited, Kenneth Cole and Gap. And if you’re a bargain hunter, even better.

Several outlets are stationed in Vegas, including the Las Vegas Premium Outlets, the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Outlet Center, which are more extensive than most disounters of their ilk. How many times have you been to an outlet emporium whose pride and joy seems to be the Nautica store? In Vegas, you’ll at least find fashions that belong to this decade–Ed Hardy and True Religion to name a few.

So in this season of spending, skip the blackjack table in favor of retail therapy. You’ll for sure be able to come home with goodies. The same won’t necessarily be said after a pull at the slot machines.

As far as glamorous abodes go, Miami Beach vacation rentals don’t have the monopoly on Florida style.

That sleek sexiness you would expect to see in a Collins Avenue condominium exists here, an exotic city loft with dramatic lines, high ceilings, shimmery wood floors and Indonesian-inspired furnishings. A stunning loft channels a cabana with its loosely hanging white curtains, hammered lanterns and wicker lounge chairs. It almost feels like a terrace in a clandestine club–your own private hideaway.

The owner of this property boasts a few other Delray Beach vacation rentals, including another space that may have you thinking you’re in Hawaii rather than the Atlantic Coast. (Scroll to Polynesian retreat at the bottom of the listing pictured.) Like its sister property, the vacation home relies on dark wood and art to create mystique, and adds yet one more element: a garden that–quite simply–kicks ass.

One stroll to the pergola or seat by the waterfalls, you’ll feel like Mr. Miyagi is about to appear at any moment.

Don’t hurt yourself practicing the crane.

Poor Nevada.

According to RealtyTrac’s latest foreclosure report, one in 23 households received a foreclosure filing, making it the highest state for mortgage defaults in the U.S. About 13 percent of the population are unemployed. It’s the kind of news that makes you wonder if in desperation, folks went to Las Vegas casinos in a last-ditch effort to win this month’s payment at the tables.

Lady Luck, you’re a glitzy gal in that feather headdress and sequin costume, but underneath, you can be awfully cruel.

Just curious: What kind of traffic have you Las Vegas vacation home owners had in the rental market? While residents are fleeing Sin City, surely tourists are still coming, right? You tell me @checkincheckout.

Yet one more reason not to stay in a hotel: In New Orleans, you could be snuggling with a ghost.

Muhaha.

Hotel Provincial, a former Confederate hospital, took the No. 1 spot on the list of Top 10 Most Haunted Hotels in the U.S., according to Haunted America Tours. Building No. 5 is said to be the creepiest, with former soldiers dressed in full uniform and scaring the bejesus out of guests.

Indeed, New Orleans, known for Mardi Gras, beignets, po’boys, the Neville Brothers and wallflowers flashing themselves into sex kittens, also has a rep for its ghostly visitors.

During this spooky time of year, N’awlins needs to do very little other than be itself to create the Halloween spirit. The plantation-style homes–fitted with ornate candelabras and wrought-iron fences–plus lantern-lit streets and lonesome courtyards conjure the feeling of lost souls. It’s the kind of place where you wouldn’t be surprised if you discovered a cloudy silhouette invading your snapshots from vacation.

And while the idea of haunted tours doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal getaway, the Big Easy seduces with so much more: amazing restaurants and an unabashed appetite for sin and song.

Book your New Orleans vacation rental now for the week of Oct. 24, when the Crescent City will host a Halloween Parade in Mardi Gras fashion. Expect krewes sailing down the streets of the French Quarter on floats, and crazy costumes like Jon and Kate Gosselin.

Don’t be scared, kiddies. They’re just costumes.

It’s been awhile since a boat beauty has cruised into the blog, but when it does, it’s like that perfect crest of surf approaching the shore. It makes me giddy.

This San Diego vacation rental, one of several California vacation homes on our site, happens to be a yacht. What perfect way to end the summer than on a boat?

The Ohani Pacific docks at the picturesque Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, where bachelors and bachelorettes can descend with their entourages on a Brut-fuel night of dancing and taking snapshots by
starboard. (Check out picture seven in the listing gallery for laughs. Now that’s the group I’d like to be doing Blueberry Bombs with.)

For chiller nights, owners will arrange a San Diego Bay cruise from  two hours to a half day tour of up to six hours. If that two-carat cushion cut Tacori is up your sleeve, then maybe this is the place to propose. Cue music. Cue sunset.

And here’s one more surprise: Yacht guests will have access to hotel amenities like the pool, fitness center, hot tub and tennis courts. When it’s time to retire for the night, though, you’ll hit the curved beds in one of two state rooms. How cool is that? Pretty darn cool.

I know I just went on vacation, but is it greedy to already be thinking about next summer’s lake house?

Friends who just booked their Michigan vacation rental say no. They found a lovely lake house with a private beach for their whole family–13 total–for the first week of August. But, and this is a big but, they said they were late in the game. They almost did get it. The owner said that all the best, biggest lakefront properties book a year in advance and suggested that we do the same.

Really?

Wondering if any of you regular renters out there follow the early bird rule of thumb or if it’s possible to wait until next spring.

Talk to me.

It doesn’t surprise me one bit that this week the terms “Chicago vacation rentals” came up high in search results. The city pumped its collective fist since the mercury broke 80 degrees, which wasn’t that long ago. We have a lot of partying to catch up on.

Earlier this month, I saw folks in outerwear. (Trench coats and the like, but it was too chilly to bust out the sundresses.)

But the weather heated up just in time for Grant Park–home to that other ginormous celebration in August, Lollapalooza–to host the Taste of Chicago (June 26-July 5), an annual buffet of the city’s best eats, from giant turkey legs to Eli’s Cheesecake.

Tourists will be struck by how clean Chi-Town is, how friendly its people are and how good it feels here in the summertime. Chicago in June is like that first beer you crack open at a ballgame or the first time you fire up that grill. You can’t be help but smile. After surviving subzero temps, we “earn” the chance to lay out at Oak Street Beach, drink alfresco at numerous neighborhood festivals, have mimosas on the patio of the Kerryman and ride our bikes down to Promontory Point. We suggest you out-of-towners do, too, and quick.

Who knows how long these balmy days will last?

So hurry up and find your vacation home already.

What are you doing the week of Aug. 23-31? I don’t know either. But if I had $2,400 and 11 friends, relatives or nice neighbors, I’d take a trip to the Texas dream house above.

Galveston vacation rentals are behemoth homes equipped for the largest of broods. Multiple bedrooms, living areas, game rooms, several pull-out sofas, decks on several levels and roomy carports are commonplace to keep the peace, guests spread out and with access to the stunning sunsets along the Gulf Coast.

And while Galveston may be a popular cruise port, I like the idea of being docked in a spacious vacation home over cramped cruiseline quarters any day. What if you fell out with your neighbors? At least you can escape. As big as they are, ships can be confining.

While in Galveston, there’s lots to share with your family, from The Strand downtown to fishing to Schlitterbahn Water Park to Restaurant Row. Visit the Texas Seaport Museum, where you’ll ooh and aah at the 1877 tall ship Elissa and other historic ships.

The boats will make you marvel at the picturesque, waterfront setting, but I’ll bet at the end of the adventure you’ll be happy to be on dry land with thoughts of grilling steak and shrimp on the deck of your vacation home never far behind.

And if you’re really a boat lover, you’ll bring your own down to Galveston. There’s a private boat dock and fish cleaning station at your back door.

Sa-weet.

So I’m back from vacay four shades darker, my wallet a little emptier, my body a lot lighter from the 100 degree temps, but boy, I can’t wait to get back.

A week in Tampa Bay, Fort Myers Beach and Madeira Beach did the soul good. While I had the accommodation hookup with friends and relatives, next year we’re talking about renting a Fort Myers Beach vacation rental just to stay in one place. You know how it is. When people know you’re in town, the brewskies never stop flowing and the gas grill sizzles a lot of burgers. Couple that with a wedding, a kid’s birthday and Father’s Day and it was non-stop action.

I need a vacation from my vacation.

Among the highlights in Fort Myers Beach:

Pina coladas at my friend’s wedding reception.
Scallop scampi and grilled grouper sandwiches at the Yucatan.
Shopping for a tankini at San Carlos Boulevard.
Having the sense not to arrive early to join friends at SOB.

Four words: Double shots of Patron.

No thank you. I’m proud of my wimp status.

Note to Caribbean vacation home owners: When posting your property, go heavy on the blue.

Even if you’ve never actually been, the first image that comes to mind is those sparkling, tempting waters. Reinforcing that idea is never a bad thing.

And now, the dream could be closer to reality as occupancy rates have plummeted dramatically on some islands, where tourism has fallen by the double digits, reported Tribune Media Services.

I don’t know about you, but I’d always kept the Caribbean in the column of “wouldn’t-it-be-nice-to-visit-if-i-had-the-money” destinations, a place for honeymooners and wealthy families who did super fancy things like yachting, snorkeling and scuba diving. Of course, I’m just a kid from the suburbs of Virginia Beach. My idea of vacay is crabbing off Chick’s Beach.

This is certainly great news and fuels my fire to find the perfect Virgin Islands vacation rental for me and my family.

We just have to get through the Florida vacation first.