Lions and tigers and .... dolphins!

Las Vegas is not my scene. I don't own a velor track suit, or ride in a motorized scooter, or dance on poles. There is one place, though, where I definitely fit in: Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden. No, not because I like over-styled gay men with thick accents. I just like their animals!

As part of the conference I am attending, The Mirage offered us a behind-the-scenes after-hours tour of the Siegfried & Roy dolphin habitat and white tiger garden. While the boys' fascination with all things white is somewhat mysterious, the animals themselves are spectacular. The lions absolutely glowed bright white against the green sod and black night, glaring at us with disdain in their obvious superiority. You could literally see their white breath as they panted in the cool night air. The snow white tiger was standing on his two hind paws, scratching his chin on the uppermost branch of a tree. This was only 10-feet away from me, and the tiger stood at least that tall with his massive jaws and paws. I couldn't help but think of poor Roy's throat...

We were sitting poolside as the dolphins ran through their repertoire of tricks. Afterwards, they swam along the side of the tank and examined us with their sideways eye as we leaned over the edge to stare back. I could've reached out and touched any of them, except for the mama dolphin who kept her 6-month-old calf a safe distance away.

I finally found my niche in Vegas, even though the entertainment still isn't fully clothed.

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