I almost titled this travelogue "In defense of the baby bachelor party," as my official excuse for last weekend's mini-vacation was to send my college friend, Paul, into fatherhood with a bang.

But, since a weekend getaway with old friends hardly needs an official excuse (we also "dragged" along James from Phoenix), I picked a headline that more accurately represents a Las Vegas that is more real than ever. Getting to Sin City, staying there and having some fun is cheaper than it's been in years.

So reasonable, in fact, that you can afford to splurge a little when you get there -- and that's just what we did.

My flight from Milwaukee cost a modest $220, but had I pulled the trigger a few days earlier, I was looking at $169. We stayed at the Flamingo, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S. -- nothing special other than its ideal center-strip location. Our room cost a ridiculously low $40 per night, and that's insane for a 3.5-star hotel. At the last minute, Paul upgraded to a larger $80 room, which for three guys, was probably a wise move.

In fact, had we felt like pretending to be high rollers, Priceline.com offered us a five-star hotel, probably Bellagio or The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, for $106. Las Vegas is basically giving away its rooms right now.

And it's obvious the economy is having an effect on the city. I've lost count, but I've visited Las Vegas a handful of times over the years, and traffic was noticeably down. The casinos had more open tables, and walking the strip wasn't nearly as crowded as usual. Club and restaurant managers told us they had closed their additional rooms on weekdays, and the lines weren't as long for some of the city's more famous buffets.

But as a tourist, this turned out to be a good thing. The city felt more spacious and less rushed. It was hardly dead, mind you -- Vegas is still rocking 24/7. It's just a little different right now, and overall, a little less overwhelming.

Having already seen all the major attractions in town, we took the opportunity on this trip to venture off the beaten path a little. Full disclosure: not all of our adventures are fit to print in this "family-friendly" magazine (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas), but by and large, we explored the city a little more than usual.

And, perhaps more advantageously, we can now recommend a "splurge" restaurant and club that is suddenly more affordable, considering the bargain prices to get to Las Vegas in the first place.

I'm still a fan of the scene at the Hard Rock Casino and at the new Planet Hollywood (which is a huge upgrade from Aladdin), but this year we mixed in the shady and low-key Ellis Island, 4178 Koval Lane, known for its low table minimums, cheap beer specials and karaoke.

We spent a few hours at the awesome Peppermill Fireside Lounge, 2985 Las Vegas Blvd S., which is a lot like Bryant's or At Random in Milwaukee. We also went Downtown to what we expected to be a wonderfully retro, former Sinatra hangout called Atomic Liquor Store, 917 Fremont St. Unfortunately, the only way that Sinatra's friends would hang out at Atomic now is if they were homeless.

Still, for the amazing brunch buffet at Le Village at Paris, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd S., the tasty and affordable lunch at Grand Lux Café in the Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. -- I'm glad we took some time to wander around and gamble on Downtown's Fremont Street, too.

The culinary highlight of the weekend came from STACK inside the Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd S. After a cocktail at the Abbey Road Bar in the The Beatles Revolution Lounge, we walked over to the stunning restaurant, which looks as if it was cut straight from a desert canyon. Sleek and sophisticated, but surprisingly approachable, we settled in for a memorable dinner.

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