Most readers of www.travel55plus.com can remember back less than 35 years ago when the only full-service casinos in the U.S. were in Nevada, primarily in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno. In the 1970s, Atlantic City became a casino city, and others soon started popping up. Then, after some legal maneuvering and schmoozing of politicians, the era of the Indian casinos started.

From just a few crude roadside gambling joints in the 1980s, there are now more than 400 state-of-the-art casinos located on Native American lands throughout the U.S.  It’s no exaggeration to say there’s at least one Indian casino within two hours’ drive of every American home. In our Arizona city, there are four casinos, all within a 30-minute drive from our house.

To many visitors, Sin City is the last place on earth to find heavenly guidance. However, by last count, Las Vegas and surrounding communities include the following houses of worship: 19 Baptist, 10 Lutheran, 10 Methodist, 9 Synagogues, 3 Episcopalian,, 3 Islamic, 2 Seventh Day Adventist, 2 Latter Day Saints, 2 Foursquare and a Church of Scientology.

If you’re in town with one of your more freaky relatives, you could recommend a visit to the Las Vegas Pagan Information Exchange. For more information on churches and their services, check with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce (www.lvchamber.com) or at your local church branch.

Anyone who has been to Los Angeles recently knows the local economy is hurting. Because of the national financial problems, people are cutting back on vacation destinations this year. The combination of too many vacancies, home foreclosures and rising unemployment there could become a concern for visitors.

Although Los Angeles hotels have some of the best security in the world, personal protection should be a concern for all visitors, particularly those who are seniors. Of course, these tips apply to any part of the world you may plan to visit. We recently found this information in our Los Angeles hotel room, and thought we’d pass it on to our www.travel55plus.com readers. We’ve also added a few hints.

Red eye is the slang term used for flights that are scheduled between about 10 pm and 4 am. Check internet airline deals and with your online and neighborhood travel agency. You’ll find red eye flights average at least 20 percent cheaper than flying during regular business hours.

Other big advantages include: roads to the airport are much less crowded, and once you’re in the waiting room, you’ll be happily surprised that you’re almost alone. No bawling babies, yakking cell phone freaks or wall-to-wall mobs there and in crowded toilets.

Here are some suggestions for making red eye flights more comfortable, as well as easier on your wallet: