From what we hear, Las Vegas has a new animal attraction on the horizon, the Exotic Animal Encounter.

The folks behind the Cloud Nine sightseeing balloon rides expect to add an animal park to their take-off site at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. Find out more.

We have no idea if goats are considered "exotic," but it was the only photo we could find on short notice.

No, we don’t get a piece of this action, we just have to share it. These T-shirts are inspired by “The Hangover,” of course, one of the best advertisements for Las Vegas and Caesars Palace in the history of movies, ever.

Just because it's wrong doesn't mean it's not funny.

Oh, and we understand you get get 10% off if you use the promo code “HANGOV.” Buy one, if you must, but we don’t have to condone it.

That’s right, we said it, “frenzy.” Here’s all the Vegas news that’s fit to print. And some that isn’t.

• Penn, of Penn & Teller talks about turning 55. You can see Penn & Teller live at Rio Las Vegas.

• Zach Galifianakis (say that five times fast), burly star of “Hangover,” will get the “Comedy Star of the Year” award at ShoWest in Las Vegas. ShoWest happens at Bally’s and Paris, Mar. 15-18. Find out more.

Bonus trivia: Key sequences of "The Hangover" were shot at Caesars Palace.

• Las Vegas’ Buca di Beppo restaurant is serving up free spaghetti on Mar. 15. The address is 7690 West Lake Mead Boulevard, Las Vegas.

• Turns out that Vegas hotel rooms are the nation’s most affordable. And you’re waiting for what to book one?

• ”Pawn Stars,” set in Las Vegas, has become a huge hit on the History Channel. Read more.

• Here’s a fine article about the third anniversary of “X Burlesque” at Flamingo Las Vegas.

They go through a lot of mops at "X Burlesque."

• No, your vision isn’t going. Las Vegas Strip casinos are set to go dark for Earth Hour, Mar. 27. The Strip will go dark at 8:30 p.m. Las Vegas time.

• What’s new with the Pussycat Dolls? Here’s what.

• More than 70% of Vegas hotels have Twitter accounts. Here’s a handy list.

• Two Pulse of Vegas (Harrah’s Entertainment) resorts have received recognition for their waste-cutting efforts, Bally’s and Paris. Good going! Read more.

• PBR Rock Bar is slated to move into the space previously occupied by Hawaiian Tropic Zone in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Learn more.

We refuse to use the term “mancation” in this blog post, even though we’re tempted.

Not going to do it. No way. Granted, we’ve already used it once, but that’s it.

Nope. Not going to happen.

Oh, all right, already!

Las Vegas has been named the top “mancation” destination (getaways involving, you know, groups of guys) by TripAdvisor. See the full list.

TripAdvisor says, “When it comes to breaking away for a journey filled with world class gambling, food and nightlife, nothing beats Vegas. Gents can also satisfy their need for speed at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway northeast of the city, before hitting the town for a flashy evening on the Strip. According to one TripAdvisor traveler, all this makes for ‘the quintessential guys Vegas weekend!’”

We can admit it. We’ve got a little man-crush on TripAdvisor right about now.

Of course, when it comes to planning group getaways, Total Experiences is the best way to go. With this exclusive service, you get personalized, VIP treatment without all the headaches. (Other than the ones you might get from over-indulging in Vegas, that is.)

Tons of details for your next Vegas visit? Have "your people" do it. Total Experiences, baby!

Perhaps best of all, the Total Experiences service is free when you book five or more rooms at one of our Pulse of Vegas hotels. Find out more about Total Experiences.

Stars don’t come much more iconic than Dan Aykroyd. From his days on “Saturday Night Live,” to the “Ghostbusters” movies and his legendary portrayal of Elwood of the Blues Brothers (with John Belushi), Aykroyd has been a crowd-pleaser for more than three decades. Well, he did it again on Mar. 9 in Las Vegas!

Aykroyd gives scores of fans a bigtime-celebrity-moment in Vegas.

Aykroyd made a public appearance at an Albertson’s grocery store in Summerlin, a master-planned community west of the Strip, to promote his vodka, Crystal Head.

The vodka is packaged in a replica of one of 13 crystal skulls legend claims have been discovered around the world, supposedly confounding the scientific community. (Not really, but it’s a fun story.)

This is not the prop table for that Indiana Jones movie, promise.

Giddy fans in Vegas got autographs and the chance to rub elbows with the man Eric Idle once said was the only “Saturday Night Live” alum with the talent to have been a member of Monty Python.

In Vegas, it's required that celebrities be flanked, at all times, by attractive women. It's the law.

Taking a look at the official site for Crystal Head vodka, one can’t help but be entertained by the whimsical mythology behind Aykroyd’s vodka. He describes it as “triple Herkimer diamond-filtered Newfoundland deep aquafer pure spirit vodka.” To which we say, “Whuh?”

While the hooch in question is, apparently, “quadruple filtered,” it’s not “diamond-filtered,” per se. Herkimer diamonds are actually quartz crystals.

At first, we thought the whole spiel about ghosts and UFOs and drawing upon the mystical power of crystal skulls was a clever, tongue-in-cheek put-on, but…well, decide for yourself!

Questionable science aside, we found Dan Aykroyd to be affable and downright gleeful hawking his vodka. Fans brought memorabilia, including movie posters and stills, and even the top of a Conehead slot machine, which Aykroyd happily signed. He even indulged admirers with some choice Conehead quotes, delivered in the same monotone that made the Coneheads a cultural phenomenon in the late ’70s.

That Dan Aykroyd is an autograph-signing machine! It was as if he was on a mission from, oh, nevermind.

You just never know who you’ll bump into in Las Vegas.

Crystal Head, meet Conehead. Hey, we had to say it.

ABC News has included Las Vegas in its “10 Best Cities for Hotel Deals.” No surprise there! See the full list.

ABC asserts, “Nothing says vacation like Las Vegas, and with a 30 percent drop in rates, you’ll have a little extra cash to spend either at the buffet or the roulette tables.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

There’s never been a better time for a Vegas visit. Get rooms from as little as $25 at one of our Pulse of Vegas destinations. Find rates now.

Click on the photo for an eye-popping look at the famed Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas has gone to the birds! When you’re compiling your agenda of cool things to do in Vegas, here’s one you didn’t expect to find on the list: The Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary. This Vegas attraction does a pretty good job of keeping off the radar, but that’s what makes it an even better find!

This rescued bird at Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary talks, dances and, from what we could see, does calculus.

The Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary is about 20 minutes from the Strip, and one of the best values around, especially for animal lovers. Admission is just $5 for adults, and $1 for children. (We usually make an additional donation to help with the animal rescue efforts, but that’s optional.)

Birds are the focus of the sanctuary’s rescue efforts, but there are a variety of animals, a number of which are in enclosures that allow close-up animal encounters.

The goat enclosure allows up-close-and-personal interactions with the animals.

The sanctuary counts ostriches, emus and rheas among its residents, as well as countless cockatoos, parakeets, cockatiels, lovebirds and parrots.

Hey, we said up-close-and-personal. We meant it.

The sanctuary also features a collection of goats, pigs, ducks, geese, swans, cows, llamas, donkeys and miniature horses.

Kiss the baby donkeys at your own risk. (Note: It's worth the risk.)

The Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary is located at 8103 Racel Street, Las Vegas, 89131. Guest hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.

This mammoth bird mistook our finger for, well, lunch. It happens.

Learn more about this unique attraction. There’s truly something for everyone in Las Vegas! Who said the only wildlife is in the city’s infamous nightclubs?

Check out our photo gallery of feisty fowl and other members of the menagerie at the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary in Las Vegas.

Here’s a deal you’ll love, because everybody loves free slot play! It’s called Hedge Your Bet, and when you book a stay at a Total Rewards loyalty club destination in Las Vegas, you’ll get up to $75 in free slot play, based on where you stay. Find out more.

Here’s a nice item about one of our favorite iPhone apps, Foursquare, and how it’s being featured on the giant screens at Planet Hollywood.

Foursquare is free to download, and users “check in” at various locations, and vie to be the “mayor” of that venue, share tips or “unlock” various accomplishment badges. It’s addictive, and a great way to hook up with friends when you’re out and about, especially in Sin City.

We are currently the mayor of 12 places in Vegas, so take that.

Added bonus: When you check in at Planet Hollywood or the Miracle Mile Shops, you’ll get special offers, exclusively for Foursquare users. Get you some Foursquare.

Poker players will be satisfying their cravings for adrenaline, bluffing, raising and using fancy poker slang like “having the nuts” during the National Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesars Palace, Mar. 4-7.

Any poker day involving "pocket aces" is a good poker day.

Many of the biggest names in poker will compete, like Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champ, Joe Cada.

Players will compete for $1.5 million in prize money, and the event will be broadcast on NBC over six weeks, from Apr. 18 to May 23.

Here’s a bonus factoid: There are 13 World Series of Poker Main Event Champions competing in this year’s event. Go here to get tons of interesting facts about the players and championship event.

Here’s a handy list of poker terms, just because it sounds so cool to use them in conversation.

Please note that the world’s most prestigious poker event, the World Series of Poker, happens at Rio Las Vegas, May 27 to Jul. 17. Learn more.

The Vino Maximus Wine Festival is coming to the Garden of the Gods at Caesars Palace on Mar. 27. Learn more.

This amped-up wine fest will feature more than 100 wines from 35 wineries, as well as musical performances from groups like Jet, Crash Kings and Imagine Dragons.

Caesars Palace pool. Wine. Music. What's not to love?

Bonus factoid: In ancient Rome, wine was consumed at every meal, and a good portion of the impact of wine on the world has been credited to the Roman Empire. Kind of makes Caesars Palace the perfect backdrop for a wine festival, no? Read more, if you’re into that history stuff.

Las Vegas has something for everyone, and as if you needed more proof, make sure to stop by “The Homicide Experience,” Mar. 3-4, during the 2010 Annual Conference of California Homicide Investigators Association.

The exhibit will include evidence from cases like the Robert Kennedy assassination, the Charles Manson murders and the infamous Black Dahlia case. Read more. Let’s file this one under, “Creepy, but fascinating.”

NASCAR fever has hit Las Vegas this weekend, so in honor of the fun unfolding up and down the Strip and at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, here’s a bonus vaguely-NASCAR-themed factoid: “Racecar” is spelled the same forward and backward.

Read more about the special events surrounding NASCAR at our Pulse of Vegas resorts.

OK, here’s today’s quasi-3-D pop quiz. Where in Vegas is this?

Hint: We don't give hints.

Post your guess in the Comments section and you might win something. Like our undying admiration. Which, like we said, is “something.”

Here’s a chance to bid in an online auction, support public radio AND potentially get some great values at your favorite Pulse of Vegas destinations.

Nevada Public Radio is holding an online auction fundraiser, and there are tons of offerings like shows and dining, all at resorts you know and love. Take a look and place a bid.

Note: This map of the country is not actual size.