Program 743: Happens in Vegas; Morocco's Sahara

The most popular storyteller of our time, author James Patterson, shares insights he got from the people who work behind the scenes to turn Las Vegas Nevada into America's ultimate fantasy destination.

And a tour guide from Morocco recommends letting yourself be amazed by the same view of the night sky that's guided travelers for millennia, in the Sahara Desert.

Find two very different styles of desert living, on the next Travel with Rick Steves.

• James Patterson, author of "What Really Happens in Vegas" (Little, Brown)
• Morocco-based tour guide Lucas Peters, author of the "Moon Morocco" guidebook (Avalon Travel)

• James Patterson co-authored "What Really Happens in Vegas" with Vanity Fair correspondent Mark Seal. James was awarded a National Humanities Medal in 2019.
• James has assembled a Las Vegas-themed music playlist that he posts on his website.
• Lucas Peters writes and photographs the Moon Morocco guidebooks, and is a tour director at Journey Beyond Travel in Morocco.
• Lucas writes about UNESCO World Heritage sites in Morocco, including a number of additional places that he thinks are worthy of the designation.
• Rick's essay about what he found at the Bay of Kotor on his first trip to Montenegro is included among his observations in his book "For the Love of Europe."

• Robert Powell, "Rhythm Congress," Desert Beach / Blue Yonder Music
• Dimitri from Paris, "Nothing to Lose (Lounge Instrumentale)," Sacrebleu / Atlantic
• Symphony Nova Scotia, "Octave Shuffle, for orchestra," Opportunity Knocks / CBC Records
• Elmer Bernstein, "On the Move (from the soundtrack to 'Return of the Magnificent Seven')," MGM Sneak Preview (compilation) / Rykodisc
• Willy Schmid Quartett, "I Want to Be Happy," Swingin' Round Switzerland (collection) / Musica Helvetica (SRI)
• MMIT_MMIT_0024_01001_Las_Vegas_APM
• Elvis Presley, "Viva Las Vegas (new sound remaster)," HITStory / BMG Heritage
• The Swing Cats, "Viva Las Vegas," Tribute to Elvis / San Juan Music Group
• * Illinois Jacquet, "Las Vegas Blues," Flying Home: The Best of the Verve Years / Verve
• Intro to Hamid Baroudi, "Caravan to Baghdad," Couscous Beat (collection) / Nascente
• Mike Toppins, "American Pie," Original Dueling Banjos: The Sequel (collection) / CMH Records
• Josem, "John C. Tutti Danse-image 2," Josem: 20 ans / (self-released) (France)
• SON_SCDV_0426_01701_Gambling_Addiction_A_APM
• FDH_FDHLP_0126_00201_Las_Vegas_Lady_APM
• KPM_KPMLPB_0008_00101_Las_Vegas_APM
• FDH_FDHLP_0126_00101_Floor_Show_APM
• Wayne Newton, "Danke Schöen," Ultra-Lounge (collection) / Capitol
• * Ray Conniff, "Danke Schoen," Ray Conniff's World of Hits / Sony
• 4 Wings, "Penelope," Café del Mar, vol. 5 (collection) / Fontana-MCA
• DuOud, "For Nedim," Wild Serenade / Label Bleu (France)
• Baly Othmani, Steve Shehan, "Assarouf," Assarouf / Worldly-Triloka
• Soliman Gamil, "Sufi Dialogue," Global Meditation, disc 2: Harmony and Interplay (collection) / Ellipses Arts
• Gnawa Musicians of Marrakesh, "Baba L'Rouami," Africa Never Stand Still (collection) / Ellipsis Arts
• CNP_CNP_1067_00701_Rabat_APM
• Knez, "Adio" (Montenegro's 2015 Eurovision entry)," Building Bridges: Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Vienna (Montenegro entry) / Universal Music Classics
• SON_SAS_0102_03301_Kotor_Bay_A_APM
• SON_SAS_0038_00401_Ruse_Kose_Girl_A_APM
• Sonny Rollins, "St. Thomas," The Best of Sonny Rollins (remastered) / Milestone

* Indicates filler music used during breaks between segments

• In the segment A open, Rick describes the population of greater Las Vegas as around 2 million, one of the fastest growing metros in the United States, and one of America's top tourist attractions.
• At 13:15, Rick calls "What Really Happens in Vegas" James Patterson's "new book."
• At 20:40, James and Rick mention Cirque du Soleil, Celine Dion, and Wayne Newton as among the big-name entertainment options in Las Vegas. At 22:50 they mention "The Skyjump" as a daredevil type of attraction.
• At 26:01, Rick and James discuss octogenarian Charlotte Richards, who innovated drive-in wedding chapels in Las Vegas.
• Rick opens segment C, saying he was recently in Morocco. He adds that most of the country was unaffected by the deadly earthquake in the High Atlas Mountains in September 2023, and that tourist attractions are "open and in need of visitors."
• At 42:00, Lucas Peters describes how Morocco's king has been modernizing the country and is popular with most of the population.
• At 46:10, Lucas recommends traveling the Sahara at the time of the date palm harvest in the fall.
• Rick mentions at 57:17 that he's been working on European travel for "four decades."