Greetings! My Valentine's Day was enhanced by the timely arrival of the new DVD edition of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. When the film was first released in 1996, my purist devotion to the 1968 Franco Zefferelli version gave me a decided bias against it, but I've since revised that view. Luhrman updates the setting to a Miami-esque "Verona Beach," and, with all the dizzying cuts and flashy imagery, you can see the roots of his later over-the-top frolic Moulin Rouge. And the leads (Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes, who, ironically, are older than the leads in Zefferelli's film) are quite capable. I still think Lurhmann pared the text down too much, and occasionally let things get too carried away (Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech is ruined by being screamed at full volume, and his whole drag queen thing just didn't work). But it's definitely an engaging reworking of one of the classic tragedy. This version is a "Music Edition," with bonus material focusing on the musical aspects of the film (Garbage, Everclear, and Radiohead are among those on the soundtrack).

It's this time of winter that I start getting cabin fever, wishing I could skip out for a couple of days to some warmer clime. But finances preclude that kind of escape, so I'll content myself with passing on some travel tips. This past year had me traveling to two of my favorite hot spots, Las Vegas and Hawaii. We're lucky that Seattle's well positioned so you can zip off to either locale with relative ease, nor do you have to spend a fortune on your trip. I went to Vegas to catch The Beatles Love, saving on expenses by flying Southwest and staying at the Imperial Palace. The hotel was neither imperial or palatial, but it is part of a now-vanishing breed-a cheap, well-located place to stay on the Strip, so check it out while you can (conversely, the Stardust, setting for the much-renowned Showgirls, is being torn down). The first thing you want to do on arriving in Vegas is pick up all the free "Things To Do"-type booklets you see which will clue you in to cheap/free entertainment. That's how I discovered "Big Elvis" holding court every afternoon at the Barbary Coast. And I do mean big; the guy was so huge he had to sit in a chair for most of his set! I also checked out the free lion habitat at the MGM Grand. Some folks have complained when they've visited the lions are all sleeping (they are cats, after all), so I suggest arriving when the place first opens at 11 am. They keep the lions elsewhere and shove them into the habitat at opening time, so they're initially livelier; I saw two females sparring, and because of the habitat's layout, you can literally get face to face with the animals, which is a little unnerving.

My favorite casino is Caesar's Palace, where you could easily stay all day, looking at the classic art replicas, strolling through the Forum Shops mall (where the lighting continually goes from dawn to dusk, and there are two different fountains with statues that come to life every hour), and sipping a glass of pinot grigio at Spago's (again, as in Showgirls). And I finally made it to the Star Trek-themed casino/restaurant/bar area at the Hilton, stopping in at Quarks to have an "Acturian Fizz" (lemon rum, 151 rum, lemonade, and strawberry puree). The monorail's nifty for getting around, though you're forced to buy a 24-hour pass at $15, as a single ride is $5. Hawaii? Well, there was Blue Hawaii: The Show to see there, with ace impersonator Jonathan Von Brana, at the Beachcomber Hotel (also home to Don Ho), though I swear my "Blue Hawaii" "cocktail" didn't have a drop of liquor in it. It's definitely worth paying more to fly nonstop via Hawaiian Airlines; they still serve food, and the staff's actually friendly. Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of cheap places in Waikiki. I stayed at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel-not that well maintained, not the most attentive staff, but just two blocks from the beach. There's also the Hawaiiana, the Breakers, the Royal Grove, and the Ohana chain.

Because the tourist rules supreme in Waikiki, everyone's competing for your dollar, so there are cheap deals to be found if you look (again, pick up the free booklets). I usually picked up a quick breakfast at one of the ubiquitous ABC Stores, the greatest kwiki-mart in the world, thus saving money for Mai Tais on the beach at the House Without a Key lounge at the Halekulani (which, as their rooms start at $400/night, I haven't been able to stay at & yet). Oahu's bus system will literally take you around the island. And don't pay the higher prices beach stands charge for snorkel rentals when you can get sets for between $9-$32/week at Snorkel Bob's.

Until my next trip, I guess I can dream.

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