“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” But, what if we bent the rules just a little bit and said, “What happens in Vegas, gets on a plane and stays on a gorgeous Mexican beach?” Yes, if you like to gamble and you like the lights of the Las Vegas strip, why not add a Puerto Peñasco trip to your next Vegas vacation plans? Who says you can’t do both?

Right now, anyone from Vegas or anyone who can get to Vegas easily can jump on a plane on Aero Mexico and 90 minutes later land on the tarmac of sunny, sandy and beautiful beach town of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico on the Sea of Cortez.

It goes both ways: those expats who live in Rocky Point can avoid the traffic and crazy freeway systems of Phoenix and Vegas and just leisurely drive down to the Puerto Peñasco international airport, near the Mayan Palace Resort, jump on a jet, get airborne for a nice fast flight and walk off the plane in the lights of Las Vegas.

No borders, no traffic, lightning fast.

Can it be any easier? Well, perhaps, the kinds of people that like to go to Las Vegas are particular.  They like fantastic unusual food, dancing to upbeat live music, spectacular shows of magic and wonder, and most likely they like to gamble.

Okay, no problem says the people of Puerto Peñasco, we got you covered.

If fantastic food is what you are looking for, we have it in this small beach town on the Sea of Cortez. Looking for fresh seafood? Well, we have the freshest. In Vegas they have to fly it in… in Peñasco it swims in our backyard. You want a variety of international flavors from all over the world and local Mexican cuisine that will make you come back for more? A fact one can brag about in our little beach town, Rocky Point shrimp is one of the best tasting sweet succulent shrimps in the world. Our chefs hail from all over, different states and cities of Mexico, Italy, Greece and even America, bringing tasty dishes for foodies at half the price of Vegas without all the commercial tourism marketing.

Like to move your feet to some music and dance? Listen to live music, dance the night away with stunning scenery? Yes, we have that to. The house band at Wrecked at the Reef, an ocean front live music venue, (this is a real beach venue, not some elaborate wave pool with fake sand,) on weekends rivals any lounge dance act in Vegas and you get to look at the ocean or dip in it or walk hand and hand in the sand. If the bands at the various restaurants and bars don’t get you up dancing then you may need to relax some more by the beach, which is ok, because we have a real one here.

Looking for spectacular light shows? Shows of magic and wonder? Puerto Peñasco sunsets are magical in their own right. Having traveled various parts of the world studying sunsets, Rocky Point rivals even the sunsets in Santorini, Greece which are touted to be the best in the world. Rocky Point sunsets have more colors than those in a jumbo set of Crayola crayons. And daring spectacular acts with animals?… how about a boat ride on the Sea of Cortez offering a show of jumping mysterious dolphins that follow your boat in pods, a trip to hundreds of sea lions at Bird Island or better yet. Go whale watching and see their enormous majestic show, guaranteed to take your breath away. Oh, yes we have shows that will stay in your memory forever.

Let’s discuss gambling, just in case you didn’t get enough of that in Las Vegas, and money to burn is still in your pockets…. Rocky Point has casinos. They may not rival the Bellagio or Cosmopolitan but they are friendly, have good service and are fun. A favorite expat casino is the Black Dog which serves food and liquor in their bar area. If you have the urge to put your money in a slot you can go next door and gamble. There are various gaming machines, slots and video poker. There are other casinos around the area as well, clearly marked with a sign, Casino.

Yes, we may not be as flashy as Las Vegas Strip, but we have the world’s aquarium with the Sea of Cortez, friendly locals and gorgeous scenery.

This new Vegas to Peñasco flight is sponsored by Aero Mexico in conjunction with COFETUR which stands for Commission for the Promotion of Tourism of the State of Sonora, the Visitor’s Bureau of Puerto Peñasco and Groupo Vidanta, SA who works with Mayan Palace.

The flights which started in late June are part of a project to promote Puerto Peñasco and Sonora. If more people take advantage of this wonderful project, new routes may be added in the future. Let’s support this wonderful move to make it easier to come to Rocky Point.

Aero Mexico flights are enjoyable with first class service and friendly flight attendants. In 2012 Aero Mexico made big news by announcing the most significant investment in Mexico Aviation History; plans to purchase 100 more aircrafts including jet airliners and 10 Dreamliner’s. Aero Mexico offers 1000 destinations in 187 countries and is part of the Sky Team Alliance.

The flights are part of a new 3 leg journey. Puerto Peñasco to Hermosillo, Hermosillo to Puerto Peñasco and Puerto Peñasco to Las Vegas and Las Vegas to Puerto Peñasco.

Go on line; check a few dates out, leaving Thursday and Sunday. Picking a date in October and checking a one way fare from Las Vegas to Puerto Peñasco came to $111, which sounds pretty affordable to a gambler in Las Vegas, where you can lose $100 in a few hands of blackjack, or jump on a plane and land 90 minutes later on a beautiful beach in Puerto Peñasco. I know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but it doesn’t have to…why not go one step further and fly to a Mexican beach for a relaxing fun in the sun trip. Viva Las Vegas to Viva Peñasco!

Anita Kaltenbaugh is the Mexico travel examiner at examiner.com and author of the book “Travel Secrets- Insider guide to planning, affording and taking more vacations” available on the Kindle, and Amazon.com.