Where can we find the closest easy hiking trails to Las Vegas? We’ll only have a couple of hours, but we’d like to get out of the city and into the desert, with some sun and fresh air.

On my recent visit to Las Vegas, we noticed more panhandlers than police. Is this problem being addressed?

I see that quite a few hotels are hiring for pool season. Any idea when it starts? I have a trip planned at the end of March and am hoping to hit the pool.

Long-time Senior Editor Deke Castleman has just returned to Las Vegas -- and Huntington Press (welcome back, Deke!) -- after a few of years living in Ecuador -- about as different an environment to Sin City as you can get. So, we decided to break with tradition and pose him a question of our own. This addresses some regular queries we receive from readers of this column who haven't visited Las Vegas in awhile, or who are interested in relocating here, but we're particularly intrigued to hear the answers from the perspective of someone who knew Las Vegas intimately, then returned after an extended absence that happened to coincide with a some of the most seismic changes in the city's history, for better and worse. So, Deke, what's it like to be back?

Do you know what happened to the free musical acts they used to have at the Hawaiian Marketplace? Different acts would play on stage for free for hours. Just got back from Las Vegas and no one could answer that question.

In the QoD dated March 27, 2013, you discussed a former Las Vegas horse-race track. Was there not also an auto-race track that was run (I think) by the Stardust hotel? I remember going to it once about 1965/1966 to see a Can-Am race featuring the cars of Carol Shelby. Could you fill in any more details?

With all the recent rain, what effect has this had on the homeless population living in the tunnels under the Strip? Are copies of the book published many years ago about the tunnels still available anywhere?

We recently stayed at Harrah's Rincon, and in the room they mentioned a program where the leftover soap and shampoo in each room was recycled by a not-for-profit organization. Can you give us some information about this?

I seem to remember a story related to a recent QoD (11/14/13), where a Gaming Control agent, Ron Harris, was upset by the murder of "the witness" and he began to figure ways to cheat the casinos by rigging slot machines and was able to predict the outcome of keno games. Do you know anything about this?

Has there ever been legal action taken by a casino worker regarding the effects of secondhand cigarette smoke? I would think that health issues would show up from being exposed to this environment.