The National Museum of Atomic Testing chronicles the history of the Nevada Test Site in America’s nuclear weapons testing program. The museum is located in Las Vegas and the test site itself is 65 miles away. The actual test site is close of enough to Las Vegas that in 1950’s tourists could see bright flash from nuclear tests from Vegas hotels. Vegas actually marketed its proximity to nuclear testing as a tourist attraction. The museum does a great both documenting nuclear testing as well as probing the impact the Atomic Age had on American culture as a whole. The overall experience is pretty somber as it dawns the visitor that had these weapons been used, they could have easily wiped out the human race.

After visiting, I wanted to go visit the test site itself. Doing so requires an advanced reservation and tours are only happen monthly so I haven’t actually done it yet.

The other thing I’ll mention about the museum is the its well air-conditioned which makes a comfortable thing to do during the scorching daytime heat of the Vegas summer. I visited in June and few hours out of the sun was a welcome relief.

Las Vegas, Nevada

National Museum of Atomic Testing

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Almost every time I go to Vegas, I visit the the Bellagio Conservatory. The displays are always stunning and rotate seasonally. I’m looking forward to visiting again once this Coronavirus virus crisis has passed.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Bellagio Conservatory

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I’ve been to Las Vegas many times and the strip is alway bustling and crowded except for early in the morning. From pictures I’ve seen on the news, the Strip is now surreally deserted. Las Vegas, the perpetual party, is on hiatus which hasn’t happened in almost 60 years.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas Strip

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Las Vegas, Neon, Nevada

Jackpot Motel Sign, the Neon Museum

Jackpot Motel Sign

I’ve been wanting to see the Neon Museum since I found out about it back in April 2011 but no tours were available.  I finally made it back and really enjoyed the tour.  The tour guide gave a great history of Las Vegas told through the signs.

I found out the Las Vegas Strip started as mom and pop motels that were trying to catch people coming in on the highway before they reached downtown which had the major hotels in the 50’s and 60’s.  Todays strip is where the old highway used to be, before the Interstates were built.  The strip is outside of Las Vegas proper so there were few building regulations which made it easy for the small hotels to set up shop.

Update: My full set of photos from the Neon Museum 

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Las Vegas, Nevada

MGM Lion

This lion sits out front MGM Grand.  The Lion mascot brings me back to staying at the MGM Grand Reno as kid on ski trips to Tahoe.  With its origin in the golden age of Hollywood, the MGM Lion has a level of class that hard to find on today’s strip which mostly screams excess rather than class.

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