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.All Trips / Arizona / North America / Southwestern USA
The National Atomic Testing Museum, Las Vegas — unlike any other
I’ve been to Vegas more times than I can remember. It’s always been a decent weekend getaway destination and is a good place to meet up with friends as it’s easily accessible, has reasonably priced accommodation and great restaurants. And if you want you can explore the desert, catch a live show, gamble, or go to a night club.
I’m not much of a gambler or a nightclub guy, but I do like to visit an interesting museum. The National Atomic Testing Museum (NATM) certainly is different than most and if you have an interest in science and military history, is well worth a visit. The museum opened in 2005 and is operated by the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation. It’s …
“Pic of the Week”, May 4, 2018: Reclining Connected Forms, CityCenter
Who would have believed that Las Vegas, in its ongoing transformation, would become a center of fine public art? Certainly not yours truly, at least not until recently.
This is especially true at the $10 billion CityCenter, where part of the master plan included $40 million to purchase some world-class pieces. One of these is by English sculptor Henry Moore, a work called Reclining Connected Forms. It is one of several similar-styled pieces by the same artist found around the globe.
Here are some specifics: Crafted between 1969-1974 of Roman travertine marble. A massive piece measuring 10 x 17 x 7 feet. It is thought to represent a baby wrapped in its mother’s embrace.
You can find this work between ARIA Resort …
May 3, 2018
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“Pic of the Week”, April 27, 2018: “Big Edge”, Las Vegas
Situated in the heart of Las Vegas’ City Center, in the middle of many beautifully designed skyscrapers, is a fascinating piece of street-art. It’s crafted by Nancy Rubins and is known as “Big Edge”. Like something you might imagine seeing at the bottom of a waterfall that has surprised dozens of boaters.
“Big Edge” is situated in front of the Vdara Hotel and Spa, between the Aria and Bellagio casinos, and is best seen from its elevated circular drive (its not visible from The Strip). Two hundred boats, many canoes but with some flat bottom boats and rowboats, are incorporated into this unusual piece. Given the strong desert winds, this seemingly haphazard arrangement of boats actually has to be firmly …
Apr 26, 2018
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“Pic of the Week”, March 16, 2018: Descent into Las Vegas
One of my favorite places to enjoy the views from a window seat is when flying over the beautiful desert scenery of Utah and Nevada. Recently while on approach and descending into Las Vegas McCarran Airport, just before sunset, I enjoyed some beautiful scenes of the Mojave Desert. Colorful shades of red, tan and brown, ending with the now filled reservoir that is Lake Mead. And ending with views of the Las Vegas Strip as our plane was about to land.
The last few minutes of I flight I found most memorable.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance)
Mar 15, 2018
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.All Trips / Food / Nevada / North America / Southwestern USA / Travel Talk
Breakfast at Mary’s Hash House, Las Vegas, Nevada
Anyone who stumbled onto this blog searching for “hashish” might as well leave, because that’s not what this post is about. It’s about good food, not good weed.
The Las Vegas food scene has changed a lot since I first visited the city many years ago. Vegas used to be a place that catered mostly to hard-core gamblers (a description that in no way describes me). Food was cheap, often not that great, and used to lure gamblers into an establishment. For example, I recall “all you can eat” breakfast buffets for $0.99, lunch buffets for $1.99 and dinner buffets for $3.99. Foot long hot dogs or large shrimp cocktail — $0.99. Those prices were hard to beat!
Fast forward three decades …
Tagged food, Las Vegas, Mary's Hash House, restaurant
“Pic of the Week”, November 27, 2015. The Cabins, Valley of Fire State Park
These are “The Cabins” in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park. Three small rooms were built from the local sandstone in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), who did a lot of similar work in the parks and remote regions of the country during the Great Depression (‘make work’ projects, like trail and road construction). These cabins were used by travelers for camping stays in Valley of the Fire, but have been abandoned. I couldn’t find any good information on how long they were used, but it’s clear when you visit that they’ve not been inhabited for some time. While the setting is beautiful, I think the summer heat would have been unbearable to many — …
Nov 26, 2015
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“Pic of the Week”, November 20, 2015. The Venetian, Las Vegas
Las Vegas is often described as the “Disneyland for adults”. Like Disneyland, the city does a great job of creating a variety of illusions and immersing you into them. Unlike Disney there’s emphasis on adult entertainment in the form of gambling, alcohol and much more if that’s what you’re looking for (we weren’t).
I especially enjoyed our visit to the Venetian, a resort that tries to recreate the atmosphere of Venice, Italy. From the winged lion of Venice, to canals and gondolas, to enjoying excellent coffee and gelato on St. Mark’s Square, one might argue that it’s the next best thing to being there. It was fun, anyway.
Here’s some of that looks like.
Nov 20, 2015
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.All Trips / Nevada / North America / Southwestern USA
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Tired of the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas? Had enough of the concrete canyons and smoked filled casinos of Sin City? Not sure if it’s day or night (there are no clocks allowed in Vegas casinos)? Then you should do what I do as often as I can when I visit Vegas — make a trip to Valley of Fire State Park and escape into the beautiful desert world that comprises much of Nevada. No neon lights, no massive buffets, no dancing fountains (in fact, little water anywhere)! Beyond usual Mojave desert landscapes, Valley of Fire has wonderful and interesting rock formations that alone are worth the journey. The park is is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas and …
Tagged bighorn sheep, Las Vegas, Nevada, petroglyphs, red rock, State Park, Valley of Fire
