Nevada: The Nuclear Test Site State

[robotnik2004]

Originally published at Route 96. You can comment here or there.

The Bomb was invented in New Mexico, but Nevada soon became prime real estate for underground and atmospheric testing. I dunno if that was such a good choice. If I was going to test a device that can level cities and vaporize all life for miles around, I’d want to do it somewhere you could tell.

On the highway from Arizona to Las Vegas we experienced the weirdest weather of our trip. The temperature was well north of 110 F (40 C) at the Grand Canyon in mid-afternoon. As we crossed into Nevada, things started to cool off–then black thunderclouds appeared out of nowhere and we were pelted with rain and actual hailstones like the wrath of God. That cleared in just a few minutes, and by the time we rolled into Vegas it was crazy hot again. I know it’s a cliche to say of Las Vegas, “people actually live there?” but seriously: people actually live there?

Oh yeah: And along this highway between Arizona and Las Vegas were occasional signs declaring the desolate wasteland a “National Recreation Area,” which inspired much hilarity. “Pick you up in seven or eight hours, kids,” says Dad, pushing his kids out of the station wagon onto the sun-baked dunes of ashen sand. “Daddy’s off to Caesars Palace. Enjoy the ‘Recreation Area!’”

Hoover? I Don’t Even Know Her

Also: Coming into Nevada, we drove across the Hoover Dam, admiring that great 1930s and 40s architecture that seems like it should be from Stalin’s Russia. (Or the new Hamilton bus terminal, built in 1995, go figure.) Walking around the dam, you feel like you’re in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis or at least Madonna’s “Express Yourself” video. So Derek and I vogued while Pete crawled on all fours and drank from a saucer of milk.