This is my fifth (and final) post about our travels in Las Vegas. I suggest reading the
first,
second,
third, and
fourth posts
from the trip before this one. Because I blog about educational travel, I received media passes for some of the places we visited during our trip. Other places we went are free for everyone and paid full price for the rest. What I paid has no bearing on my reviews. If you notice any gaps in my narrative, it is because I didn't love a particular activity enough to recommend it, regardless of how much I paid or didn't pay.
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Family-Friendly Travel in Las Vegas, Nevada
Another morning, another sunrise!
Wednesday, January 28 was our last full day in Vegas. We got an earlier start than the previous days, as we had a 2 mile walk to our first destination. We like to walk and the weather was beautiful, so it was a nice way to start the morning.
Between 1951 and 1992, the United States conducted nuclear device testing on 1350 square miles of desert land known as the Nevada Test Site. The first tests at NTS were above-ground; in the early 50's, the mushroom clouds from testing could be seen from the Strip 65 miles away. The final atmospheric test was in 1962; after that, all testing was done underground.
I have a personal connection to atomic testing and the Nevada Test Site. I grew up in Livermore, California: home of
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. My dad worked there from 1970-2006. Between approximately 1978 and 1983 (when I was ages 6-11), he took frequent trips to the Nevada Test Site. Exactly what he did was highly classified at the time, but we did know he did nuclear testing.
Even without a personal connection, I highly recommend a visit to the National Atomic Testing Museum. Don't miss the lobby displays that include pieces of the Berlin Wall and a beam from the Twin Towers.
The exhibits in the main part of the museum start with a detailed look at the beginnings of atomic testing and then work their way through time.
Ground Zero Theater is really something. Shaking, lights, and sound simulate an above-ground atomic test.
I really enjoyed this display of badges from the Nevada Test Site. My dad would have had one, but I don't know if I ever saw it. He had a number of badges from his time at LLNL.
My parents visited the National Atomic Testing Museum in 2012 and really enjoyed it. My dad saw actual things that he made and people in the movies that he knew. I would have loved to have visited with him before he died.
When my mom found out we would be going, she told me that they had seen my dad's photo at the museum and to be sure to look for it. I checked every single photo in the place - multiple times - and did not find Dad. I talked with the employees who said that they rotate items on exhibit, so it's probably in the archives. I did recognize our neighbor and family friend,
Wayne Shotts (second from right). That was neat.
The special exhibit was about
Fallout.
This room was all about understanding atomic energy.
How many people can say that their hometown AND state are on the Periodic Table of the Elements? (Answer: Anyone from Livermore or Berkeley, California.)
We learned so much at the National Atomic Testing Museum. I wish I had gone before my dad died, but I am glad to have finally visited.
After a great visit at the museum, it was time for lunch... and a lot more walking. I'm not complaining - walking in Vegas always means coming across something interesting. In this case, a giant flamingo.
We had lunch at the
Haute Doggery. We split a decadent All Day Breakfast Dog, a bacon-wrapped dog, with cheese sauce, a perfectly cooked egg, hash browns, and a generous amount of bacon. What's not to love?! The fries were fantastic too.
We passed by the future Hard Rock Hotel...
... on the way to the Venetian.
It's a beautiful hotel, inside and out.
We enjoyed this Lunar New Year display.
But the real reason we were at the Venetian was to visit
minus5 Ice Bar.
When you arrive at minus5, you
choose a package and then they outfit you with parkas or fur coats, plus gloves. Then you head into the ice bar, where everything is made of ice and kept at -5°C.
The walls are made of ice. So are the tables and the seats. All the decorations? Ice!
The bar is made of ice and so are the glasses you drink out of.
While minus5 is a bar, go ahead and bring the kids! The minimum age is 7 and the menu has some delightful mocktails. There is even a scavenger hunt that children will love. Just be sure you come early; after 9:00 pm, it is 21+.
I was (delightfully) surprised to find Ms. Pac-Man at minus5. No extra charge!
Once you've paid admission, there is no limit to how long you stay at minus5. So relax with your drink, enjoy the music, play Ms. Pac-Man, do the scavenger hunt, and enjoy the artwork. Speaking of which, minus5 has a full-time ice sculptor continuously making new decorations and art pieces. We loved watching him at work. He was creating Valentine's Day decorations while we watched. He told us that minus5 is constantly changing. So when you go, you might see completely different things than we did!
We chose to visit at the Venetian, but there are two more locations: at the Linq and Mandalay Bay. Each looks completely different.
We had such a fun time at minus5. It was such a memorable experience, completely unlike anything we'd ever done before. Go!
After returning our coats (which kept us completely comfortable the whole time), we made a quick stop at our hotel and then headed to a (very) early dinner at
The Bedford by Martha Stewart.
It's a beautiful restaurant. The winter scene outside those windows was video, so we were able to watch the snow fall and birds fly by. It was so realistic that it really felt like we were at
its namesake home.
There was one reason I really wanted to eat at the Bedford: Big Martha's famous pierogis. 'Big Martha' is famous-Martha's mom. She used to appear regularly on her TV show and I can remember dreaming of trying her pierogis someday. They were even better than I had imagined. I could eat these every day for the rest of my life and be blissfully happy.
Everything else we ate was fantastic, including the amazing brown butter shortbread cookies and raspberry sorbet we had for dessert. What a meal.
After dinner, we spent a bit of time enjoying the Paris.
Then we headed back to the Bellagio to see
Cirque du Soleil O. It was absolutely spectacular. Do not miss it under any circumstances. You will love it. The kids will love it. There is no one who wouldn't love it.
Photos weren't allowed during the performance, of course, but they encouraged us to take a picture during the curtain call.
We had one final night to enjoy the fountain view from our room before flying home the following day. We had a magical trip, packed with fun activities and amazing food. Happy 50th Steve! I love you.
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