We began at the pool, relaxing a bit before our very busy day.

We were warned that it was going to be HOT!
My Tahoe Subaru was having difficulty grasping just how hot (it was only 108℉, 42℃).
No Vegas trip is complete without a photo op with the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. It was designed by Betty Whitehead Willis (1923-2015), a talented artist who began her career drawing showgirls in newspaper ads and eventually got a job at Young Electric Sign Company.
The famous, 25-foot-tall sign, completed in 1959, was sold to Clark County for $4,000. Betty Willis never trademarked the sign’s design, making it free to use on every imaginable kind of merchandise. She considered the sign a gift to the city. Everytime we see this sign, we too think of it as a gift. What a lasting legacy.
A must for us was a visit to the National Atomic Testing Museum, a national science, history and educational institution that tells the story of America’s nuclear weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site.
The Museum uses lessons of the past and present to better understand the extent and effect of nuclear testing on worldwide nuclear deterrence and geo-political history. It provides collection-based exhibits and learning activities for greater public understanding and appreciation of the world in which we live.
I am intrigued by how 1950's Las Vegas sold Atomic Bomb Tests as Tourism.
Between 1950 and 1960, the population of Las Vegas grew by 161%- partly due to the burgeoning casino industry. But another reason was a chance to glimpse actual nuclear tests in person. People planned their holidays around these mushroom cloud events. There were drinks name for this Atomic phenomenon as well as beauty contests. Only in Las Vegas!

We all go into museums looking at things through our own particular lenses. One exhibit that caught my eye was about JC Penney. "One pleasant spring day in 1955, an atomic bomb blasted an American city into oblivion. This is the story of Survival Town, a purpose-built collection of structures, buildings, even mannequins (supplied by the department store) designed to measure the effects of an atomic weapon used against urban centers. Its optimistic name notwithstanding, Survival Town was destined to become, in a flash, Loserville." YIKES.
The National Atomic Testing Museum is charged by Congress to preserve the history of and educate the public about the nation’s nuclear testing program. Through excellent films and exhibits we feel they are doing an amazing job. We left knowing more about this time in our history, with hope that knowledge will promote change in the world. What a great stop on our day!
Thanks to Atlas Obscura, we knew exactly where we could stop for drinks- Atomic Liquors.
Back in 1952, you could get a mushroom cloud chaser with your atomic cocktail. In the early 1950s, Vegas was booming and at the nearby Nevada Test Site for nuclear devices, so were mushroom clouds. Joe, a restaurant owner, had grown tired of flipping burgers and saw an opportunity in catering to the liquor needs of Fremont Street (downtown), so with atom bombs literally and figuratively in the air, he shut down his café and opened Atomic Liquors.
Joe and his wife lit up the now-famous neon, got themselves the very first Las Vegas Tavern License, and were on the road to becoming the oldest free-standing bar in town. Rooftop service was added so customers could tipple a few “Atomic cocktails” while watching the blasts 65 miles to the north (it being a time before the dangers of observing nuclear testing was understood). All kinds of customers came–construction workers drank alongside the Rat Pack, Barbra Streisand kicked back with the staff and played a little pool, and casino workers dropped by at all hours to cap off a long shift dealing blackjack. A kind of respite from the glitzier Strip, the Atomic and its classic good looks drew the attention of Hollywood too, eventually turning up as a location in The Twilight Zone, and later in the films Casino and The Hangover. Oh, and the attention of The Haerrs... even better!
We took this photo for nostalgia. When I was in college, my girlfriends and I would come to Vegas on 'the cheap'. I have talked about the 99¢ shrimp cocktails often and Steve always says, "Let it go Denise". But look, they are alive and well. It's like the 80s all over again!
Steve is posing with his dinner choice!


The highlight of this Vegas adventure was a meet-up with friends at The Mob Museum, a nonprofit organization with the mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime’s history and impact on American society.
This incredible Museum offers a bold and authentic view of organized crime from vintage Las Vegas to the back alleys of American cities and—increasingly—across the borders and networks of the entire world.
Our personal guides for the evening were our friends from Tahoe, Dani and her husband, Meyer Lansky II (Las Vegans now).
What makes this beyond exceptional is the fact that Meyer's grandpa is THE MEYER LANSKY.
Meyer Lansky, known as the "Mob's Accountant", was an American major organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate in the United States. He also was pivotal in the creation of the Las Vegas we know today. There is no way to fully express how amazing this was that Meyer was our guide through his grandpa's life and more.


We had the chance to explore the real stories and actual events of Mob history through interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind Mob and law enforcement artifacts housed  inside the restored (and couldn't be more perfect) 1933 former courthouse and post office building.
We ended our visit at the Speakeasy where we traveled back in time to the Prohibition era, a time when thousands of speakeasies were operating in hard-to-find places. These hidden bars satisfied the nation’s thirst for forbidden spirits.
We found here informative and entertaining exhibits, videos and artifacts which told the stories of the Roaring Twenties, an era which saw the rise of flappers, jazz and the Mob. The speakeasy exhibit is built around a well-stocked bar and a stage for evening entertainment, creating a lively environment inspired by that bygone age. We will be back!
After tonight's visit to the Mob Museum, with our amazing guides, we really did learn that there are two sides to every story. Boy, this one was a real page-turner.
Dinner and drinks enveloped in neon... the perfect end to our last night in Vegas.