We took a tour of this site today as part of a conference we attended in Las Vegas. It was a very…read moreinteresting tour showing both above ground and below ground results of nuclear blasts. Much of the items tested remain and the level of power displayed is impressive. I'd highly recommend it if you get a chance to see it. Oh, no photos are allowed.

The NNSS (or Nevada Test Site, colloquially) is normally closed to the public...but they give a…read moreFREE tour once a month, to those interested in nuclear power and secret gub'mint stuff. The tour is only available to U.S. Citizens (I think), and gets booked up far in advance...so reserve a spot early (like, 6 months early! Not kidding -- you really have to plan in advance). This tour will take an entire day -- departing the Atomic History Museum just off the Strip at 7:30am, and returning around 4:30pm -- so you should bring a lunch and/or snacks. There is also the option to buy food at the commissary at the Test Site, which offers reasonably priced but greasy fare like burgers, etc. Most of the time is spent driving -- the NNSS is about 70 miles out of town, in the middle of the desert. I recommend sitting on the right-hand side of the bus, as you will have the best view of Creech Air Force Base on the way up, as well as the approach to the Test Site. This is a SLOWWW moving tour -- most people who take it are older, and it takes about 15 minutes for everyone to get off the bus at each site, and then another 15 for everyone to get back on. Additionally, we made no less than three stops at two different cafeterias, for everyone to use the restroom and get coffee/food....so I'd say fully half the tour is just getting on/off the bus to eat, drink and pee. The other half is spent driving around to various areas at the Test Site, some of which they let you get out and look around at. They let you out at a bomb crater, a tower that used to house an underground bomb, and an area where they detonated an above-ground bomb. They drive you through many other areas, including the fake houses they built to see the effects of a nuke blast on suburban homes, and the area where they store hazardous waste. This was the most interesting part of the tour for me -- it was astonishing to see how they stack up shipping containers full of hazardous waste, then bury them in an unlined pit covered in 8 feet of dirt. Overall, prepare to spend a lot of time sitting on the bus. They do show semi-informative videos on the way up, and the tour guide talks about the history of the place and points out interesting sights along the way....but it's still a long, slow day. So be prepared. No cameras or cell phones are allowed, but they do take a group photo at one of the craters, and everyone gets a free copy back at the museum. For a FREE tour this is an exceptional value, and although it's frustrating at times to keep to the slow, kindergarten-field-trip pace...it's your only option to get on this base, so it's totally worth it. Everything is FREE, but many guests did tip the bus driver and the tour guide at the end.

This is such a cool stop if you're passing through Nevada! The historic town of Rhyolite is only 10…read moreminutes from the town of Beatty and about 1hr 40min from Vegas. I love history like this so I was super excited. I came here for the Tom Kelly Glass House. When you first walk up, there is a sign explaining the history of the house. Next to it, there is a sign in sheet so you can see where people have travelled from to checkout the house. I was amazed by how many people had recently been there! It's a short stop, just walk up and take a few pictures of the house. Look inside. Take in the history. I would definitely recommend adding this stop to your trip if you're passing through! Ohhh also, the Goldwell Museum is only a minute drive from the Tom Kelly Bottle House. Check out that place too and be respectful of the artwork!

Great stop on our way to Death Valley National Park. I always look for ghost towns whenever we…read morevisit a new place, and Rhyolite is one of the best preserved I've seen. Really interesting history here - Rhyolite was a gold rush town and is a perfect example of "Boom to Bust". One of the town's multi-story buildings cost $90,000 to build back in the early 1900's, so you can imagine how magnificent it must have been. Unfortunately, the town of Rhyolite only lasted 15 years before it was completely abandoned. I really liked viewing the buildings and reading the signs accompanying each one. The Tom Kelly bottle house was particularly fascinating. Wish it was open to go inside, but I did peek in the windows. Keep in mind that all of the buildings are fenced off s you can just view them from the outside, but Rhyolite is worth 5 stars as the buildings are mostly still standing and it is definitely a good stop while in the area.

The staff was so kind in helping me mail my cards and packages…read more I was asked what kind of cards because she would put birthday or whatever on them. Small town charm, made me miss home for a hot second.

I want to visit my son's father, they didn't bring him out for his visit because someone else was…read morestabbed, but what does that have to do with my visit? I drove two hours and spent $50 in gas to see him and then was told for an hour that he was coming after an hour I asked to speak with someone else, who said that he wasn't coming because someone else was stabbed so just because I started crying because my son was very sad, they escorted me out. I then email a visit request a month later saying my visits are suspended for six months because they refused to bring him to his visit and I started crying. I didn't make a scene or anything. I was just very sad for my five-year-old son who wanted to see his dad. How do you treat a single mother with a five year-old son who just wants to see his father that way? These people are heartless. They treat common visitors like inmates! My son's father only got a DUI and got 2 1/2 years, he says there's rats in the ceiling, I'm so glad he's going to the three lakes camp. I don't wanna deal with anybody that works here any more. I will be writing the word in a letter.

A 3 star rating for a prison? Seems like an oxymoron. This review is for my visit to the SDCC on…read moreFriday to see a friend who is incarcerated there. There are two prisons along US 95 as you near Indian Springs, Nevada. On the south side of Cold Creek Road is the Southern Desert Correctional Center which is a medium security facility. A little farther west on Cold Creek Road and on the north side is the High Desert Prison, a maximum security facility. Their location is perfect for the prisons--not too far for the workers to get there--about 60 miles NW of Las Vegas but surrounded by desert. Nothing but sand, stones, and desert plants for miles and miles and more miles. To see a prisoner, you have to get a form from the prison and return it filled out properly. I got my approval a couple of weeks after sending it in. Visiting days are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in two shifts--morning and afternoon. When you get there, you're buzzed into a small room where an officer gives you a paper to fill out noting the inmate you're visiting and your name and address. It's also a consent form to be body searched. If you don't agree to the search, you can't visit. Then you go back outside and wait. I got there a little after 11 AM for the Noon entry time. The officer told me it would be about 12:15 when they started. I also received a laminated card with a number--4 in my case--and that's the order you're called to enter the facility when it's time. At 12:15 give or take, the numbers 1-5 were told to enter. That gets you back into the air conditioned foyer. Each numbered party goes one at a time to the same officer as before. You now sign in on another form and surrender your car keys to the officer. The only thing you're allowed to have when you enter the secure part of the facility is your driver's license or other legal ID. No gum, candy, cell phones, etc., etc., etc. You can bring a plastic bag of quarters for the machines in the visiting room. You then go through a metal detector. When you pass this test, you get a metal ring with a number--the box your keys are in--and your visiting papers. You are then buzzed through another secure door to a wide, enclosed walkway that leads to another locked door through which you have to be buzzed to enter the screening area . You're called in order again and you go into a separate room where you remove your shoes and the officer does the body pat down search. Shoes back on and there's another locked door to be buzzed through and then a final one. That's five locked doors to gain access to the hallway that leads to the visiting room. You give information to the officer at a high stand in the visiting room and he enters the inmates name and number and then you're given the number of the table at which you meet your friend when they come to this visiting room, a room that holds 150 people. I had about a two hour visit with my friend and I was pleased my visit was a surprise and helped to break up his day. All of the staff I dealt with knew quickly that I was new to the routine and I was aided along the way. Several smiled and were friendly. I only got an attitude from one. Maybe he's tired of people like me but he was displaying his authority with gusto. One final note on the rules. You must NOT wear blue or any variation of blue as the inmates wear blue jeans and blue shirts. I wore tan cargo pants and a red shirt. Now that I know the drill, I'll be back to visit again in a month or so. It is an interesting experience. An OK place to visit, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there.

Guy front desk was able to look Evergreen Lodge in Yosemite (Groveland California); nobody at…read morePahrump Library including the director was able to look it up on the internet? None of the Vegas locations either? Moab Public Library was also able to look it up on the internet also!

I live 7 minutes from the Death Valley Post Office and I visit almost daily. Very friendly and…read moreextremely helpful. They also have an amazing selection of stamps to choose from, more than I've ever seen in a large post office!

I came out here on a field trip with a class I'm taking this summer. It's 95 degrees, windy and…read morearid. Even as a visitor, I find these conditions to be uncomfortable, so I could not imagine being forced to live out here in subhuman conditions for an indefinite period of time. However, that is what over 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese Nationals living in the USA were forced to do during WWII - and 10,000 men, women, children and babies were forced to do just that at Manzanar. The Visitors Center is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday - so we were not able to see it, but we were able to eat our lunches in the Mess Hall. I also explored the barracks, and saw the rest of this historic site by bus and on foot. Don't miss seeing Merritt Park, the Children's Village area, and the Issei Obelisk. This site is a powerful reminder that History repeats itself, and visiting Manzanar is an extremely moving and meaningful experience for everyone. Peace.

I have driven past the turnoff for Manzanar over a dozen times. I have known about it since I was…read morein middle school but never went. My sister and I have been taking my nephew to significant sites of WW11 over the years starting with Pearl Harbor and Auschwitz. Being part Japanese, we felt this was an important stop. The grounds are very well maintained. The educational aspect of it is great. The rangers have taken great care to show an accurate representation of what "camp" life was like. The recreated rooms, shacks and monuments have been meticulously built. The rangers were great about sharing knowledge. The book store has some great books that are not available on Amazon. The parking is a breeze. The entrance is free. When entrance is free to somewhere like this I like to support by donating or buying items that help support the cause. I bought my nephew and I each a book and a couple other little things. I also really like that they participate in the Junior Ranger Program. It was a great way for not just my nephew but myself to learn too. It was a great family activity. I highly recommend visiting. It can be a little emotionally draining but it is an important part of American History that we cannot forget.

Really nice and easy lookout spot. Can get crowded so plan accordingly with parking. We went…read moretowards the end of sunset so some people were already heading out. It's a short walk to the lookout point once you park. Breathtaking views with cascading and layered rocks and the setting sun made it that much more beautiful. An easy must stop if at Death Valley NP!

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset here this week. It's a beautiful view at any time, but the colors on…read morethe unique rocks at sunset are really stunning. There's a large parking lot with a restroom here. There's a bit of an uphill climb to the top, but it is well worth the effort to walk up there.

This museum is Big for a little town. We went on Valentine's Day and was not disappointed. The…read morevolunteer that was there that day ( Patrick Taylor) is also an amazing portrait artist. It was a real treat to meet him and see his drawings. A must see when in Beatty NV.

This was only my second visit to the town of Beatty, Nevada and we decided to stop in here for a…read morevisit. The museum offers so much history about this little town along with the surrounding area including the now ghost town Rhyolite. I was fascinated by all the items they feature which most are still in great condition. Beatty is located in Nye County and was originally populated by the Western Shoshone and Paiute Indians before it became a town. It was known as a mining area and it is now known as "The Gateway to Death Valley. " Most of the items featured at the museum provide you a view of how people lived here in the early 1900's. A great little stopover and the museum provides free admission but a donation is always welcome!