Although Death Valley has a reputation for being one of the most arid spots on the planet, this year it doesn't even come close. So far this season, the valley has had over six inches of rain. That may not sound like a huge amount to someone from Seattle, but that much water in the desert goes a very long way. Serious flooding washed out Highway 190 between Pahrump and the valley last year, and it's still closed. Many of the scenic drives inside the park remain impassable. Continue reading »

People like to watch stuff blow up, and nowhere in the world is there more proof of this fascination than Las Vegas. Hotel implosions -- even after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 made them politically incorrect -- still draw ogling crowds. But they weren't the first big bangs that lured curious observers to southern Nevada, and they definitely weren't the largest. That distinction belongs to the mushroom clouds created by atomic bombs detonated in the 1950s at the Nevada Test Site. Continue reading »

Everyone knows that all the sharks in Las Vegas are in casinos, and nowhere is this more delightfully true than at Mandalay Bay. Shark Reef is a beautifully designed aquarium that boasts not only sharks but also a fascinating array of other aquatic creatures, some of which you can even touch. Continue reading »