Sunday April 23rd 2017

The wind was back today, but so was the heat. Las Vegas made it into the 90s for the first time this year. In defiance of the weather I choose an outdoor activity. I went to the Springs Preserve and got blown around and cooked in the sun.

Desert cactus in bloom

Las Vegas strip seen from the Springs Preserve.

The Springs Preserve has botanical gardens and museums in a natural setting. It is located in the area of the original springs that drew people to the valley. The museums, including the Nevada State Museum, provide information on the history, geology and animal life of the Las Vegas area. The preserve is focused on education, recreation and entertainment. There was evidence of several weddings and receptions that took place yesterday or would take place later today. One wedding party was having pictures taken at various points in the botanical garden.

More desert plans in bloom.

Ostrich sculpture made from old oil drums.

This is my first visit to the Springs Preserve. I have heard about it on the local TV just about every time I’ve been in Las Vegas. There is always some event going on that gets advertising or news coverage on TV. I can see why. It is a very nice facility with many venues for exhibits, meetings or even shows. I got the sense that visiting on Sunday was a good day to avoid many of the extra activities.

Rose with very tight petals.

The botanical garden area had a mixture of typical desert plants and some plants that I don’t consider native to the area. For example, there were several varieties of roses and large bed of snapdragons. It was nice to see all of the colorful flowering plants.

Joshua tree

Blossoms high in the air on top of the cactus

There was a butterfly habitat inside a green house like structure. It was a separate admission exhibit. I passed on waiting in line to get in. I’ve found butterfly exhibits at other locations disappointing. Little flying pieces of color in a huge area are often difficult to see.

Flower lined walkway to the Nevada State Museum.

One exhibit hall in the Origen Museum had a strange temporary exhibit on the science of Ripley’s Believe It or Not. It had typical Ripley stuff like a two headed calf skeleton, a film on how to shrink a head and reproduction of the jaws of Megaladon, the prehistoric shark. I found the contents of the exhibit and the presence of the exhibit at the Preserves strange.

The Nevada State Museum that shares the site had a permanent exhibit on the state’s history, culture and geology. A temporary exhibit celebrates the costumes and performances of the Folies Bergere show. It was a large scale production show that ran a the Tropicana Resort from 1959 to 2009. I saw the show a couple of times before it closed. Seeing the costumes and head gear up close was interesting.

It was a pleasant few hours on a Sunday. This was the right season to see desert plants in bloom. I wouldn’t hesitate to go again to see what other times of the year have to offer at the museum.