Arco, Idaho

July 11, 2019

We came across this little gem of a town quite by accident.  In the trip planning, it was near Craters of the Moon National Park, so Don found a campground there.  Little did we know it was the first town powered by atomic power. The original reactor is a National Historic Site, so we took an extra hour to visit.

The nondescript building was anything but boring inside!  The displays not only helped us understand what nuclear reactions are all about, but they also had all of the components of a nuclear reactor there.  We now understand how the rods fill the core, how Uranium 235 sheds neutrons, how plutonium is made, and how the scientists created a breeding reactor.

After visiting this site, it is easy to see that there are many different technologies for atomic reactors.  This particular one uses all of the uranium in it, with very little left – unlike most of the other reactors in the world.  Why more people do not use this technology is a mystery!

The three of us left much better informed about atomic energy, and we were very impressed that this little town in the middle of nowhere has been a model for so many.

The reactor