Join CNN Interactive's Andy Walton on a 3,000 mile journey through the American West -- home to NORAD, Los Alamos, White Sands and an abandoned "town" called Mercury.

Exit here for Route Cold War

In 1961, an American president publicly warned his citizens that the possibility of nuclear war could not be ignored -- and urged citizens to do what they could to protect themselves. Read JFK's letter to the nation, as it appeared in LIFE magazine.

Our interactive map details decades of incidents worldwide involving serious nuclear mishaps and near-disasters among the Cold War rivals. See for yourself, by clicking here.

An examination of the events that led to the discovery and perfection of nuclear weapons, and our animated look at what actually makes The Bomb tick.

A new report says the United States spent about $5.5 trillion on its nuclear deterrent. Was it worth the cost?

For nearly as long as there have been nuclear weapons, there has been vocal opposition to them -- and attempts by some governments to use those anti-nuclear groups as Cold War weapons. Click here to examine the international history of "Ban The Bomb" movements.

The Cold War may be over, but the world is still bristling with nuclear weapons. Our interactive maps explore who has The Bomb, how many and where.

Our charting of crucial events in the Nuclear Age. For an in-depth look, click here