Week 8    BLOG

Monday June 23, 2014

Non-Travel Day

 

This morning we traveled a little southeast to “Boulder City” and the Hoover Dam . The “Bureau of Reclamation” has turned this engineering feat into a tourist attraction with a
visitor center with a film and tours of the operations of the dam. Approaching the dam we had to pass through a security check where we were required to pull over and a security officer
checked under the cover on the bed of the truck. Proceeding to the dam we parked in a large
garage, and upon entering the visitor center we were required to go through a metal detector, just like going through the airport. We took the “Power Plant” tour; unfortunately the more inclusive dam tour was not given until later in the afternoon. The tour includes a film about the
construction of the dam, and then a guided tour of the power plant including one of the two rooms containing 9 huge generators. After our tour we walked across the top of the dam taking pictures and looking with admiration at the size of the dam and associated structures. Mead Lake that was created by the dam is also very impressive, although it is currently about
60 feet below full pool as the area is in its 15^th year of a drought . Returning to the truck we drove across the top of the dam to the AZ side, where there were several overlooks of the dam and lake, the road dead ended and we were forced to drive back over the dam. This roadway was the principal way to cross the Colorado River until a new 4 lane bridge and highway was constructed over the river, improving the traffic flow between NV and AZ. This new highway bridge was also part of the Hoover Dam experience as there was a walkway, with plaques describing the bridge construction, which was part of the bridge structure. We walked across this walkway and had a fabulous view of the Hoover Dam and the Colorado River as it exited the dam. Later in the afternoon we returned to the camper and then went out food shopping. As I type this it is 6:00 and 103 degrees with 4% humidity, a far cry from what it is like at home. After dinner we drove to “Old Town / Down Town” Las Vegas, not the famous “strip”, and participated in the “Freemont Street Experience”. This is a 5 to 6 block area on Freemont Street that has been closed off to traffic and the public can enjoy a stroll in
the mall like atmosphere, where there are stores of all kinds, catering to the Las Vegas experience, street performers, bars both inside and along the sidewalk, gambling establishments and some of the old hotel casinos such as the Golden Nugget. And let’s not forget the strange people, in both appearance and their antics; it was truly a sight to see. We did play the slots at the Golden Nugget, and after about an hour and losing a combined total of $20.00 we rejoined the crowd out on the street.