Bob and I set out for Nevada at an ungodly hour on Saturday morning, February 10. I had been up for 24 hours straight the day before and had only gotten about four hours sleep, and yet we were up ready to face the day and our strict schedule at 6:00 am. It was about a four hour drive from Bob’s house in San Bernardino to the Hoover Dam. We quickly stopped off for my favorite ham and swiss pastry that I get whenever I’m there and we headed out.
After twisting our way through the desert roads, we finally arrived at the Hoover Dam. Anyone who’s seen Superman pretty much knows what it looks like. It was big and impressive and a cool site to stand atop and look down at the Colorado River on one side and Lake Mead on the other. The structure was originally built to prevent flooding from the river. We took the guided tour which took us underground and inside the dam, showing us the hydroelectric generators that convert the water pressure to power for many of the Nevada and Arizona communities. Speaking of Arizona, while walking over the dam, I passed into that state for the first time ever I think.
We spent about two hours there and then browsed the gift shop, where I picked up a book about the dam and a dam magnet. Below are some photos from our excursion:
Oh, and by the way, the Hoover Dam might be considered a Laurel and Hardy site of sorts. In the film Busy Bodies Ollie mentions that some blueprints are of the ‘Boulder Dam,’ the historical location’s former name.
Next up: Viva Las Vegas…
Leave a Reply