Hoover Dam, revisited

On Sunday after church, we were looking for ‘THE’ place that said, “This where you want to eat.” In doing so we drove toward lake Meade. We did not see the eating place but did drive down and across the dam again.

As I related when we drove into Nevada we crossed the new Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.  Mike was a Nevada Governor and you may remember Pat Tillman was a well known football player from Nevada,  who dropped a lucrative career and joined the army. He was killed in Afghanistan.

Just ahead of the red car we will do a 180 turn and you will see   the bridge up close. here:

We are tuning down to a check point. Since 9-11 all cars must go thru a ck point.

This picture is taken from the car. I always love the white, it shows the max the lake has been. The Hoover dam blocks the Colorado River.  Before this dam was built the Colorado below the dam area would dry up, but with the dam as a holding tank of the Winter snows and rains, the water lasts all year and the Colorado flows. It also produces electricity, Sherry and I have been fortunate to go down inside and see the generators and workings of the power plant, many years ago.  (I believe they still have those tours)

(Above pic from the web)

The 2 shots above show the dam and the new bridge behind it.  Now you still drive as we did down into the canyon and across the dam, but it is a round trip, you must go back the way you came, it no longer connects to the traffic going further into Arizona.

Lake Meade behind us, it is beautiful.

Memorial to the men who built the dam and died also. Guarded by these guardian angels.

This was  a first for us. We took old US93 through Boulder. A beautiful view here over looking Lake Meade.

The towns go to the base of mountains and stop. There are some beautiful homes here.

That was our afternoon out. We did finally end up eating Prime-rib and eggs at ‘SAM’S TOWN’. We walked out of the casino with my $5.  I guess I could consider myself a winner. (I don’t want to hear about the cholesterol , Shirl!)

You must admire the rugged mountain in this part of the country. It surrounds Las Vegas.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

It is not hard to find beauty in our world. We are surrounded with it.

*************************************************

 

These could have been some of the first cars to drive across the dam.