The first thing we did on our arrival was to view a short film about the history and construction of the dam and see the exhibit gallery before taking an elevator down 500 ft to see the generators in the dam's power plant.
Hoover Dam stands approx 725ft above the Colorado River.
Built during the Depression; thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years to build, in a harsh and barren land, in blistering summer heat with difficult and dangerous working conditions.
The Bureau of Reclamation would later estimate that 107 workers lost their lives while building the dam.
The dam spans the Colorado River in Black Canyon between Arizona and Nevada, some 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It has a clock at either end showing Arizona time and Nevada time.
The concrete arch-gravity structure was intended to prevent flooding as well as provide much-needed irrigation and hydroelectric power to arid regions of the states of California and Arizona. Originally known as Boulder Dam, it was renamed in 1947 in honour of Herbert Hoover, who proved instrumental in getting the dam built.
The views of Lake Mead from the top of the Dam are magnificent.
and the sheer size of the dam is awesome.
After a fascinating tour we were once more aboard the bus with our last view of Lake Mead behind us.
Our next stop was Boulder City.
Initially built in 1931 by the Bureau of Reclamation and six companies as housing for workers who were building the Hoover Dam, the town was designed to house approximately 5000 workers. The status of the workers on the dam was reflected in their house sizes and locations. The most important employees had thier residence on top of the hill nearer the apex. Managers were housed further down the hill and dwellings for manual labourers were located furthest away from the public buildings and parks. Boulder City is a lovely place with a pretty street full of cafes, restaurants, antique shops and candy stores.
We even found a micro brewery,
you knew we would didn't you? LOL Of course we had to go in and sample what they had to offer,
before it was time to hop on the bus again to get back to Vegas where we explored some more hotels.
The Forum shopping mall, Caesar's Palace, which is designed so you can't find your way out I'm sure! We had to ask for directions. LOL
By this time we were in need of a much needed rest, so we returned to our hotel with time to put our feet up before getting ready for our last dinner in Vegas.
Our last night in Vegas we decided to have a meal in Le Cafe Ile St,. Louis, a little Bistro in Paris, the hotel/casino not Paris, France, where I chose the Seared Tuna Salad and MWM had the Paris Burger from the extensive menu. Both were delicious!
before hitting the 'Strip' to photograph/visit yet more hotels/casinos.
Gordon Ramsay Steak...
Opposite MGM Grand.....
Hard Rock Cafe......
New York, New York.....
after which we headed back to our hotel to hit the Roulette table. We promised ourselves we would have a 'flutter' whilst we were in Vegas and tonight was the night. We set a limit and handed it over to the cashier and collected our chips. We were doing really well at one point but then it all went wrong and we lost everything - all $20!! You didn't think we were going to bet big did you? LOL
After a really busy day and evening it was time for bed, once we'd packed again, ready for the next leg of our journey. Join me next time for Wonders Of The Golden West Part 8.