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 Venetian......
The Mirage.....
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.
24 comments:
Magnificent photos of the dam!
The views are stunning!
Love the shot inside the brewery too. Oooo...I bet you and MWM had fun in there :)
When I was in Vegas, they didn't have the Venetian so it was interesting to see these photos. The ceiling shot is awesome!
The menu in Le Cafe lle St., Louis looked yummy! And I bet the wine selection was wonderful!
As always, I so enjoy your pictorial vacation posts, m'dear! Fun, educational, and always interesting!
X
So pleased you enjoyed the photos of the Dam Ron. The microbrewery was fun, unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time there. The Venetian was really beautiful inside. We had a lovely bottle of red wine in Le Cafe. ;)
We went to the shops at the Forum on our first day/night in Vegas and i was exhausted .. we tried to find am exit but couldn't ... so I am glad it wasn't just us who were lacking a sense of direction!
I'd love to see Vegas. The dam looks fascinating, but I think the height would have got to me.
I didn't realize the so many people died building the dam!
I love all your Vegas shots, you look like a celebrity
the dam is a modern pyramid!
Thanks for visiting our 'colony"
Thanks for YOUr sweet visits, SIS
Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
> < } } ( ° >
The Hoover Dam is amazing, in fact everything you saw is amazing. Gallaghers pub looks familiar, very like one of the Irish pubs in New York where I had several midday meals. Looking forward to the next batch, Pearl.
I really think it is designed to keep you there as long as possible Daryl! LOL
The Dam is awesom AJ and Vegas is exciting!
I didn't either until we went there Dianne. Me a celebrity? LOL Thanks x
It is indeed Cloudia!
I agree Valerie all of it was exciting! Glad you're enjoying our trip. x
You really got a good cross-section of Vegas Hotels. I love the Venetian but the clorination of the water (in the air) got to me and I had to leave. Bellagio is still my favorite of all time. I wonder if the tigers are still at the Mirage now that Sigfried and Roy are not performing? They were amazingly beautiful. What great pictures you always have.
Wow! Thank you for taking me with you :)
That dam is quite a feat of engineering and Las Vegas looks like another world.
I didn't see any signs about the tigers being at Mirage BankerChick but that's not to say they're not there.
You're welcome Lea, glad you enjoyed it.
They were exactly what you said Cheshire Wife LOL
What a wonderful variety of pictures! And Vegas is surely one of the unique cities of the world!
Awesome!!! What a great time!
The views of Lake Mead from the top of the Dam are magnificent.
Don't know if it was ever mentioned on the tour but did you all notice the white, chalky material close to the bottom of the hills surrounding Lake Mead?
A combination of massive water use from an exploding population and a near constant drought has dropped the water level of Lake Mead to very low levels. A few environmentalists have speculated the southwest might have a population crash if the drought get worse in the coming years.
sarge and i stood in that exact same spot at the dam, small world!
smiles, bee
xxoxoxo
Thanks for allowing me to vicariously follow along. I enjoyed it.
You sure packed a bunch of stuff in just a few days in Vegas. I've been there many times, but somehow never made it out to the dam.
A mighty dam, and lovely lights!
www.anucreations.blogspot.in
Its is indeed Jenny, glad you enjoyed the photos.
Thanks, it was Melanie :)
The white marks (high water) round Lake Mead were mentioned Beach. It's frightening just how low the water is and what the consequences could be.
I'm in good company then Bee! I hope it brought back good memories for you my friend. x
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Nick :)
We packed in as much as we possibly could everywhere we went Trav, we won't be going back you see, too many other places to see. You should go to the Dam it's really interesting. :)
Thankyou Anupama
Damn Fine Photos AKY! The scale & history of the place is mind-boggling! What A Lovely Holiday & Thanks For Sharing The Photos.
Thanks Tony. It is an amazing place indeed.
Wow! What an awesome trip! You sure covered a lot of ground in 16 days! Glad you had such a good visit to the US. The Canyons, Sedona and the Desert are really something special, aren't they? Not that Vegas and Hollywood and Scottsdale are anything to sneeze at....
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