The Hoover Dam is only about 30 miles down US-93 from Las Vegas, so I thought I'd make a half-day trip out of it. The drive was very scenic: it was a sunny day, the sky was bright and blue and the mountains were dramatic.
As always, click the image to see it full-size.
Heading down US-93 to Hoover Dam.
On the way there we passed by Lake Mead, the man-made lake created as a result of the dam. The water was also very blue, and several other cars stopped along the side of the road to take a look and snap some photos. There were also about a dozen people swimming in the lake. I didn't have my trunks, but I'm not sure if I would have wanted to get into the water in any case because there wasn't really any sand, and the "beach" was filled with sharp little rocks. The view was still gorgeous, however. The warm, dry lake breeze was also surprisingly refreshing.
I'd live here. Lake Mead in the background.
The desert and mountain range behind the beach.
Lake Mead.
There were a good number of people at the dam even though it was a Tuesday. Parking was still plentiful (cost: $5 a car on the parking deck, Nevada Side; free if you can find a spot in the small lot on the Arizona side) and the crowds weren't so thick as to get in the way. The dam and the structures around it are built in the art deco style - including the toilets. I overheard one woman remarking how lovely the bathroom was to her husband.
The power plant intake towers. The white lines along the water line indicate a drought.
I couldn't get a great shot of the dam itself since we didn't go on the tour, which is the only way to get into the visitor center observation tower. Still, the scenery from just walking along the dam, and the easy drive from Las Vegas made this visit very worthwhile. We came to the dam from the strip right after a late breakfast, and made it back to the city in time for lunch.
Update/ Actually, Hoover Dam is directly in the path to the Grand Canyon (my entry on that HERE), so you could even fit both in on the same day. If you head out to the dam early in the morning, you'd still have the entire afternoon for the canyon (not to mention a nice break on the long drive!)
see also:
Flickr Album - Las Vegas Shenanigans
Las Vegas - A Guide
Las Vegas - Day One: Lake Mead and Hoover Dam
Las Vegas - Day Two: Glass Skywalk at Grand Canyon West
Las Vegas - Day Three: Red Rock Canyon
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1 comment:
I have actually done Hoover Dam, and Sky Walk in one day! It really makes for a long day.
We arrived at the Sky Walk just before dusk. And we actually missed the last bus out to the SkyWalk. I am surprised that you had to pay for parking at the Gift Shop. I was there in 2009 and we did not pay for parking. Also, because we missed the last bus to the Sky Walk location we talked with an employee and she was able to hook my sister, a friend and myself with a personal tour to the SkyWalk which was magnicient as we stopped and took pictures of the Eagle in the Rock and also shared alot of history. Which was really great seeing that we are from the Ojibway/Pottawattomi Nation in Ontario. The cost of the SkyWalk was a little excessive I felt as were the pictures!! And not being able to bring a camera on the the SkyWalk was just pure LAME! lol
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