Oh Dam

We just spent the last seven days in Las Vegas which would lead one to believe that I have a lot of things to blog about except that as you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Just kidding...

I do have a lot to say, I also have a ton of pictures to sort through and share so I will spread this out over several post so that I have time to get other things done, like laundry...

We went to the Hoover Dam one day.

As you may, or may not know, a by-pass is being built to "decrease the potential for accidents, and to decrease the bottleneck to the interstate." As we approached the dam, I got a view of this little 234 million dollar construction project. I can safely say that I will never, and I mean never use the by-pass no matter how "safe" it's supposed to be.

Do you know how high that is? When finished, the 1,905-foot span bridge will be 890 feet over the river!
Go here to see a picture of what it's going to look like when it's completed.

Here is a statue of a high-scalers who's job was to climb down canyon walls on ropes and remove loose and weakened rocks along the canyon walls where the dam walls would join together.

There are two liberty statues that have developed a green patina. The toes, however, are very shiny and looking new. We were told that the toes are polished as a result of people rubbing the them for good luck and good fortune.

Here are a couple of pictures on the Lake Mead side of the dam. Notice the white line on the lower part of the rocks, that is the water mark, a sign of the water level changes in the reservoir, which is due to the drought.

I took this picture over the edge of the dam. I couldn't actually look at it because I was getting dizzy so I just pointed and shot.

Here is the Arizona Nevada state line. I'm sure I've stood in two states at once but this just seemed much cooler than that.

I will try and sort through more pictures soon. Look forward to seeing Red Rock Canyon and The Valley of Fire very soon.