...my breakfast...we stopped at a convenience store...and this was my only vegan option...it really was perfectly fine...if I can have and love brinner...I can also love a breakfast of fries and salad...
...even though we had driven right by the Hoover Dam yesterday on our way to the Grand Canyon...it's not really something that we wanted to rush through and combine with the Grand Canyon...so we headed right back up the highway to the Hoover Dam...about 1 1/2 hours away...
...you drive past a bunch of electrical equipment on the way in...
...and under the rather spectacular Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge...
...it's 890 feet above the Colarado River...and it's the second highest bridge in the United States...
...we parked and walked past this guy...
...we had bought our tickets online...not knowing how crowded it would be...we didn't want to risk missing the tour...we had to wait about 15 minutes...but we had a fun and informative slide show to watch...
...the we watched a movie about the construction of the dam...
...and we had this view as we waited for our elevator...
...shields in place to protect us from falling rock...
...down into the tunnels...
...just hewn out of rock at this point...
...this is the top of one of the original cast iron pipes bringing water from the lake into the powerhouse...
...our guide explained how everything works...
...pipes above and below...
...and the huge one leading into the turbine room...it began to roar and the room vibrated as they opened it up for flow...
...cast iron doors...
...another tunnel leading to the power generators...
...welcome to the Hoover Dam...
...the row of turbines...in the power house...
...after the tour underground...we went to the museum...
...it was awesome...
...so many exhibits...
...and so much information...
...then we headed out onto the observation deck...
...and got our first up close breathtaking view of the dam...
...the Colorado river...way down there...
...and the power lines coming up out of the power plant...
...at really sharp angles...
...they look like they are leaning over into the canyon beside the bridge...
...and you can see the wires stretching down taut through the air...
...and just awesome views of the bridge...
...and then we left the deck...
...and walked past the Winged Figures of the Republic...theiy're 30 fee tall and symbolize the dedication and effort of the men who worked on the dam...
...this is the view from the side as you walk out onto the dam...it doesn't go straight down at all...it's really slanted...
...and you can walk right up to the edge...
...and look over...
...looking back at the bridge and the visitor center...
...the Hoover Dam Exhibits building was closed...
...lots of art deco...
...a view of the bridge from the center of the dam...
...and another glance straight down the face of the dam...
...and the water re-entering the Colorado river after making some wattage...
...the intake towers seen from the bridge...
...the Hoover Dam plaque...
...shiny art deco doors...
...Lake Mead...
...the intake towers in the lake on the other side of the bridge...
...and one last glimpse of the canyon on our way out...
...and then back through the desert into town...
...we stopped at Chick-Fil-A for lunch...I had not been to a CFA in years...and I remember that they weren't very vegan friendly...but I checked my Vegan Eating Out app...and found that they had a Kale salad...
...and a black bean wrap...called the Southwest Veggie wrap...that you could make vegan by ordering it without cheese and subbing the dressing for a vegan one...
...both were delicious...
...since we were already practically downtown...we decided to see if we could find the Eiffel...we drove past the Big Apple Coaster at the New York-New York casino...
...and when we turned the corner we were surprised to see a Statue of Liberty there as well...
...then we headed up the Boulevard...
...past a giant Coke bottle...
...and a giant guitar...
...more palm trees and tall buildings...
...and we could see the Eiffel tower off in the distance...
...it's actually part of the Paris casino...
...it's really neat to see...
...now Our Airman has been to THREE Eiffel Towers...the one in Paris, France...the one in Paris, Texas...and now the one in Las Vegas...
...and then back to base...
~Have a lovely evening!
My goodness, another full day! The view down the face of Hoover dam was scary, even in a photo! Love, K
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