A trip to Vegas is not complete without a visit to the Hoover Dam. I remember riding across the dam as a kid, but it is very different now with a new visitor center and parking garage. It was bustling with tourists and the parking lot started filling up with tour buses shortly after we arrived. We got there early in the day and we were glad that we could find a parking space.
We were slightly disappointed that we could not go down inside the dam and see the turbines and everything. It was closed the day we went, but the visitor center offered a movie and a presentation about the construction of the dam.
Two way traffic is still allowed, but only one direction will get you back on the highway. Your car can be searched by security at the entry point, but we didn’t see anyone pulled over for a search. Darin usually gets pulled aside at airports, but not while driving a big Texas truck!
I took the picture above from the middle of the river with one foot in Arizona and one foot in Nevada. Darin wasn’t fond of being so high above the water and rocks, but he was a trooper!
Supposedly the wind can be gusty and when we crossed the bridge with the RV, we were instructed to drive in the left lane closest to the center. I don’t think the wind was too strong the day we drove over it, thank goodness!
A large section of Lake Mead is visible from the road that goes over the bridge. We drove into the National Park and checked out both marinas and some of the boats. Based on the sales flyers that were posted, used boat prices seemed comparable to our area in Texas.
The wind can also get gusty on the lake. This day was calm, but the next day was cloudy and windy. It put a damper on our idea to rent a boat for half a day. Maybe next time…
Even though it is not in the title of this post, it goes without saying that we also hit the strip. Not many of the casinos offer free parking these days, but Treasure Island is one that does, so we used it as our starting point.
We strolled down the sidewalk and popped in and out of several casinos. Needless to say, our walk produced some good people watching! Am I the only one who thinks the strip is not really appropriate for small children after dark?
Evidently, we watched the “mellow” water fountain show early in the evening. When we passed by later, the song was more exciting and the water was definitely shooting higher.
We made it all the way to the MGM and headed back up the boulevard. It was a lot of walking, but good exercise, right? I won 50% more money than what I deposited in a slot machine and decided to quit while I was ahead. Darin was happy about that.
The drive from Vegas to the campground, which was about 45 miles from the Grand Canyon, took up the better half of a day so we stayed home and washed clothes upon our arrival. Sounds like fun, huh? We have to find time to squeeze in some of our domestic responsibilities.
We headed to the canyon early and took pictures from the visitor center area and along the rim trail. A large section of the park is only accessible by park buses. We hopped on and off buses and we walked quite a bit along the rim trail.
After a while, the ridges and colors all along the canyon started looking the same. I took pictures from every viewpoint, but they all look breathtakingly similar. I will include some interesting ones below.
Besides little colorful birds and large black birds, we saw lots of elk and a couple varieties of squirrels. One lady was able to pet a squirrel because he was so comfortable around people.
Darin was shocked at the lack of railing along the trails. I’m glad we didn’t have to keep an eye on any small children or a dog. It was stressful watching some parents turn their backs on their kids. A couple of times we pondered how many people have lost their lives at the park.
Some people were super brave (or dumb) to climb out on rock formations. I assumed these were experienced rock climbers who knew what they were doing. No one fell, so that’s good.
The trail to the bottom is 4.5 miles. Darin bragged that he could do that, but coming back up is another story. The park rangers recommend camping overnight and making the ascent the next day. There are campgrounds and a lodge in the valley below.
We learned about the 1956 crash between a TWA plane and a United Airlines plane that took place 21,000 feet above the canyon. This tragic event helped influence Congress to improve air traffic control and radar systems and they eventually created a federal agency to regulate it.
If we had planned this visit out better, we may have been able to reserve a campsite in the park that could accommodate a large rig. I would have preferred to rent a bike rather than standing in lines to ride the packed park buses. On the plus side, the weather in September was nice and not too hot. Everyone needs to see this beautiful place at least once in their lives.