Dj and I went to Las Vegas. While we were there we visited the Hoover Dam and took a Dam tour. Here is Lake Mead which is created by the Hoover Dam.
The Dam from the Over look
We took a tour inside the dam. This is looking out through a vent from one of the tunnels.
Here is what the tunnel looks like from the inside.
The fire escape is made up of over 700 stairs.
The tunnels were originally framed with wood. Once the cement dried, they peeled the wood off, and used it to make their homes out of. They did not want to waste anything as this was during the great depression. You can still see the wood grains imbedded in the cement.
A few years ago this bridge was built so that the highway traffic did not have to cross over the dam. Before that, there was no other way to continue on the highway unless you crossed over the dam.
This is the original visitors center that still stands. Built to reflect all the sun the shines here. I love that its built into the rock. Beautiful.
After the dam was completed, the government put out a contest for someone to design a piece of artwork that could stand permanently near the dam to commemorate the incredible thing that it was, and to give praise to the men who dedicated so much time to it. The project would be funded by the government. The man who won memorized the night sky as it looked on the night that Roosevelt dedicated the dam. He imbedded copper coins in a granite ground in exactly the way the sky looked that night. He also built this compass, and placed the flags of all the states that would benefit from the dam, in the ground.
There are two men/angels like this one to praise the men who helped build the dam. Legend from the great depression says that anyone who rubs his feet will gain good fortune. If you look closely his feet are a different color from all who have rubbed their way to good fortune.
The dam has a fancy dam parking garage.
the next few pics are inside The Wynn. This is the fanciest hotel we have ever been in. We did not stay here, but saw La Reve by Cirque De Sole in a theatre here. (wish I could have taken pics of that!)
Excalibur
The Luxor
The Volcano outside of the Mirage erupts in the evenings every hour. Unfortunately it was too windy this night, and we didn't get to see the show. But got this cool pic!
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