A Dam Good Time in Las Vegas

February 8 – 13, 2022

A short 35 miles from our Las Vegas campground is Hoover Dam.  After a lifetime of hearing about this dam, it was amazing to see this wonder of the industrial world!  Completed in 1935, this dam took five years to complete.  It was built to control flooding of the Colorado River, provide irrigation for farmers and water for drinking as the west expanded, as well as providing electricity for the population.  It was built with no expense to the tax payers, as the sale of the power created by the plant completely funded the project.  The complexity of this project is mind boggling!  We paid $10 each for access to the visitor center where we viewed a ten-minute video and listened to a slideshow presentation that did an excellent job of explaining how the massive feat of diverting the Colorado River and building the Hoover Dam was accomplished.  This feat was not accomplished without tragedy.  During construction, 137 people lost their lives.  The visitor center also has a wonderful display containing photos, artifacts and visuals explaining the construction and operation of the dam.  

Security is a big deal at Hoover Dam.  A few thousand feet before you reach the dam, there is a security check.  We had to roll down all of the windows of our truck for an inspection.  We got a “pass” to go on; however, we noticed several other vehicles had been pulled over and people were getting out of their cars for a more through inspection.  During WWII, the Nazis had plotted to blow up Hoover Dam.  Keeping the dam safe remains a priority today, probably more than ever.  We also had to go through security to enter the visitor center.  It was very similar to going through the airport… pockets emptied, belts removed, and walking through the metal detector.  

The Mike O’Callagan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, completed in 2010, also took five years for construction.  There is a pedestrian lane on the bridge allowing us to walk across the bridge and have an amazing view of the Colorado River, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.  

The damming of the Colorado River created Lake Mead, which provides wonderful recreation opportunities.  While we didn’t have time to hike any of the trails, we did stop at an overlook to enjoy the view.  The beauty of the lake was wonderful, but the level of the lake made the biggest impression on me.  Lake Mead is currently about 140 feet below being full.  It has been at this level a couple of other times during dry spells.  In the past, it has taken 18 months for the level to return to normal.  This time, the drought has continued for 20 years.  Although the level of the lake is diminished, the water supply to various areas has been able to be maintained.  

Leaving the dam, we saw two female bighorn sheep grazing on the grassy area next to the lake side of the dam.  We’ve been keeping an eye out for them, hoping to see one.  We finally did!

Vegas is a very popular destination for rock climbers.  I’ve been told many of the great rock climbers even live in the area due to all of the fabulous parks with great walls to climb.  We saw evidence of climbers’ rigging as we were hiking Calico Tanks Trail, saw a climber beginning an ascent as we were driving through the park and then watched a climber rappel down the Petroglyph Wall! 

Fifty miles from our campground is Valley of Fire State Park!  Nevada’s first and largest state park was established in the 1930s.  The red rock, for which the park is named, is red sandstone which once was sand dunes.  Over 150 million years ago, dinosaurs wandered around the sand dunes that are now the red sandstone formations we wander around today.  

We couldn’t resist stopping at the Beehives Rock Formations to climb around a little.  

Mouse’s Tank was a fun, one-mile hike.  Mouse was a Southern Pauite Indian accused of many crimes, including killing two prospectors in the 1890s.  The “Tank” is a natural basin in the rock where water collects after rainfall.  It was from this tank Mouse was able to have access to water while he hid out in this beautiful valley.  The trail leading to the tank is filled with ancient petroglyphs that are 2,000 - 4,000 years old.  

Rainbow Vista is another one-mile hike and is stunning.  The name is perfect!  During the hike, we walked among rainbow-colored rock formations, eventually leading us to a beautiful vista!

We saw Elephant Rock, Seven Sisters rocks, and Balancing Rock, all of which were wonderful red sandstone formations.  

The park closed White Domes Loop, Fire Wave, and Seven Wonders trails while we were there.  As disappointing as this was, upon learning there was a search and rescue attempt underway for a man who had been missing for over 24 hours, our hearts turned to prayers for his safety.  

Leaving the park, we saw our first male bighorn sheep!  He was grazing near the road and we were able to pull over and get a picture of him.  What a great way to end a wonderful day!

Another great day was spent at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 26 miles from our campground.  There, we found the Calico Tanks Trail to hike.  It was difficult choosing which trail, but I’m glad we didn’t miss this one!  The park ranger described it as a popular favorite among visitors and I can certainly tell you why!  It is a 2.5-mile-long trail (out and back) that is rated as moderate.  Shortly after the trail began, we went past an area that was quarried in the past.  There were three companies quarrying the red rock in the late 1800’s, all of which went bankrupt.  The good news is that the red rock remains today for all to enjoy.  The trail has 480 feet of elevation gain, during which we climbed a canyon filled with the red rock.  After scrambling the final few yards, we had a breathtaking view of the Las Vegas valley below.  Along the trail, we encountered a couple of natural tanks of seasonal water.  At the top, we pulled out our sack lunch and enjoyed some nourishment as we savored the skyline view of Las Vegas.  

Other stops we took in include the High Point Overlook and the Petroglyph Wall Trail.  The Petroglyph Wall Trail is a short 0.2-mile trail that led us to a wall where, at least 800 years ago, someone stood and carved this art into the wall.  It was amazing to stand in the same spot and try to visualize what life was like for the person who stood there all those years ago.  We certainly have things much softer today!

A trip to Las Vegas wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the strip.  We had tickets to David Copperfield’s matinee show “Live the Impossible” at MGM Grand, so we headed for the strip a few hours before showtime.  Show girls, with all their feathers, are everywhere you go, posing for pictures.  I couldn’t resist snapping a couple of pictures with two of the girls.  I’m pretty sure Dick enjoyed the opportunity too!

The Bellagio Fountain is amazing!  The fountain show begins every 30 minutes and was worth the short wait for it to begin.  The waters danced, perfectly coordinated to “All that Jazz” and was really fun watch!

Right across the street from The Bellagio is the Eiffel Tower.  I was content to snap a few photos from the ground looking up at the tower, but I can only imagine the amazing view from the top of the tower!

Dinner at Bubba Gump was delicious and then, before we knew it, it was time to head to MGM Grand for a little magic!  David Copperfield put on an amazing show, predicting details, making cars and spaceships appear, making people (including himself) move from one spot in the theatre to another spot, and even made a 30-foot T-rex appear.  

After the show, we had to take in a little bit of the glitz and glam of Vegas by observing the strip lit up after dark. We did take a quick walk through the MGM Casino.  I’m not a gambler and I would probably lose any money I did try to play any of the games with!  This being said, it was fun to watch all the other people playing!  The poker tables were really going hard at it!

I had it in my head that I really needed to see the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign, but wasn’t sure where to find it.  Asking Google was the answer (isn’t that the answer for about everything?)!  Once we had directions to it, I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to get a good picture of it.  It turned out that wasn’t a problem either.  Apparently, this is something a LOT of people want to do.  Las Vegas has built a parking lot in the middle of the road where the sign is located!  The bus loads of people unloading to get an up-close look at the sign was crazy!  Posing for a photo with the 1959 icon was our last hurrah in the Las Vegas area!  

Next up:  Phoenix!