Day Five: That Dam Tour....

Hoover Dam spans the Colorado River in Black Canyon between Arizona and Nevada, some 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas Nevada. Constructed in the 1930s, the concrete arch-gravity structure was intended to prevent flooding as well as provide much-needed irrigation and hydroelectric power to arid regions of states like California and Arizona. It was originally known as Boulder Dam, but was renamed in 1947 in honor of Herbert Hoover, who as U.S. secretary of commerce and the 31st U.S. president proved instrumental in getting the dam built. At 726 feet high and 1,244 feet long, Hoover Dam was one of the largest man-made structures in the world at the time of its construction, and one of the world's largest producers of hydroelectric power.

Amazing place, and here are the pictures to prove it (It is incredible that this Dam was built 70+ years ago - what an amazing illustration of AMERICAN INGENUITY!  

A wrench used to tighten the bolts on the turbines in Hoover Dam.

The Bypass to Hoover Dam.  My Daddy drove over Hoover Dam in 195x.  I bypassed the Dam and drove over this bridge.  I have been inside of the Dam, but never driven over it....

The bridge and more....

The intake towers.

How big are the turbines?  See the little man on the little car?  Yeah.  The turbines are pretty much huge.

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.  Wow.

The hole to nowhere...  makes me glad that I don't need to climb down that ladder...  government employees are underappreciated....

A vent in the side of Hoover Dam.  Wait for it....

The view from inside out....

The Sky from inside Hoover Dam.  (See above...  Put your camera out the vent and take a picture of UP)

Don't look down - the view from the vent in Hoover Dam....