On the Road Again

Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Laughlin to Hoover Dam to Las Vegas

We have another Golden Nugget voucher for breakfast and walk through the casino to get to Harlow's to use it.  This is a Keno area.  We don't know what that means at first but by the time we've eaten our Special Breakfast we've figured it out.  And we've enjoyed two eggs, four pieces of meat, two pancakes, OJ and coffee!  This is the life!!  But it's time to pack and move on and after we've paid Mel, our waiter, we set off once more.

That the Keno board up there, always on display!

Leaving town we are stuck once again by the fact that Laughlin is really a little Las Vegas!

And like so many other places we've seen in Arizona, the overpasses are decorated.

On the road we see a rest area - just a restroom by the side of the road - and another one that shows the Native American influence.

More beautiful country!

And our first sight of Lake Mead!

Here we are on our way to Hoover (Boulder) Dam and on the way we another Security Check Point!  This time we're prepared and unfazed.  They don't have a dog at this one;  but the guys are just as polite.

We find a spot to park in the covered portion of the parking building and descend to the Visitors' Center.  Everyone has to go through security like at the airport except we get to keep on our shoes!  The guard wants to look inside my bag and takes out my vitamins, saying I can't take them in!  He thinks they're nuts!  When I point out that they are vitamins he is a bit chagrined and lets me pass!

We see a short movie on the history of this remarkable structure and then are escorted to an elevator that holds forty people and goes down three hundred and fifty feet!  Happily the tour guide keeps us entertained and no one freaks out!

One of the thirty-two pipes that carry the water.

Diagram of how the whole thing works!

This passageway is twice as wide as the first one we passed through!

We are then lead into the bowels of the power plant and given lots of facts and figures about the creation of electricity from hydroelectric power.

Terrazzo inlays

Back outside we are on our own to take as many dam pictures as we like!

Lake Mead

Memorial to those who died building the dam.

Steps to the parking garage

This man is a High Scaler.  They hung over the side of the canyon suspended only by their bosun's chair.

On our way again, heading for Las Vegas and wondering what the fire situation will be.

We're pretty sure that's the Carpenter1 Fire we can already see south of Las Vegas.

Our hotel/casino - I guess that's all there is in Vegas - is just a bit off the Strip and has a Denny's off the casino.  We have free wifi and breakfast vouchers for Denny's but they aren't like Auntie Edna's!  We're so tired and hungry that we go straight to dinner even though it's only four!  We haven't had lunch, so that's okay!  Denny's is right here, so that's our destination and while there we find out what we can have in the morning.  Actually, it is quite a bit like this morning, except for the coffee and OJ!

New York, New York

Excalibur 

Our current home away from home.

Back to our room and we bring in all our stuff to reorganize since we'll be here four days.  Unfortunately we won't be able to get to Mt. Charleston, since that's where the fire is.  And we can't do Red Rock Canyon tomorrow because it's closed.  However, we've found a National Geographic site that lists a zillion fun and free things to do in Vegas, so we'll have lots to see tomorrow.  The next day is our helicopter ride and who knows what the situation will be after that!  Ole has given us the name of a wonderful Japanese noodle restaurant and Auntie Edna says to check out Fremont Street for the dancing lights.  Our new plan is already forming!