In the box of assorted jigsaw puzzles of Americana that I got a few weeks ago is one of Hoover Dam, the giant engineering project during the Great Depression years in the early-to-mid 1930's connecting the Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt administrations. Bordering Nevada and Arizona, it takes the Colorado River and functions as flood control, irrigation and a source of hydroelectric power. Many lives were lost during its construction, but it stands as a "can do" symbol of American know-how and potential. I've never been to Hoover Dam...have you? I'm guessing that most visitors have other places on their travel agenda as well, the Grand Canyon probably one of them. Thanks to Wikipedia for the information about this dam...
Many years ago we found it easier to fly from Australia to the US, then spend a few nights in Las Vegas before continuing on to Gainesville to visit Laurie and my folks. We chose Vegas because it was cheaper to stay there than in LA and also because there are so many cool tours that you can do from there. On one occasion we decided to go visit Hoover Dam and by sheer coincidence it was the day the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge opened! Security was quite tight that day and the tour bus was required to be boarded and inspected by security staff before being allowed to drive down for our tour of the dam itself. Our tour guide handed out these cartoon glasses for us all to put on just before the agent stepped onto the bus and, once he took a look at us all, he actually just laughed and said we were all cleared. If you ever get the whim I definitely endorse staying in Vegas and taking the tours that are offered from there. Another good tour from there ,if you should get the chance, is the one that takes you into the Valley of Fire National Park. Of course, you don't have the freedom of renting a car and doing things on your own, but then you don't have the headaches either!
ReplyDeleteI think that at this stage in my life I'm all for others taking the reins and treating me and Melissa to tours. So you liked Vegas? I'll always associate it with the James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever. As for Hoover Dam, I tend to associate it with another Bond flick, Goldeneye, even though it's not featured. At its start, Agent 007 bungee jumps off a huge dam, supposedly somewhere in Russia but actually in Switzerland.
DeleteIt's been a very long time since I was there, but I always liked it well enough (not really into the gambling, though). The shows are varied and I've seen the free ones (a comedic magician who was actually quite good), the moderately priced ones (those regular Las Vegas showgirls ones) and the fairly pricey ones (Siegfried and Roy from back in the day). If you haven't seen a Cirque d' Soleil, it's a show that is worth saving up your money and going to see. But outside of the things that are actually in Vegas, it's just such a good spot for those tours. And the airport there is fairly easy to use, not like having to deal with Atlanta or LAX. I would seek the advice of a travel agent and look for a hotel where you don't have to make your way through the entire casino just to check in.
DeleteI've never been into gambling, either. Over here we have Hard Rock sports betting commercials featuring singer Post Malone, and everybody on them acts like it's the greatest thing...but I don't. Let's see...other than occasionally buying Florida Lotto tickets back in their early years more than 30 years ago, the only other time I remember gambling was one time in a high school football pool. I didn't win it, probably a good thing. It's interesting, though, observing people who are deeply caught up in gambling, like on our last cruise...they seem to have a language all their own.
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