Russell Travel Adventures: Hoover Dam & Lake Mead

Norma & Friend For the Day -- Billy

Norma and Helicopter Pilot Scott

During my recent visit to Las Vegas, I decided to visit one of America’s most iconic landmarks – the Hoover Dam.

According to the US Dept of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation website, “Hoover Dam is a testimony to a country's ability to construct monolithic projects in the midst of adverse conditions. Built during the Depression, thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to build the largest dam of its time. Now, years later, Hoover Dam still stands as a world-renowned structure. The Dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.”

While at the dam, I watched the eight-minute film, which gave a synopsis of the project. Then we were escorted into the tunnels down to view the generators. At the time, they had just pulled one of the turbines for repairs and inspections. The tour guide said this major inspection is done just once every 25 years.
Check out the link below to reach the official Hoover Dam website. It has some amazing facts and photos.

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/index.html

You’ll also see in one of the photos from atop the dam, parts of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. It’s purported that it will be the longest concrete arched bridge when completed.

Information from the official website http://www.hooverdambypass.org/ says the following: “Construction of the Colorado River Bridge is advancing with construction of the 1,060 foot twin-rib concrete arch. The Colorado River Bridge is the central portion of the Hoover Dam Bypass Project. Construction on the nearly 2,000 foot long bridge began in late January 2005 and the completion of the entire Hoover Dam Bypass Project is expected in June 2010. When completed, this signature bridge will span the Black Canyon (about 1,600 feet south of the Hoover Dam), connecting the Arizona and Nevada Approach highways nearly 900-feet above the Colorado River.

For a really good explanation and some amazing footage, check out the link below to watch a YouTube piece taken from the Discovery Channel’s Extreme Engineering show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAm5cjvrRbc

After taking my tour of the inside and on top of the dam, I decided it was time to take a Lake Mead excursiton to view the lake and to visit the dam from its front side.

But the best part was seeing Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and the surrounding area from high above in a helicopter. The helicopter flight was the highlight of the entire trip! This makes my third trip in a helicopter and I love it and I wish I could go more often. Enjoy the aerial photos!