Days 9 and 10
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Trip
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| Starting Point: | Flagstaff, AZ | Daily Mileage: | |
| Stops: | Meteor Crater, AZ | Total Mileage: | |
| Hoover Dam, AZ | Total Drive Time: | ||
| Finishing Point: | Boulder City, NV | ||
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Hoover Dam We started out our day by returning to the Hoover Dam. We figured if we got an early start we could beat the crowds and hit the early tour of the dam... yeah right! |
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| On the way to the dam, you have to pass a security checkpoint. We were lucky here because the officer just quickly glanced at the stuff we had in the back and then let us go. There was another vehicle at the checkpoint that was not so lucky. The police made him empty all the boxes from his van and then proceeded to check each one. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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| This is a cable-car system that is used at the dam to transport items in and out of the base of the dam. This cable-car can carry objects that are up to 150 tons and is used several times a month. It's the oldest working cable car in the world and has been in use for over 70 years. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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| This is the Lake Mead side of the dam. The tower-like structures are where the water enters the dam and runs through the hydro-electric generators. When the water gets to the turbines, it is moving at over 80 mph! The walls of these towers are covered by narrow slats that act as filters for the entering water. I'm not sure what a bass would do to a turbine at 80 mph, and apparently the folks at the dam don't want to find out. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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The part of Lake Mead that is directly next to the dam is separated by buoys so that no boats can approach the dam. These large fish feel completely at ease and just hang out near the surface of the lake. I wonder how many people have been arrested for jumping the wall with a pole and a net. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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This is the overflow pipes for the dam. They've only been used one time, back in 1983 when the level of Lake Mead rose to within 7 feet of the top of the dam. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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The Hoover Dam is so tall that I could not get the top and the base in the same shot. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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These twin statues are near the Hoover Dam visitor center. I'm not sure what they are supposed to signify because we were too lazy to read all of the inscriptions. I believe that it is a monument to all the worker that died during the construction of the dam. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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This marble zodiac is also part of the monument. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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Liz and I had to do our customary self-portrait in front of the dam's visitor center. |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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This is the inside of the dam (several hundred feet down). There are eight generators on this side of the dam that convert lake water that's moving at 80mph to 76,000 horespower. Impressive! |
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Hoover
Dam, AZ
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Vegas Baby! Finally, we are on our way to sin city, also known as Las Vegas. |
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What's that on the horizon? Is that... Vegas? |
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Las
Vegas, NV
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On to the Vegas Strip.. Click Here |