On the Way to Hoover Dam

The road from Vegas to Hoover Dam goes through some great country. There are also a few odd sights along the way. Aside from the dam itself, the new bridge being built to span the canyon is the most impressive man-made object out in the desert. If we include naturally occurring things, the desert is by far the most impressive sight to behold.

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Little poofy storm clouds on the horizon.

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We took a shortcut through the Nellis Air Force Base where the current-as-of-writing-this largest solar array in the world is constructed.  It is a massive complex to be sure!

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The Lake Las Vegas resort.  All of the rich and famous people who want to escape Vegas come to live here.

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The new approach to the new Highway 93 bridge across Black Canyon.

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Looking down into Black Canyon.

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Approaching the dam.  The whole place is crisscrossed with power lines.

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The big rope crane servicing the bridge construction.

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The arch spanning the canyon was completed a month or so before my arrival.  Next step is to build the roadbed.

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The piers supporting the Nevada bridge approach.

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It will support four lanes of traffic plus extra lanes for broken down vehicles and pedestrians.

The Strip at Night

At night Las Vegas comes alive. After a rousing round of Sangria at the Firefly to light up the night we drove through the strip for a little fun.  BTW, if you are ever in Vegas you really should go to the Firefly.  Great food, great atmosphere, and delicious drinks.

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Casinos everywhere!

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The Eiffel Tower.

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I wonder if that casino is really terrible.

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Plunging back into the night.

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Hooters in neon.

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MGM Grand.

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New York, New York.

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Obligatory photo of the Las Vegas sign.

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Even Mc Donalds is done up in neon.

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Harley Davidson shop on the strip.

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Planet Hollywood.

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Paris.

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I think I read this as “Balls” when we drove by it.

https://www.fireflylv.com/

The Springs Preserve

Las Vegas has a wonderful little preserve and musem called the Springs Preserve.  The perserve is located on the grounds of one of the original springs that made the founding of Las Vegas possible.  Almost all of the natural springs in the Las Vegas valley long ago stopped flowing due to over-pumping and other human-caused changes to the environment.  However at the Springs Preserve, the original landscape and environment has been preserved and recreated.  The attached museum and other facilities are also quite marvelous.

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Almost 2 million people and still going up!

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On top of the original spring mound looking at where the water used to bubble up.

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Looking toward the strip from the mound.

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Outside the museum near the amphitheater.

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Looking back toward the spring mound.