Way Out West 2019

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Today Terry and I had to attend a sales presentation in the afternoon so we needed to find something to do that was near enough that we could be back by 1:30. We decided to go to the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. The Hoover Dam sits on Colorado River on the border of Nevada and Arizona. It was built between 1931 and 1936 and was originally called the Bolder Dam but was changed to the Hoover Dam in 1947. It is a major tourist attraction with nearly a million visitors each year.

The Hoover Dam supplies electricity for Los Angeles and several surrounding states. It also supplies water for over 18 million people. The Lake Meade Reservoir is the largest of its kind in the United States when it is full. .

Several movies have used the Hoover Dam as a one of the scenes in their show. Transformers, Superman, Vegas Vacation, Fools Rush In, and San Andreas are just a few. Of course the most recent one I saw was San Andreas, just a few weeks ago. Ed and I wanted to walk the dam so Terry let us out and he and Karen found a place to park. As I was walking I kept thinking about the San Andreas Fault movie and how the people couldn't move fast enough as the earthquake hit the dam. When we met Karen and Terry they kept thinking about the movie Fools Rush In....a little happier thought!! Looking down over the side of the dam makes you realize just how high you are when standing on the walkway. Wow!!

We visited the gift shop and then found our car in the parking garage. As we were going to our car we struck up a conversation with some people from Missouri. Terry was talking about WVU playing Missouri on Saturday and the couple said we are from West Virginia. They were from a little place called Parkersburg!! We all laughed! It’s a small world after all!!

We headed back to Vegas through that same very desolate land....again! Terry and I went to our presentation. Karen and Ed rested and did laundry. Dinner was at a restaurant none of us had ever tried, Bahamas Breeze. It was excellent. Once dinner was over with it was time to pack and get ready to head out to the Grand Canyon South Rim.

Vegas was very hot and uncomfortable. We actually cut our trip short a day, especially since Terry hated it there. I don't think a return trip is in order for him!! I think if we visited there at a different time of year we might have liked it much better.

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