Black Canyon/Colorado River
Today, we escaped the sometimes overwhelming noise and activity of the Strip and took a day trip, via Grayline, to Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. Meg wanted to see the Hoover Dam and I wanted to see Lake Mead, so this combined site trip was ideal. (From Las Vegas, you can take day trips to Death Valley, the Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce National Parks, etc.) Photo: View of the Colorado River in the Black Canyon at the site of Hoover Dam.
Black Canyon/Colorado River
Ethel M Candy Factory
First stop on our tour was the Ethel M Candy Factory in Henderson, NV, outside Las Vegas. This candy factory was started by Forrest Mars, Sr., of the Mars Candy Company, makers of M&M’s and other popular candy. Ethel was his mother’s name and Forrest used many of his mother’s candy recipes for the Ethel M candies, which are sold as an upscale candy.
Ethel M Candy Factory
Ethel M Candy Factory
The modern candy factory. Only Ethel M candy is made here. M&M’s are made in New Jersey.
Ethel M Candy Factory
Ethel M Candy Factory
A sign at the candy factory.
Ethel M Candy Factory
Ethel M Candy Factory
M&M’s for sale.
Ethel M Candy Factory
Ethel M Candy Factory
A Mars candy vending machine.
Ethel M Candy Factory
Ethel M Candy Factory
M&M dolls for sale. As far as I know, the Ethel M candy is only sold in Nevada and Chicago, but you can order it online. I bought a small box of it, but I prefer Leonidas as my upscale candy.
Ethel M Candy Factory
Ethel M Desert Garden
The Ethel M Desert Garden in front of the candy factory.
Ethel M Desert Garden
On the Way to Lake Mead
Back on the highway.
On the Way to Lake Mead
On the Way to Lake Mead
We passed through the old town of Boulder City, Nevada, a city that was initially created to house the workers who built the Hoover Dam. It was constructed by the federal government in 1931 during the Depression as a “model city.” It is the only city in Nevada today with no gaming. This photo shows the new section of Boulder City with its view of Lake Mead. Our bus driver/tour conductor told us that the larger homes here are being sold for over 1 million dollars. I checked this out: I found a listing for a 3930–square–foot house, 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 baths, 1/3 acre lot, for $1,495,000, and also an 1/2–acre lot, no house on it, for $1,200,000. A view of Lake Mead is worth a lot of money, but there were also some homes listed below the $400,000 range.
On the Way to Lake Mead
On the Way to Lake Mead
A view of Lake Mead.
On the Way to Lake Mead
On the Way to Lake Mead
The black outcrop is a dormat volcano.
On the Way to Lake Mead
Lake Mead Cruise
We were to cruise part of Lake Mead on this paddleboat––the Desert Princess.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
The Desert Princess Too (that is how it is spelt) also is sometimes put into use.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruises is guaranteeing an Outrageously Great Tour.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
We were delivered to the cruise dock way before we were set to sail and had time to look around the cruise office and see this sign. Why “(Water)” is included on the sign, I do not know.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
We also had time to look at the ducks swimming near the dock. Some people were feeding them popcorn––of course, sold in the cruise office.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
he fish also wanted their share of the popcorn.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
We were given box lunches and then set sail. Meg was able to sit inside with a window view and with a place to rest her poor foot. I stood outside, but it finally became so windy outside that I was glad to join her. My first impression of Lake Mead was that it reminded me of the colors and topography of Death Valley, which is not too far away from here. However, I would rate Death Valley as more than 10 times more dramatic than Lake Mead. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t very much enjoy our cruise.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead is the largest man–made lake and reservior in the United States. Its surace area is 247 square miles (640 square kilometers) and its shoreline is 550 miles (885 km). We were to cruise on just a small portion of the lake. Lake Mead is both in the states of Nevada and Arizona and was formed by the impounding of Colorado River water by the Hoover Dam. Lake Mead is named after Elwood Mead, who was the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner at the time Lake Mead was formed.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
The dormat volcano. When this area was inundated by the Colorado River, several communities were wiped out, including St. Thomas, Nevada, which is sometimes visible when the water level of Lake Mead drops. Before this, about 8,000–10,000 years ago, it was the home of Native American Indians.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
More of Lake Mead.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
The hills surrounding Lake Mead are made of red sandstone and black lava rock. The white ring seen on the bottom of the black lava rocks (also called the “bathtub ring”) is the high–water mark set in 1983. Today, both Lake Mead and the Colorado River are at low levels.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
Close–up of the red sandstone.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
We are now sailing (paddle–boating) around the black lava rock.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
Onward.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
We could now just make out the Hoover Dam.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
Closer view of Hoover Dam.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
And still closer. This is as close as our boat took us to Hoover Dam.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
A blow–up from the last photo.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
Leaving the Hoover Dam area and going back to port.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
Farther along.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
A view from the paddlewheel back of the boat.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead Cruise
View from the side of the boat.
Lake Mead Cruise
Lake Mead
We docked back at the pier. Photo taken from the bus when leaving Lake Mead.
Lake Mead
On the Way to Hoover Dam
Photo of nearby terrain taken from the bus.
On the Way to Hoover Dam
On the Way to Hoover Dam
Another photo of the desert terrain.
On the Way to Hoover Dam
On the Way to Hoover Dam
Here we were stopped for a bus search by U.S. Customs agents. No contraband was found.
On the Way to Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Our first view of Hoover Dam from the other side of the dam from which we saw it on our Lake Mead cruise. We came in from the Nevada side of the dam. The Arizona side of the dam, I believe, begins in the middle of dam, so I am taking this photo from Nevada and am overlooking the hills and mountains of Arizona. Note the angle of the high–tension towers.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Closer view of a tension tower. It looks like it is dangerously leaning over. Hoover Dam, originally known as Boulder Dam, was built between 1931 and 1936. Herbert Hoover was the head of the commission to lay plans for the building of the dam. In 1947, it was renamed after him. It was considered as a major engineering feat at its time and was built to supply energy to both Nevada and California.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
We first took the escalator down to the visitor’s center and paid $9 each for the Discovery Tour of the dam. We had a short wait to proceed into the movie theatre and started to watch a movie about the dam. However, shortly thereafter, a fire alarm went off, but it took several minutes at least before anyone came to evacuate us. Everyone had to go back on top until we were given an all–clear signal, which took quite a long time in coming. One of our tour group tried to get hold of our bus driver to tell him that we would need more time to take the tour, but he couldn’t be reached. (However, the Best Tours group were able to reach their bus driver and got the go ahead to be back to their bus later than originally planned.) After the all–clear signal, Meg and I went back down to the visitor’s center, skipping the rest of the movie and getting in line to immediately go on the rest of the tour. And we waited and waited and decided that we would not be able to be back at the bus on time if we waited any longer to get on the tour. But some of our Grayline group waited anyway––and did get back to the bus late (we had to wait for them). We are glad that we didn’t wait longer as the fire alarms went off again while these people were below in the viewing areas and some of them had a long time down there before they could be evacuated––probably because the elevators couldn’t be used. Photo: the evacuation scene. But if we had been able to continue the tour, we might have found out why those high–tension towers were placed at those angles. (We were refunded our tour money.)
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
By not going on the Discovery Tour, we had time to walk around outside. Photo: The blue water on the left of the photo is Lake Mead, where we were earlier.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
View of the Colorado River and Black Canyon from the bridge.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Looking down into Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Art work at Hoover Dam: These two figures on the Nevada side of the dam was sculpted by Oskar J.W. Hansen, which he called the Winged Figures of the Republic. In his words, they express “the immutable calm of intellectual resolution, and the enormous power of trained physical strength, equally enthroned in placid triumph of scientific accomplishment.” Also, “The building of Hoover Dam belongs to the sagas of the daring. The winged bronzes which guard the flag, therefore, wear the look of eagles. To them also was given the vital upward thrust of an aspirational gesture; to symbololize the readiness of defense of our institutions and keeping of our spiritual eagles ever ready to be on the wing.”
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Another view of the Winged Figures of the Republic, showing the location of the flag pole between them.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
A closer–up view of one of the winged figures.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Surrounding the base of the winged figures is a terrazzo floor, inlaid with a celestial map––back of photo. It shows the date that President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the dam––September 30, 1935.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Near the figures, there is also a compass, framed by the signs of the zodiac. Meg and I are both Geminis, so this is the zodiac sign I took a photo of.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
One of the most interesting stories about the building of the Hoover Dam is the story about the dam’s Black Labador mascot named Nip. Here is his grave and marker.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
If you can’t read the inscription, here it is: “The Hoover Dam construction crew’s mascot was found as a puppy by workers at the construction camp. This dog traveled to and from the damsite with them and spent his days visiting the many work areas. On February 21, 1941, the life of this devoted animal came to an end when a truck under which he was sleeping rolled over him.” A full story of Nip and his adventures at Hoover Dam can be found at www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/. Go to Articles from the Past and then to Dog on a Catwalk. It is a wonderful story to read. About 100 of the about 6,000 Hoover Dam workers also lost their lives during the building of the dam.
Hoover Dam
Las Vegas
Back on our tour bus and back to Las Vegas. We had dinner on our last night in Vegas at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant from which we had a nighttime view of Lake Bellagio and the Fountain Show. We were given three desserts––a made–to–order chocolate souffle, a passion fruit baked Alaska, and petit fours, which were more like soft candies. What a truly delicious way to end our stay in Vegas. We had another Vegas surprise the next morning when we were waiting for a taxi to take us to the airport––a snow shower, and it wasn’t a Vegas make believe show, but real snow was coming down. The snow shower didn’t last very long, but I also saw another one at the airport waiting for my plane. Seeing a snow shower in Las Vegas is a very very unusual occurrence and, being from Southern California, I will thrilled. It was a great trip.
