After completing my survey of all the new hotels, I left Las Vegas through its back door (as it were) and proceeded southeast towards Hoover Dam. As I approached this area, I got a good look at beautiful Lake Mead, a popular recreational area for boaters. Passing that, I came to Hoover Dam itself, a modern engineering marvel that is amazing and spectacular.

I didn't have time to stop for more than a few quick pics of the dam surroundings, but I have managed to visit the complex in more detail on a number of occasions in the past. Both inside and out, you would be impressed by the monumental scale of the facility and all of its pieces. There is the dam itself, the spillway ducts and the water intake valves, plus the internal power-generating turbines deep below ground. On the hills surrounding the dam are large metal towers, holding up the power lines that carry the electricity away to various cities across the region.

In recent years, the state has created a rather nice visitor center and parking facility to accommodate the thousands of curious tourists who happen by for a peek. If you have never been to Hoover Dam, I highly recommend a visit.

On this particular trip, security was high due to the terrorist attacks of the previous year. They were not letting any trucks pass across the dam and they were carefully looking over most of the cars.