Hoover Dam-October 12, 2011

My first reaction is that it is one huge hole in the earth. My second reaction is that I do not want to drive that road again and I don't want to drive in that parking lot again. What a breath-holding experience. It is a massive structure to see. I understand the need for it. The electrical power coming out of that dam is mind boggling. I understand the need for that, too. Las Vegas is lit up 24 hours a day. I agree that the people who conceived the idea of the dam were certainly visionaries. Apparently there were many people killed during the construction of that thing. There are signs everywhere stating that. You do have to go through a security check point, for the old road, not the new one. We walked across the dam. I did not want to drive across it. Perhaps I expected something more scenic. I'm not sure. But I certainly was not prepared for so much concrete! And speaking of concrete............most houses here have concrete front yards and concrete block walls on all 4 sides of their houses. We don't think we could live like that. All sides of the roads and interstates are also solid concrete. Now it is clear to see why when they finally get rain, it causes flooding. There's nothing to absorb the rainfall. Add to that the fact that all of the houses are varying shades of tan and it is certainly a very different part of the world. We are enjoying our visit, but we wouldn't want to live here year 'round.