Hoover Dam

After the two nights in Vegas, we rented a car to drive to the Grand Canyon, but our first stop is the iconic Hoover Dam.  The shadow of the bridge at the base of the dam is the new US 93 bypass bridge.  Previously, the highway went across the top of the dam.  This is a fantastic view of the dam.

The reservoir behind the dam.

So,  for those of you who go and drive, here's a tip.  Don't pay the $10 to park in the lot next to the dam. Drive over/across the dam to the Arizona side and park in one of the free lots there.  This is the bridge that crosses over the spillover pipe.  There hasn't been spillover since 1983.

Looking down into the power plant.  The tour costs $15 and you go down to the base and the plant.

First stop, IN the rock wall is where you see one of the pipes with which they used to divert the water before the built the dam. 

Then you walk through the rock to get to.....

....the power plant.  The water is funneled through smaller pipes to gain velocity to rotate the turbines to generate electricity.   Pretty cool.

The US 93 bypass bridge at sunset.

Built in the 1930's, Hoover Dam has an Art Deco design as seen by the tops of the intake towers.  And off to Flagstaff.