If you fancy seeing the site of a true engineering marvel whilst on vacation in Las Vegas then a trip to see the Hoover Dam is well worth the time. Named after the US president Herbert Hoover, in honour of his work in promoting the project and obtaining agreement from the surrounding states about how water and power would be distributed amongst them.
It will take less than an hour to get there, depending on the traffic, if you head out of town on Route 93 towards Boulder. If you haven’t hired a car for your time in Las Vegas then there is plenty of public transport to take you to this ever popular sightseeing highlight. Just ask your hotel for advice on the best place to pick up transport and they are sure to guide you in the right direction. Some hotels may even provide shuttle buses to take guests up to the Dam site as this is such a popular trip.
The building of the Hoover Dam created the vast Lake Mead (around 110 miles long) and allows the generation of around 2 megawatts per day, by diverting water at 85 mph across turbines. The Dam itself is 221 meters high, 380 meters across, and 14 meters thick, so was certainly a giant project. Thanks to the creation of the lake a number of communities have grown up on the banks and members of these towns earn their living by offering water skiing, boating, and jet skiing lessons, amongst other tourism based industries.
The area is designated as a National Park and is a stunning site, which explains the huge numbers of tourists who flock here every year. If you feel hungry after admiring the sights and sounds of the dam all you need to do is head over to the Nevada side for a comfortable eating area with gift shop, so that you can purchase a memento of your trip to this awe-inspiring creation.
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