One of the great sights around the Las Vegas area and sometimes called the 8th wonder of the world is the Hoover Dam. Built back in the 30’s, it has helped control the Colorado River which varied between flood and drought for the agricultural lands below and it also provides electricity for the region. We had visited the Dam several years before but a new bridge has been added to the mix and we wanted to see that now.
A bit of background first. There was a roadway across the Hoover Dam which connected Arizona and Nevada and was the main link between Phoenix and Las Vegas. On the Arizona side this roadway consisted of several tight switchbacks which had to be negotiated by semis, RV’s and all other vehicles. Once the vehicles had gotten through the switchbacks, they came to the dam covered by tourists wandering to and fro as tourists do. When we were here several years ago, we saw this traffic jam first hand. Lines of traffic on the switchbacks, tourists meandering across the Dam, traffic backed up. It was a real mess.
In 2001, for security at a major US facility, trucks were diverted south to another route for a 75-mile detour. No one was happy. Obviously a bypass bridge was needed. The first study recommending a bypass was written in 1968, and over the years, 27 more studies followed. Yet it wasn't until March 2001 that the Federal Highway Administration approved the plan.
Funding divided between several US Government agencies, Nevada and Arizona, the bridge was named after a Nevada Governor, Mike O’Callaghan and an Arizona hero, Pat Tillman. Actually he is from Arizona but he is an American hero.
It is a signature bridge which is the longest and highest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere.
It is the world’s highest concrete arch bridge.
It is America’s second highest bridge and 14th in the world.
It has the world’s tallest concrete columns of their kind.
BUT - it is a magnificent bridge and it complements the classic Hoover Dam well. The curve of the arch in the bridge mirrors the curve in the dam. And, whereas the dam is a massive structure, the bridge is light and airy. Finally, the best view of the dam is from the bridge and the best view of the bridge is from the dam.
And, here’s the best part: there is a pedestrian walkway on the Dam side of the bridge across the entire span almost to the Arizona side of the canyon. And, what marvelous views you can get from that height of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River below, and the mountains beyond. What a thrill.
Several years ago, Gary and I took a kayak trip down the Colorado River putting in below the Hoover Dam and ending at Willow Beach, several miles down stream. When we were put in to the river we could paddle up to the barriers and look up at the Hoover Dam. It was magnificent and what an interesting perspective.
Today we could look down on it and it was just as magnificent.
The view from driving over the bridge is not as complete since the guard rails are fairly high. (As an RV’er, I like high guard rails. There is noting so eerie as driving over a bridge and being so high up that you can’t see the guard rails.)
We walked over the bridge, we stood and gazed at the Hoover Dam and we marveled at the workmanship and engineering that both entailed. Here are Shirley, Jerry and Gary in the middle of the pedestrian walkway.
Then we walked over the Dam to look at the bridge. It was superb and a complement to the Dam.
Then we got back into the car and drove over the bridge to the other side to see what kind of views we could get from there. Not many but we did find an off-road that Jerry, our driver loves to take. Who knows where it leads but that is part of the excitement in taking what we call a ‘Jerry’ road. This mostly one lane road led us around hills, down into gullies, back up other hills and finally our views opened up and - there was an RV with a truck parked off to the side and someone reading a book, a stone bathroom, and a beach for Lake Mead in front of us.
Here also were 3 scuba divers just emerging from the water. No, not above, that's Shirley, Jerry and Gary.
Isn’t that what always happens? You think you’re on the road to nowhere and at the end are other people. We chatted a bit then noticed these across the way: a herd of big horned sheep. I like the name tag on the one to the right - looks like he’s ready for his convention. All he needs is a briefcase.
But we have one more stop, the Ethel M. Candy Factory, named after Ethel Mars who with her husband founded of Mars Bar Candy Company.
Here we saw huge kettles where peanut brittle is made
a worker sifting what we think is toasted coconut on top of some round white chocolates,
another worker unfolding some chocolates and pouring them into a large box,
and learned a little bit about the history of chocolate. The Mayans called cocoa beans the ‘Food of the Gods’ while the Aztecs crushed them and made a drink out of them called”xocolatl’ meaning ‘warm liquid.’ In 1502 Columbus then took some back for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella who regarded them as little more than a curiosity. Things really got rolling when Cortez realized the potential added a bit of cane sugar and such flavors as cinnamon and vanilla, called it Chocolatl and introduced it to the wealthy back in Europe. The rest is sweet history.
While we were too late to actually see them making much chocolate, we were not too late to get a sample.
By this time it was time to head home to savor our exciting day full of variety.
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