Tuesday, June 7, 2011

I Took the Dam Tour...What Happens in Vegas...part three of three

 Have ever wanted to do something, but been terrified to do it?  That's how I felt about going on the (Hoover) Dam Tour.  It's size is overwhelming.  Then the dam guide tells you if you are claustrophobic, have heart problems or are pregnant you might want to not take the tour.  Guess which one I am? 

I really wanted to go...
 I took a deep breath and focused on my Brilliant Husband and swore I could do it...
So we climbed in the elevator.
 And went down...
 down....
 down...


 deep inside the Hoover Dam. 
We had to listen to a lot of dam jokes...
 This is what the dam is made of...
Then we arrived...
I focused my breathing as we started walking into the dimly lit tunnels.
We went into a room above the turbines...
We could feel the floor vibrating from the flowing water....
 Yep...there was water filtering in through the rock...
 We walked into this MASSIVE room and looked at all the equipment.
 It was a huge room!
 It even had train tracks in it! 
And my camera went dead.  UGH! 
We walked through lots of tunnels.  We looked out of a vent in the dam. 
It was pretty amazing! 
We had to walk across a grate that was three stories deep! 
 Yep, I held my breath and my Brilliant Husband's sleeve and ZOOMED across it.
This was our first trip without our daughter...she's 15. 
We had a great time and didn't worry about her, she was with some wonderful friends.
 One last photo...
It's fake grass! 
 Lots of the casinos had it. 
 I guess it saves on water consumption.
Vegas was a lot of fun.  We had a super time!

Thanks for stopping in and checking out my photos....
(I really did use restraint posting them. )

Do you have an travel plans for the summer? 

34 comments:

  1. I've been to Vegas many times but never yet done the Hoover Dam tour. Now I have seen the pictures, I'm done! Thanks for sharing and no, I don't think I'll go :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I married my wondrous wife Suze in Las Vegas at the Little Chapel of the Flowers - I loved the city and want to go back! We rented a car for our last "check-out-of-hotel-and-seek-adventure-all-day-until-late-night-flight-home" day - and we used it to drive out to Hoover Dam. It was very cool to see. I think the weirdest part of our entire trip for me was looking down that one deeeeep side - the water down there looked SO MUCH like a miniature set from a movie! And it still does, even in the pictures you posted! The water is sooo blue, and it ripples like tiny water in a little set would. I know - I'm weird. Great pictures! Glad you had fun! Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Claustrophobic? I'm so proud of you for doing the tour. I know I couldn't do it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I took the same dam tour when I was there many years ago!!
    It's so massive!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've been to Vegas plenty of times, too, and never saw Hoover dam. I love your photos and the way you described the tour, and I definitely must see Hoover dam someday. I think my husband would love to see it, too. What a bummer that your camera died before the end of the tour, but you got some great photos before it went out. Nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I haven't been to Hoover but it looks amazing. I have been to the Three Gorges Dam in China, though, which is the largest dam in the world. It was a very cool experience. Crazy, but cool.

    Amy

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yay for fake grass!!

    Awww Sharon K Mayhew!! I was getting nervy just looking at these pics! That is one BIG DAM!! Good grief! But what a feat of engineering though!! Well done you for being ever so brave!!! I'd be wanting a very stiff cold drink after!! Yay!! Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  8. That picture of you and your husband is fantastic! And--good for you for facing your fears and not letting them hold you back!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hurrah for you for going on the tour, in spite of claustrophobia! I haven't a head for heights, so the getting up there would be what bothered me, I think. And I hate elevators! I'm scared they're going to give way, even ones in small buildings, and that I'm going to plunge to my death. LOL. So I think you did so well!

    Travel plans for late summer or early fall involve familial obligations, as usual. I don't remember the last time I traveled because I really wanted to--but hey, I'm a homebody anyway! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. writing contest....My blog Amish Stories is having its first ever contest this week. The First prize winner will win 2 tickets to tour the farm where the 1985 move "Witness" staring Harrison Ford and Kelly Mcgillis was made in Strasburg,Pa . This farm is now Amish owned, and the family has given permission for folks to tour their farm. This may be the last time anyone will be able to walk and see the same things that Harrison Ford and the other actors saw during the making of "Witness". The Witness tour should last about 2.5 hours. In addition to the Witness farm tour tickets, 1st prize winner will also receive 2 tickets for Jacobs choice. There will also be a 2nd place prize, which will be 2 tickets for the Amish Homestead. Please go to My blog www.AmishStorys.com for contest details, and more information on the prizes. Richard from the Amish settlement of Lebanon county.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sharon .. that sounds an amazing tour - your photos are very good .. giving us a tour around.

    So pleased you had such a wonderful time and that your 'little' on enjoyed her stay with friends .. wonderful memories ..

    Thanks for sharing .. Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Sharon .. that sounds an amazing tour - your photos are very good .. giving us a tour around.

    So pleased you had such a wonderful time and that your 'little' on enjoyed her stay with friends .. wonderful memories ..

    Thanks for sharing .. Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sharon, those photos are GORGEOUS!

    Alas, it's going to be a very poor and busy summer, so no big travel plans for me (yet!) :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. NICE PICS! I'm guessing you weren't the pregnant one :)

    We're going to Cocoa Beach in a couple weeks and it can't come soon enough.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks, as usual, for all the beautiful pictures. I've never been through the Hoover dam, but have through the Glen Canyon, the one just up the river. :o)

    Thanks for sharing, my friend! xo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Can't begin to tell you how many times I drove over that Dam but never took the tour... Look really cool.

    I'm glad you and hubby had a great time!

    This summer at the end of August or early September a trip to another wonder is in store for me. Born and raised in NYC I never had the chance to visit Niagara Falls. It's something I've wanted to do forever. Then from there a week traveling through Canada to spend a few fun-filled days in Montreal. So it should be a fantastic two week vacation.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've taken that tour...isn't that amazing? The sheer size of it is intimidating. And it's weird how cool it is underground, huh? Glad you had a great time.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you for sharing the pictures.I did not realize that the dam was so invloved I hope that we get to go there too. My husband is getting inspired too.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I went on that Damn Tour, lol when our son was small. My daughter is now 15, too. She wasn't around when we traveled, from Alaska back to Maine.
    I loved how brave you were! Thanks for sharing; great pics!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh my Gosh! You brave woman! That looks amazing - but I think all the time I would be thinking about the exit!

    My travel plans - well I went to Canada snowboarding back in March, so the rest of year will probably just stay local. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. That's pretty cool, but I have to say I nearly had a panic attack. Tight spaces and I don't get along so well...

    Looks like it was a fun trip!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm so glad you did this! It looks so exciting! I think I would be really scared too :-)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for sharing the great photos, Sharon. You were very brave to do that! Glad you got to take such a special and enjoyable trip.

    ReplyDelete
  24. You made me feel like i was there... awesome pics--stay safe and keep having fun!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. We saw Hoover Dam a few years ago when we were in LV. I thought it was really impressive!

    ReplyDelete
  26. we did vegas and the dam and the grand canyon last summer. i have many similar pics =) most amazing is the new bypass over the dam. its so high!
    have a good wknd!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Water filtering through the rock? Not a good sign. All the times I been to Vegas and I've never seen that damn dam. Thanks for the pics and enjoy your trip!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I felt my tummy turning looking at the depth in those pictures. This is a tour I definatly want to do. Wow amazing pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  29. You will have to come to LR sometime and walk across the Big Dam Bridge there too. It's not nearly as big as Hoover Dam, but it is famed for being the longest "purpose-built" bicylce/pedestrian bridge in the country. You were brave to cross the Hoover Dam! I couldn't do it!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh my goodness Sharon ~ I am dizzy just looking at the photos of the Dam. You are a brave girl!!
    xo Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great shots, Sharon! I think I can't go up there as it will make me feel so dizzy! But I love the photos! :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. You're pregnant?! Seriously, I'm scared of heights and claustrophobic too, so I would've had a hard time before (and maybe during) the tour too. Glad you overcame your fear because it looks like an experience. And I love the picture of you two!

    ReplyDelete
  33. My wife and I took the dam tour a couple years ago (the guides seem to delight in saying "dam tour"). It was pretty impressive and fun. I'd done a tour in the early 80's and it was somewhat different back then. They didn't have the big museum and visitor center. It's a tour that I highly recommend. I tend to be very claustrophobic, but I had no problem with the conditions here.


    Lee
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete