Today was a day of relaxation away from the strip. It started out with a small run up a 300 foot incline and back down, followed by a nice quiet breakfast with just Lisa and I. Once her parents got back from church we headed out to our big adventure for the day, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.
One of the things that is amazing about this area of America is that you can often find yourself in the middle of nowhere within just a couple of minutes of leaving the suburbs. We turned the opposite direction from Vegas and within 30 seconds we were over a hill and in a vast expanse of mountainous desert. We headed down the road into the Lake Mead recreational area and towards the marina where we had a paddleboat cruise scheduled for us.
The cruise was a VERY relaxing time on a beautiful afternoon, despite a slight bit of pink-skin from the sun. The narration on the boat explained the history of the lake, and history of Hoover Dam. The cruise went around a portion of the lake and then headed toward the top of Hoover Dam. Seeing the dam from the top was cool, since after the cruise we were planning to walk the top of the dam. After returning to shore we headed down some winding roads to the historic site of Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam is a project that has fascinated me for a long time. I've seen a couple documentaries on how it was built, including the construction of the diversion channels that allowed them to build the structure. Seeing it in person was amazing, as it is much higher than it seems from pictures. It was truly vertigo inducing and I couldn't even stand to look over the side for very long. We walked along the top of the dam to the Arizona side and back. It was truly one of the highlights of the trip for me.
After the dam we hit a small casino on the way back, before heading to Freemont Street for the evening. Freemont Street is an interesting experience. It's as busy and crazy as the strip, but it's much more akin to a festival or fair than the strip is. On the strip you need to go into the various places to get most of the entertainment. On Freemont Street, there are stages and street performers everywhere, and even the bartenders get into the act with juggling routines during the light and music show that plays every hour. Most of the casinos are focused on being 'on the street' more than drawing people into a fascade.
After getting some dinner we split up and Lisa and I headed down to a beer garden so I could sample some more brews that I can't get at home. Then we met up with her parents again and sampled some of the shows at the various stages. One in particular has a woman doing the acrobatic act with two sashes hanging from the rafters as they twisted and turned themselves up and down. It was quite impressive to watch.
Now we're settling in for our final night here in Vegas. Tomorrow is a day of travel, especially since we lose two hours going back to central time. Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow night to digest a bit about the whole Vegas culture and reflect a bit here on the blog.
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