My life through pictures...: Las Vegas

I kept waking up around 6am each morning, but I guess that is because of the time change! It felt like it was 9am and time to get up! But I was most surprised by how bright it was here at the 6am hour! I took this right when I woke up!

Touring the Hoover Dam!

We had a pretty cool driver and tour guide! Our tour guide came from New York to Las Vegas in 1968 in a show on Broadway that came there and he decided to stay! He could tell us so many stories and new almost all there was to know about the city and surrounding areas! Once we got to the dam, we had to go through security where they had to search the bus! Gerald told us that ever since 9/11, it is mandatory! He also said that some days the guys aren't quite so nice and some days they joke around with you...so for us to be a little quiet to get the guy on and gone! But he turned out to be pretty cool! He stepped on and said "is this the party bus?" So we all knew we were just fine!
I got a picture of Gerald on the left and our security guy coming on and joking around with us!

They are building a new bridge to go over the river so that it will alleviate the traffic issues people have and security needs. It will be 900 feet over the water! Right now, the road on the dam is about 437 feet above water!

Some palm trees

Then we had to pile in an elevator and go down 437 feet under the dam! We were packed in like sardines!

Then we came back up to 300 feet under the dam and saw the generators that pull the water in to make electricity!

Walking through the tunnel back to the elevator to go back up top!

They have an exhibit there where it shows the history behind the dam and how they made it! Here is a model on how they built the dam!

Pictures of the dam

There are towers on each side of the dam and each has a clock with Nevada time and Arizona time...by the time we got to the Arizona side, an hour had passed!

This is the Colorado River! It is a beautiful blue and if you look on the mountains just above the water, it is white. That is where the water used to be! They say it is down almost 100 feet! And the alkali in the water turned the mountain white when the water dried!

There is some sort of winged icon that sits over the dam, that they say if you rub his toes it is good luck!

I thought this "sign" of remembrance was cool! It says they died to make the desert bloom! They said there were officially 96 deaths during the building of the dam and 400 unofficial? So I am not sure what the unofficial part is unless it is the deaths that occurred after the building?

Me in front of the beautiful background

This was sweet...read it!

On the way back to the hotel, the guide told us there were these bighorn sheep in the mountains and we may or may not see them, but all of a sudden there were tons of them on the side of the road! And he told us that there butts are white so you can spot them in the mountains! lol

On the way back I saw the Art Institute of Las Vegas

Lunch at Mesa Grill (which is Bobby Flay's restaurant in case you didn't know!)

This is the outside of Mesa Grill

This is the bar and then the grill area behind the glass

Goat Cheese "Queso Fundido" Rajas and Blue Corn Tortilla Strips

I had the New Mexican Spiced Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Grilled Red Onion, arugula, Ancho-Chile Mayonnaise and Southwestern Fries and it was AMAZING!!!

Barbecued Lamb Cobb Salad with Avocado, Tomato, Cabrales Blue Cheese and Buttermilk Dressing

Leizel had the Ancho Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon with Spicy Black Bean Sauce and Roasted Jalapeno Crema

After lunch, our server offered to give me a tour of the kitchen! While I waited, I got a picture of the dining room...they close after lunch and reset for dinner...that is why it is empty!