BCNHA at Hoover Dam

We drove to Hoover Dam this morning for the tour. There is major activity there because they are building a freestanding bridge across the Colorado below the dam so that traffic will no longer be routed across the dam. It's a homeland security measure. The photo shows their progress to date. they are just starting to extend the lower, arching support out from the anchors on each hillside (lower portion of the photo). It will be fun to watch the progress on this.

Here is a shot from the upper observation tower of the dam itself. Bubby couldn't stand to look down, it gave her vertigo. It always makes me wonder what it would be like to just launch myself out into space. Probably not too bad, except for the abrupt stop at the bottom.

Here you see an unofficial meeting of OFA (the Old Fart's Association), of which I am an honorary member. It is unofficial because the secretary, our Bubby, is taking the photo. We had many executive sessions of the association during our travels. It was fun to look back and see Jim, Larry, and Bubby all snoozin' away. Bubby takes minutes at all of the OFA meetings.

We took the $11 power plant tour and got to see the bank for turbines on the Nevada side spinning away and making electricity. It was pretty cool because we were right down in the dam and diversion tunnels part of the time. This is quite an engineering feat, especially when you consider it was done during the Great Depression and was finished two years ahead of schedule and under-budget. No wonder everyone thought Hoover was a hero. Later they hated him because of the FBI.

Bubby wanted to get her National Park Passport stamped, but she is out of places to stamp in the Western Region. We have just visited too many of those parks. She went down to get an impression on a separate piece of paper after the tour, and she is triumphantly riding back up the escalator with her passport and stamp proudly displayed.

We had a wonderful trip, again. It was very pleasant and relaxing. The weather was outstanding, and we ate at some really fun places. Thanks to Gayle and BCNHA for their 12 year sponsorship of this annual event.

Buboppy