#210 Apr 2019 There is always more to experience!

Las Vegas is exciting, hectic and sometimes overwhelming. 

In post #168 we shared our view of Vegas from the top of the Stratosphere at dusk. This time we went much higher on a brief helicopter ride at night.

Even at that height the lights are brilliant.

The Stratosphere is still a landmark.

The Strip glows.

Our show night was “The Rat Pack is Back”. What a great trip back in time to familiar songs by great entertainers who realistically portrayed Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.

In March 2016 we rode the High Roller at dusk (post #129). This time we checked out the daytime view.

There are always construction cranes on the horizon.

The casinos and hotels are huge from any vantage point.

The mountain backdrop changes with the weather.

Our timeshare resort was front and center from the High Roller.

We don’t gamble but we do wander through the casinos to see the sights inside. The Flamingo Hotel has a lovely garden which is an oasis in the busyness of Las Vegas.

It was a hot, very bright day so the flamingos didn’t photograph well.

The black swan was in the shade.

The ibis were busy looking for snacks.

Two rescued California brown pelicans enjoy a privileged life in the garden.

The pelican’s wings were badly damaged by fishing line.

They know when and where lunch arrives.

Then it’s time for a leisurely swim.

#209 Apr 2019 Water in the desert

From Valley of Fire we returned to Las Vegas along part of Lake Mead.

Lake Mead was created behind Hoover Dam and is a recreational oasis in the desert. 

Wilderness camping/RVing is popular near the lakeshore.

The blue lake is startling amid the desert colours.

There were also desert blooms to brighten the landscape.

We were thrilled to spot wild horses as they meandered alongside the highway.

 

We wondered if they might cause an accident as they calmly approached a blind corner of the highway.

The horses appeared to head into the hills with a destination in mind.

We continued to see outcrops of red rock brightening the scenery.

As evening approached the hills appeared almost otherworldly.

Hoover Dam is an engineering marvel that attracts visitors from around the world.

The dam was built on the Colorado River between 1931 and 1936 and serves Arizona, Nevada and California. It is a major supplier of hydroelectric power and provides flood control, river regulation and improved navigation. 

We took the complete tour that led us 700 feet into the depths of the dam. 

The tour uses a freight elevator but there are miles of tunnels and thousands of stairs.

One by one tour participants entered a tunnel and viewed the river and bridge from inside the dam. Awesome!

One of the tunnel openings can be seen in the upper right corner of this photo.

Behind the dam Lake Mead shoreline shows the water level. 

The highest white line was reached when the lake was first filled. The gray line is the highest water since then and is the optimum level of the lake.

The water intake into the dam is below the level where fish live. This one could be seen cruising just below the top of the dam.

Past the dam the water continues back to the Colorado River.

Before 2010 all highway traffic drove over the top of the dam.

Now this new bridge takes vehicles over the river at highway speed with no distracting view of the dam.