Hoover Dam

Try doing this - you're sitting on a narrow plank of wood, with your legs dangling hundreds of feet above the rocky gorge below. You carry a 40-pound jackhammer, with only a few strands of rope, and a figure-8 knot, keeping you from falling to death. The summer heat bakes you and the winter winds freeze you. Oh, and your hourly pay is 75 cents. You are the essential worker who helped to build Hoover Dam. Known as a "High Scaler", you scaled down the steep canyon cliffs and knocked away the rocks and boulders blown apart by the dynamite holes you had earlier drilled and set. Sculpted in 1995 in the likeness of a real Scaler named Joe Kline, this bronze statue was dedicated and placed next to the dam's concession shop, "The High Scaler Cafe", on the Nevada borderline in 1998.

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The sturdy hands of man and nature’s own volcanic rocky terrain have joined together to create the infinite span of topography known as Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam is more than just the world’s 35th largest hydroelectric generating station; it is a sight to be marveled. With it’s overbearing sense of power, even the most imaginative minds will question how such a colossal modern day marvel is possible. Visitors will be compelled to take a tour of the dam in order to get to the bottom of their endless curiosity. Even a return trip to the dam won’t be enough, go once more to simply engage in the miles of landscape surrounding the dam, become enthralled by the teal colored water of the Colorado River, or even test your fear of heights on the roadway, 726 feet above the foundation.

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If you could take just one photo: Hoover Dam

Located 30 minutes from Las Vegas, Hoover Dam is a great break from the glitter-polluted city. Tour starts with a short movie about this concrete giant’s history. You will be impressed not only by its ahead of time technology but also the splendid art deco design. Tour takes you inside the power plant where you feel like a cold war spy under a huge pressure of tones of water. Later enjoy great views of the Colorado River canyon and futuristic energy station while walking between Arizona and Nevada. Tours inside are $30, open daily 9a.m. - 5p.m.

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Putting the Las Vegas skyline behind you, let go of breath you didn’t know you were holding. Driving though the desert on US 93, it’s hard to believe there’s a 146,000 acre body of water out there known as Lake Mead. If you visit the Hoover Dam, you may be surprised to learn that it is much more than just an incredible engineering feat. The dam’s visitor center and public areas are perfectly maintained examples of 1930s art deco architecture. Your photographs are welcome as you view artwork highlighting the sacrifice of an estimated 16,000 men and women who worked on the dam. Twin sentinels flank a plaque that memorializes workers who lost their lives. Sculptor Oskar J.W. Hansen dubbed these 30 foot tall figures Winged Figures of the Republic and visitors are encouraged to rub their sun-warmed bronze feet for good luck before traveling on. Cross over the Dam from Nevada into Arizona and enjoy a picnic lunch at the rest stop you’ll find there.

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