I love getting out of town, even if it’s just for an hours-long drive through our famous southwest landscape. Recent quick getaways include Utah, skiing on Mount Charleston, Lake Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. One of the easiest excursions for getting out of Vegas for a few hours is to drive out to the Hoover Dam. Even though the suburbs of the city are more sprawling than a lot of people realize, at the end, it really does end abruptly with nothing but desert on the other side. When driving east, it’s easy to pass right by the Railroad Pass casino. Next time, get out for a minute and look around. It’s the oldest continually running casino in Nevada (it’s game license is #4). Boulder City, the town between eastern Vegas and the Dam, is one of only two cities in all of Nevada that prohibits gambling — it was a town built for the workers on the Dam, and no one wanted them gambling away their earnings! You also drive by Lake Mead, the reservoir shown here. It supplies 90 percent of our desert city’s water.
Nevada's oldest casino lies between Vegas and the Hoover Dam.
The drive to the powerplant passes through gorgeous Southwest landscape.
The magnificent Hoover Dam, which provides hydroelectric power for Nevada, Arizona and California.
More than one million people visit the dam every year.
The exhibit at the dam includes many fascinating celestial maps and such; here, my sign, Pisces.
My besties visiting from NYC: Alicia and Lori.
The Hoover Dam Visitor Center is open every day 9 am to 6 pm, with tours ending a few hours prior to closing. There are several options at various prices for tours of the dam and powerplant.
Abby
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27 Comments
Only you would wear a dress to the hoover dam. I love you.
The setting of that dam is mind blowing. We were there once, but it went by way to fast because everyone we were with was eager to get back to Vegas. Go figure!
Spent way more time that I ever would have liked to in Boulder City before they built the bypass to the dam, but only because the traffic backups used to extend out to there regularly. Had no idea that Railroad Pass was that old. It looks pretty decent for it’s age.
Rease — lol. I try to only wear jeans on planes!
I had no idea about Railroad Pass either — my eagle-eyed friend noticed the plaque in the parking lot!
The Hoover Dam is one of those things I remember learning about at a young age (even in the UK!) and building models of out of paper mache. I also seem to recall doing the Aswan dam. I think this has resulted in a life long fascination with dams in general… awesome bits of engineering
You look great in that dress.
Ha.. I was going to say the same thing as Rease.
I had no idea the Hoover Dam was so pretty!
Lovely photos Abby! Love to get down and dirty at the dam one day myself. I remember it from the film Into the Wild, it’s captivated me ever since!
I was going to say the same as Rease and Christy!
I hate sitting in a car in jeans! I wear dresses on all road trips.
I’ve been here and it is absolutely amazing. It’s a weird feeling looking down at the water and this great big structure built around it. Definitely a different scene from all the lights at the strip!
It goes soo deep! I was too scared even to put my camera out over the edge to get a shot. It really is the weirdest feeling!
I’d love to visit the HD sometime very soon
Beautiful scenery, when we think of the US we only picture big cities. Its countryside and mountains would make for a much better trip for me
Hoover Dam is a great side trip out of Vegas. Haven’t been there since they opened the new skywalk. Would love to see that. What’s the other city in Nevada that doesn’t allow gambling? That’s interesting.
Angela, there’s more wide open space in America than cities! You’d love a road trip…
Cathy, you know, I don’t know!
Love this post -love the Hoover Dam.. the first time I saw it, I didn’t know it was going to be there! Nothing stumbling on something so magnificent in the middle of the desert. (I was only 19 – a little distracted I guess
Great photos too, Abby – did you get a new camera?
This looks like such a cool getaway! Do you get to go out on that bridge at all?
I LOVE the Hoover Dam … never done a tour but would like to before I leave. Hmmm. Brain wheels spinning …
I always thought it was odd that people would get out to look at a dam but your photos are quite pretty.
Wow, that shot of the bridge with the valley and river below is incredible! What a setting.
I was too scared to take the shot that really gives vertigo! I just couldn’t do it.
I’ve always wanted to visit the Hoover Dam (and Grand Canyon) – I’m hoping to make a road trip out West this summer with the kiddo.
These photos are gorgeous!
I always wear dresses when I can, too especially in hot weather. They’re a great way to capture natural air conditioning. Plus, they’re cute. I rarely go beyond the strip (except to Fremont) when I’m in Vegas. I have to make an effort to move away from it the next time I’m there. Hoover Dam, here I come!
Wow, gorgeous pics! I’ve only see the Hoover Dam in movies (the Griswolds!) but I’d love to go someday. I’d be afraid that I’d fall in…though I’m sure there is plenty of fencing
The sheer magnitude of it is pretty incredible.
I’ve been to Arizona, Nevada, and southern California but have never visited the Hoover Dam! I will definitely have to go one day and check it out. Great photos – I haven’t seen a lot of photos from that vantage point.
I was terrified peeking over — terrified!