Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Hoover Dam

The excitement of the day began with breakfast. We stopped at a Krispy Kreme donut shop where we could smell the donuts being made as soon a s we exited the car. This is the second time we have had this experience in our travels and no less exciting. The employees dropped the donuts in the oil and we watched them make their way through the fryolator on the way to be iced and them plucked off after some cooling to be out on racks. Of course we ordered the warm fresh donuts off the rack. If you ever get a chance to see this and sample the melt in your mouth goodness, you will not be disappointed.

Our first sight at Hoover Dam was Lake Mead. It was very blue and actually had a marina. That was surprising since so many reservoirs do not allow motorized boats. The lake level seemed low and we observed a white layer all around it-- the top of which we took to be a more normal level. We took the power plant tour. Incredibly the electricity generation was an after thought to finance the construction of the dam which had the main emphasis of creating a stable water supply for the region. 

Interesting tidbits about the Hoover Dam:
The volume of water in Lake Mead would cover the state of Pennsylvania with a depth of 12 inches.

It was originally called the Boulder Canyon Dam even though it is actually in the Black Canyon.

It was completed in 4 years- 2 years ahead of schedule and under budget. That's something that doesn't happen often these days!

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