Friday, March 16, 2007

Day 72: Visit to Hoover Dam......and a former student's home......

The internal clock…well it slowed down last night because I didn’t awaken until an hour later than usual…….not a problem, but just a bit different for this aging and sagging hulk of me!

We left shortly after we had some Fr. Roast coffee and the 1st Lady….her tea. We turned south and went over the mts. out of Vegas towards Boulder City….and Hoover Dam. Hmmmmmm, guess I am showing my age(?) or I’m getting senile, but last night and before I have been calling it Boulder Dam…….WRONG!!!! It was declared by Truman to be Hoover Dam in recognition of the part that Herbert Hoover played in getting the dam constructed.

Anyway…..just a tiny mistake on my part…….we were heading down the mountain from Boulder City to the dam in less than 30 minutes from the time we pulled out of the RV Park here at Sam’s Town. And……OMG…..what a spectacular view(s) we had in the various locations around the dam. Prior to arriving at the dam, there is a check point where your vehicle is subject to be searched…..but we were waved on through. They are searching rv’s….and as the morning wore on, the lines became longer and longer.

I drove across the dam….and then up the Arizona side until we reached a good parking spot for viewing the dam and lake. From there we went back to the Nevada side, parked in the new parking garage that hangs on the mountainside….and purchased our tickets for the tour THROUGH the dam. The entire tour lasted about an hour and was really worth the $11.00 admission price.

I found the entire tour and viewing points really, really interesting because my father had gone to this area at the time the dam was being constructed and worked on the construction for several months. More and more workers were meeting their untimely death while working there, so he quit the job and returned to Missouri. But…..it was cool to remember that he had played a vital role in the construction of Hoover Dam!!!

After a quick bite of lunch in Boulder City, we returned to the RV Park…..and just hung out for a few hours. At a bit after 5pm we went to Henderson, a suburb of Vegas and were guests in the home of Zane and Paula Simpson for a wonderful BBQ on their patio beside their swimming pool.. They have three wonderful children…….and it was sooooooo damn good to see Zane….and Paula…..again. As I mentioned before, he played trumpet when I taught in the Eldon, MO school district…..and now he takes bagpipe lessons. He is policeman in the Vegas area……….so we did get to hear of some of his job stories. I really was glad we got to see each other……….hard to believe he is 40 years old………but, I will be 64 on the 31st of this month……so, we ALL are aging quickly.

We returned to TheHowserHouse…….and after a short walk-thru of Sam’s Town Casino….we were back in here a bit later. Another beautiful day…..a great trip to Hoover Dam…..and a wonderful evening filled with great food and wonderful conversation and laughter at a former student’s beautiful home. What more could anyone ask???? AND…….as always…..

Life is GREAT….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

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