Viva Vegas Part II

Keeping with my routine I got up early Saturday morning and made my way to the gym for a run.  I found it a little strange to be meandering through the casino in my running ensemble, but felt even worse about those who would have to share the elevator with me after my workout.  As I neared the gym I passed a group of 4 guys, or rather 3 guys and their wobbly, can no longer walk on his own, making cat calls at any remote resemblance of a woman in the vicinity, buddy.  My day was off to a good start, but I doubt he could say the same.  

To escape the heavy crowds and utilize our close vicinity to an American engineering feat we drove over to the Hoover Dam.  I'll admit there was a lot more to see at the dam than I had originally expected.  We started our trip by taking the Power Plant Tour which started with a brief video on the dam's construction. The concrete that forms the dam was poured in blocks, some as large as 50 ft square by 5 ft tall.  Because of the block's size and the cement's curing needs, refrigeration pipes were installed which cooled the cement using water from the lake as well as water that had passed through a massive refrigeration unit.  This process allowed the cement to cure at a safe and reasonable speed which enabled the pouring of cement 24 hours a day for 7 days a week.  Our tour guide was quick to dispel the ongoing myth that there are dead bodies in the dam.
 
 Moving right along we took a 70 second elevator ride 530 feet down through the rock wall of Black Canyon to start tour of the Penstock Viewing area.  This viewing area is "atop one of the four 30-foot-diameter pipes that can transport nearly 90,000 gallons of water each second from Lake Mead to the dam's hydroelectric generators".  Despite the invitation to "take as many dam pictures as we wanted" I was still hesitant to pop the flash.  Didn't want to be disruptive, so here you can see the tunnel, with a slight blur, we walked in to get to and from the elevator. 

Taking another very short elevator ride up we entered the Power Plant generator area on the Nevada side.  The Nevada wing is 650 feet long and displays eight of the dam's 17 generators.  The floors of the entire power plant are a gorgeous terrazzo which was seen as creative back then and is currently very desirable in modern home decor. The tour guide mentioned the price of the terrazzo installation which was something like 1/12th the cost of what we were looking to pay to install the same material as our countertops in our kitchen.  Ok, maybe not that low, but the price was still lower than what you might expect to pay to finish an average home's floors today.  On another note, check out the mode of transportation about the plant. Tricycles surely make for an entertaining work day commute. 

 After our tour finished we walked through the visitors center before heading up to the observation deck for a lovely view of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the new bridge.  Much to Jonathan's architectural delight the Dam and its outlying buildings (original visitors center, restrooms, elevator towers) were all fashioned in Art Deco style. Sign font's, building curvature and even the sides of the theater chairs reflect Deco details.  Not only is the engineering impressive but the attention to detail and the depth of the dam's architectural/style richness make this site (since its not technically a National Park) a must see.

By this time the blood sugar was dipping and it was time to break for lunch.  In true experience-everything-like-the-tourist-I-love-being fashion Jonathan and I ordered the Dam dog for lunch.  While trying to decide between splitting the Dam dog vs each ordering our own hot dog I asked the cook to show me the difference. I wasn't expecting the mild feeling of indecency when he gyrated the sausage in the air, and was grateful when he put it back on the rotating grill wheels. Despite its relatively unappealing girth, it was a darn tasty hot dog, and it even came with a celebratory "I Ate A DAM DOG at Hover Dam" sticker.  A touch of class for sure.

Back outside we toured about, taking in nearly every sight possible.  We checked out the spill way on the Nevada side which is a black hole of a pipeline to help prevent flooding.  As we ever so slightly leaned over the wall to view the gaping hole we could hear the whooshing of water near the outlet of the 600 foot long pipe which at its max capacity can carry 200,000 sq ft of water per second!  We eventually made our way across the dam from Nevada to Arizona and back with many a photo in between.  
                                                                                                      

Armed with a new appreciation for the Hoover Dam, a ton of photos and a few souvenirs we made our way back to Vegas to get ready for the evening.  We headed to the Aria for a scrumptious, upscale modern take on Tapas before heading to see Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil.  Photography was not allowed in the theater during the show but I have no doubt this was a good thing.  The stage talent and choreography as well as the singing was meant to be taken in and enjoyed in the moment, not behind a camera.  I have a strange fascination with group dance and was amazed not only at the feats of acrobatics, gymnastics and dancing but loved the musical assortment and the overall presentation of Elvis' story.  I'm no die hard Elvis fan, but appreciate his music, what he did for the industry as a whole and I absolutely loved the show! I recommend this show to anyone who has an opportunity to see it. 

Energized by the show we headed to one of the Bar Moderno for a libation.  Feeling the affects of their two hour time difference Jonathan's parents headed back to the casino while we stayed out for another beverage.  We made our way to an Irish pub style restaurant and in true 1:30 AM in Vegas style witnessed a rather weak girl fight.  Lots of fast taking, raised voices, finger pointing and an eventual scantily clad storm off, nothing too crazy.  Walking back to the casino we stopped for some alcohol soaking carbs and got a piece of pizza at one of the sketchiest food courts on the strip. While enjoying our slice we witnessed some visitors straight out of the south (you can tell them apart just like you can tell when someone is from Jersey) one of which could barely keep his eyes open while maintaining a firm grip on his 6 pack of corona.  Not sure how much fun he was having, but perhaps by mid day his black out will have erased the pain of the previous night.  Ah Vegas, how you never cease to entertain.