What to do at the Hoover Dam

 Read the engravings; be gratified, touched, and amazed

:(  We wondered what the dog's name was and why they didn't record it on the plaque.  Not surprisingly, pets are not allowed out of folks' cars at the Hoover Dam.  And a good thing; I imagine it could be dangerous for them with all the traffic that comes and goes over the dam road.

Greet the Crazy Winged Guards at the Gate

Realize that we're not in Nevada any more, Toto!

The Hoover Dam is right on the border of Nevada and Arizona!  Who knew?  And most interesting to the children was the fact that Arizona is the one state of the union that thinks for itself and rejects daylight savings time rules.  We love renegades like that!

Then Have a Look...

I cannot tell you how tempting it was to forego this shot and just run along the back of these guys with my spankin hand out...

 And  Another Look...

Spit...

I wish I could say my children had more couth than this, but..  well, there ya are.

Then Go Over and Look on the Other Side... 

And Look Some More...

See the Fish?

What Fish?

"That's just a piece of trash."

Be Amazed at the Views Looking Down and Up

Much smaller than it appears in real life.

Beautiful vistas of the rocky, rugged hills all around.

And all the paraphernalia, wires, plant buildings, etc., that draw power from the dam.  Interestingly, the Hoover Dam supplies power to the states of Nevada, Arizona, and California, but the largest share goes to California.

We panicked when we first saw the "leaning tower of power lines" here
until we realized that it's  constructed this way on purpose...

Pose for pictures of course!

Kiss the Crazy Winged Guards at the Gate Goodbye!

Of course Michelle would be the one to do this.  I wince to think of the germs on these toes....

In Conclusion...

The Hoover Dam.  A super fun outing for just the price of a parking ticket! With seven of the children at home (the last week of December), there was no way we could afford the $30 a person ticket to the big tour they advertise, but it was still a good learning experience (one we may build on with a mini home school unit soon)!  It was a beautiful mild day, the scenery was spectacular, and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, taking the last opportunity of the vacation to cut loose together and just be silly.  We're all looking forward to more of these kinds of days together. Hopefully soon!  Summer is coming; Dominic and Theresa will be on break,a and Michelle is a hop, skip, and jump away in California...