Hoover Dam

Today our plan was to drive from Williams, AZ to Hoover Dam, and then on to Las Vegas to see friends.  Because of the security issues, all cars entering Hoover Dam on the Arizona side must go through a checkpoint.  Geoff had been to Hoover Dam on a geology class trip in grad school.  I'm not sure if we missed the exit where you don't have to be checked, or if it no longer exists.  In any case, we passed into Nevada.  By this time it was about noon, so we stopped at the visitor's center at Lake Mead. 

 It had an interesting little exhibit about the history of the dam and the lake.  Apparently it powers a lot of the area.  I remember learning about Hoover Dam when I was doing a report on the Grand Canyon.  I remember that it was controversial at the time, but now it is just part of the landscape.  However, there are some concerns about what damming that much water can do to the ecosystem. 

We found a little table in the shade, and ate some lunch and looked at the lake.  It was very blue.  Then we drove onward toward Las Vegas.