The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
drove past Lake Mead
on their way to Hoover Dam
in Boulder City (Clark County) NV 89005
and in Mohave County, Arizona
October 1, 2022

The two RV Gypsies drove past Lake Mead on their way to Hoover Dam.

mapWelcome to Lake Mead sign
Lake Mead Lake Mead
Lake Mead
Lake Mead
 

History book clipartThen it was on to Hoover Dam, a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives. It was referred to as Hoover Dam after President Herbert Hoover in bills passed by Congress during its construction; it was named Boulder Dam by the Roosevelt administration. The Hoover Dam name was restored by Congress in 1947.

Since about 1900, the Black Canyon and nearby Boulder Canyon had been investigated for their potential to support a dam that would control floods, provide irrigation water and produce hydroelectric power. In 1928, Congress authorized the project. The winning bid to build the dam was submitted by a consortium named Six Companies, Inc., which began construction of the dam in early 1931. Such a large concrete structure had never been built before, and some of the techniques were unproven. The torrid summer weather and lack of facilities near the site also presented difficulties. Nevertheless, Six Companies turned the dam over to the federal government on March 1, 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule.

Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States by volume when full.[6] The dam is located near Boulder City, Nevada, a municipality originally constructed for workers on the construction project, about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Hoover Dam is a major tourist attraction, with 7 million tourists a year.[7] The heavily traveled U.S. Route 93 (US 93) ran along the dam's crest until October 2010, when the Hoover Dam Bypass opened.

Hoover Dam sign

tunnel
road near Hoover Dam Nevada mountains
water tank Hoover Dam and bridge sign

road to Hoover Dam

road to Hoover Dam

approaching Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam Security Checkpoint Hoover Dam Security Checkpoint

The Hoover Dam is an awesome engineering feat. It took five years to complete and was built using three and one-quarter million cubic yards of concrete. That's enough concrete to pave a 16 foot wide road from New York to San Francisco, CA. Since the bypass bridge was finished in October 2010, the Hoover Dam has become even more amazing.

The graceful, concrete arch is designed to support the bridge. Its curved shape spans the gap of Black Canyon. The bridge connects Arizona and Nevada, and creates a faster route across the river. It's open to traffic, and has a sidewalk as part of the pedestrian and visitor amenities, which include a parking lot, trail, and interpretive plaza. When under construction, the bridge was referred to as the Hoover Dam Bypass Project. It is now named the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.

the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge
the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge
Hoover Dam Hoover Dam

Below: A statue of a worker on the side of the bridge

STATUE statue
building driving over the dam
Nevada time
Hoover Dam sign Hoover Dam Spillway House event center

Below: On the Nevada side of the dam are two 30-foot-tall bronze statues depicting the “Winged Figures of the Republic”. The luck is found in their toes that people can rub. (But the two RV Gypsies did not get to go near the statues). The figures are sentries at the entrance to Hoover Dam, part angel, part symbol of the strength of man. They are the work of a sculptor named Oskar J.W. Hansen, a Norwegian immigrant who came to the United States after some time in the merchant marines. Both winged figures sit on massive blocks of solid black diorite on either side of a 142-foot-tall flag pole. (only a small part of the flag pole is shown in the below picture)

Winged Figures of the Republic Winged Figures of the Republic
map

Below: Driving over Hoover Dam and leaving Nevada and entering Arizona

Welcome to Arizona sign
welcome to Hoover Dam sign stairway down

It took over five years to build the Hoover Dam and it requires constant maintenance. It is the largest reservoir in the United States of America. Holding a staggering 28.9 million acre-feet of water, the capacity of the Hoover Dam is almost incomprehensible.

big sign about Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam Karen Duquette at Hoover Dam

Below: It was a very windy day when the two RV Gypsies were here, which is why Karen Duquette took off her hat, and therefore her hair blew wildly in the wind.

The two RV Gypsies at Hoover Dam The two RV Gypsies at Hoover Dam
Karen Duquette at Hoover Dam

Below: Looking left and then looking right

view from Hoover Dam view from Hoover Dam

Below: Crossing back over Hoover Dam from Arizona back into Nevada

Arizona time Nevada time

welcome to Nevada sign

Below: check it out FLASHBACK at Hoover Dam on October 24, 1993 - Karen, Lee, Phyllis, Frank, Sue & Don (other photos have been lost). If found later, they will be put in "Flashbacks". (If you know any of these long-lost friends, tell them about this page)

Friends at Hoover Dam 1993
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