Hoover Dam – 2008 vs today!

We HAD to stop at the Hoover Dam on the way back to Vegas from our Arizona adventures. Squid had just read the Percy Jackson series, and had remembered a scene that took place in the Hoover Dam, so she was looking forward to seeing it. Unfortunately, due to Covid, there weren’t any tours for us to take, but we definitely enjoyed the views!

Hubby and I had been there in March of 2008, and we were surprised by how much it had changed! Before, you used to have to drive straight through the Hoover Dam to get to Nevada from the Grand Canyon. Now, it was an exit off of the highway. And speaking of that highway, there was a fantastic pedestrian portion of the bridge over the dam so that you could get this amazing view:

Check out this view!

It was crazy to see the new parking garages and gift shop. We were bummed we couldn’t take a tour, but we knew that going into the visit. The girls were not thrilled about the heat….

It was a touch warm…
This sign looks awfully permanent…is every day an excessive heat warning???

Hubby and I had a great time comparing the dam with last time’s visit. We felt bad for the guards standing in their black uniforms and masks performing the vehicle checks of every car, truck, etc that went through their checkpoint!

Here’s what the bridge looked like as they were working on it in 2008 vs what it looked like finished and running on our trip:

2008 – it’s getting there….
June 2021…all done and functioning! This bridge is the freeway and holds the pedestrian walkway to take pictures of the dam from as well.

The water levels were interesting to compare, too, as this area is in a dangerous drought.

March 2008
June 2021

Overall, it was a fun stop, though the girls were less than thrilled about the heat and the stairs/walk to the pedestrian portion of the bridge. However, they loved getting their picture taken with half of their bodies in Arizona and the other half in Nevada!

Lisa WernerLeave a comment

Valley of Fire State Park

Finally! A return to travel! We had airline credits from our canceled trip last summer that had to be used by September, so we decided to head to the Southwest. In hindsight, it seems a trip to the desert in summer may be a questionable idea, but it’s even better when there is record heat and drought conditions! It was HOT!

Our first stop was a beautiful state park in Nevada – Valley of Fire State Park. We came in from Las Vegas, and it was 45 minutes or so away, and a very easy drive. We arrived on a Sunday midmorning, and there wasn’t a line to get in, and didn’t seem very busy.

Since we came in from the west, our first stop was the Beehives. The girls had a lot of fun climbing into the caves to find cooler spots in the shade. This spot gave a great view of the surrounding area.

Beehives – with plenty of hiding holes to find shade in for curious kids!

Next we hit up the Atlatl Rock, which is definitely worth the climb – the petroglyphs to be seen here were very easy to locate and view.

You’ve got this!
We had fun making up stories for these petroglyphs!

Next, we were off to our hike for the morning – we did the Fire Wave hike. It was roughly 0.7 mile hike to the Fire Wave. Though this one is undoubtedly not as immense as the super famous Fire Wave in Vermilion Cliffs, it was so much more accessible for us (no ticket system, significantly shorter hike). It was a very hot hike, however, as there isn’t much for shade after the first 1/4 mile. It was quite a sight to see, however! You can continue on the trail past Fire Wave, or you can turn around and head back to the parking lot (like we did). Interestingly enough, the trail closed a few days after we were there due to a high risk of heat-related illness!

So pretty and swirly! Who knew rocks could do that?!?
Wormy is using her Dad as a ‘shade tree.’

After this, we were going to hike the White Dome area and pink canyon, but I really tired out Wormy and Squid, so they were not interested in this idea at all! We drove around the White Domes area, and then headed out to drive the rest of the park.

Near the Elephant Rock/Visitors Center area

I highly recommend a stop to Valley of Fire State Park. It was quiet, calm, and peaceful. Usually we experience similar environment at national parks, but with the uptick in visitors to most of them, this was a nice change!

Lisa WernerLeave a comment