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Saturday 6th August 2005 - Departure from Zion and drive to Lake Mead
We left Zion at about 10 a.m. and drove about 200 miles, with only a short
break, all the way to Lake Mead, camping at a place called Boulder Beach. Once
we'd set up our tents, we drove to the Hoover Dam, which was only about 5 miles
away. It was *really* hot at about 103 degrees F.
The Hoover Dam was OK but not as impressive as we'd expected. It seems it gained
its status as a "wonder of the world" back in the 1930s when it was
built. It was still worth seeing the man-made contrivance that had tamed the
mighty Colorado River and given rise to Lake Mead and Lake Mojave in the process.
We looked around and made the usual visit to the gift shop for the mandatory
tacky souvenir.
On the way back from the Hoover Dam, we stopped off at the Lake Mead visitor's
centre and looked around. We bought a few things like postcards and asked the
ranger there about swimming in the lake, which was about a hundred metres from
where we were camped.
Having returned to the camp site, we changed into swimming stuff and drove
to the beach. Martin, Bekky and Jack went swimming. Marina decided to stay on
the beach and avoid the almost inevitable sunburn arising from swimming and
playing ball games in 103 degrees sun in the middle of the Mojave Desert! In
fact we were in the Mojave Desert once again, its south western part being within
the bounds of Joshua Tree National Park where we had camped at the start of
this trip.
The water of Lake Mead was milky warm and only got cool if you swam 30 metres
from the beach. We had lots of fun playing our usual ball games.
On return from swimming, our plan had been to shower at the adjoining RV site.
Unfortunately we got told that they did not allow use of their showers by people
from off site until 7 a.m. the next day! So much for that plan. We made do with
washing under the standing taps at our own camp site. Primitive it may have
been but it did the job and we all felt better for it.
The evening was spent in our usual fashion. Martin cooked a gourmet meal (ah,
the power of the historian!) on the trusty Trangias and then we played various
card games.
Click on the photos for full size versions
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The drive into Nevada from Utah (via nothern Arizona
as it happens). Here we're parked in the Lake Mead NRA with Lake Mead
in the background.
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Once again we're in our old friend, the Mojave Desert
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Road trip!
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We camped at the camp ground at Boulder Beach by Lake
Mead
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First stop was Hoover Dam only about 30 minutes away
for us. Here's Bekky looking like a movie star! How cool does she look?
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It's the Hoover Dam. In case you didn't know.
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Sun block was required. The temperature was about 105.
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The Colorado River on one side....
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......and Lake Mead on the other.....
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Guess when the Hoover Dam was built?
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After Hoover Dam we headed down to hte lake to swim
and cool off
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The water was bath temperature! Very nice though :)
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In the evening we had a laugh playing cards with everyone
taking the mickey out of Martin's completely inept tactics!
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Jack, by contrast, is an evil card playing genius!
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