RUN FOR THE WALL Jean and Larry: May 13, 2022

May 13, 2022 – Day 7 to Ontario

We got up today and the sun was shining. What a beautiful day. Temp 57 but a little hazy.

Not the same colors as the last few days but neat formations as we head across the desert.

We crossed Arizona

Then quickly crossed into Nevada.

The land was soooo flat and it was getting a bit warm.

Now we get into real traffic as we get into Las Vegas. After 5 days of 2 lane roads now we have 4-6 lanes. This is where we will spend the night before heading into Ontario.

We went past the Raiders new stadium. Really cool from the outside.

We arrived at about noon and decided to head to Hoover Dam.

On the way we see acres and acres of solar panels. It seems like miles of them. All the panels are flat and parallel to the ground.

We took the tour and there are so many interesting facts. So fun facts for the day. (Random order)

Started in1931
When the Colorado River was dammed to create Hoover Dam, the Largest man made lake was created = Lake Mead
3500 workers a day, 3 shifts, 363 daily’s a year
95% from snow melt off Rockies as the source for the Lake, but today the amount of snow in the Rockys is not as much so the lake is receding
The dam Provides water and power to downstream communities
Workers made $4 a day, about .50 per hour (this was a lot of money since it was the depression)
There are 17 turbines powered by the water at the dam
The base is 660 feet thick, top 45 feet thick, Length 1244 feet
Life experience of the dam is 2200-2500 years - Seriously
Building the dam , they created their own town and manufacturing facilities.