A great friend of ours dropped us a message—she was going to be in Las Vegas for a few days. Now, we’d never set foot in the glittery desert playground, and that was reason enough to raise our eyebrows and go, “Why not?” A little adventure? Count us in. Vegas, baby! The city of lights, slots, and Elvis impersonators! It only took us a few minutes of synchronized nodding to decide we were heading west. (At the time, we were living in Phoenix, AZ—so it was practically our neighbour… sort of.)
Armed with Google Maps, we typed in her address and bam! In the twinkling of an eye—voilà, a 5-hour drive! Simple, right? Well, spoiler alert: simple doesn’t always mean easy. Two route options appeared: Highway 93 or 95. We picked 93, probably because it shaved off a whole 30 minutes of our journey. That’s like, two episodes of a sitcom!
Come Saturday, we were up before the sun, bleary-eyed but buzzing with excitement—hello 4 a.m.! It was June, which in Arizona-speak means “prepare to roast like a rotisserie chicken.” Luckily, the early morning was breezy and sweet… but that didn’t last long. With every mile, the sun turned up the dial like it had a personal vendetta.
As the heat cranked up, I started scanning for a place to stretch our legs (and not melt). And then—ta-da!—the Hoover Dam appeared on the map like a shimmering oasis of concrete engineering. Practically en route and begging for a photo op.
Now, let me tell you something about the Hoover Dam: it’s a beast. A majestic, sun-soaked, jaw-dropping beast. We wandered around, took a bazillion photos, and soaked up the summer rays until we were sufficiently cooked.
Constructed during the Great Depression, thousands of men and their families arrived at Black Canyon to harness the Colorado River. In less than five years, amidst a harsh and desolate landscape, the largest dam of its era was erected. Today, many years later, Hoover Dam continues to be recognised as a globally acclaimed structure. The Dam is designated as a National Historic Landmark and has been acknowledged by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.
I learnt this: The Hoover Dam stands at a height equivalent to that of a 60-story skyscraper. Upon its completion in 1935, it was recognised as the tallest dam globally. The thickness of its base is comparable to the length of two football fields. Each spillway is engineered to manage floodwaters effectively, ensuring that the dam remains unharmed, and is capable of accommodating the same volume of water that cascades over Niagara Falls. You know what’s wild? At the Hoover Dam, you can literally be in two states at once—Arizona and Nevada. It’s the only time I’ve ever been this indecisive geographically.
Then, off we went to Las Vegas—where our lovely friend awaited us with open arms and… wait for it… a homemade paella!
Jackpot!