Where I've been @ what I've been doin...

[gcarter]

Friday a week ago Elaine & I flew to 'Vegas for three days of meetings at a National Dealer meeting.
Well, Laine and I don't spend much time in casinos and such when there's so many National Parks so close at hand.....
Last Saturday we took my brother-in-law's Jeep up to the dam and discovered they're in the process of building a VERY large bridge across the gorge just downstream of the dam. They've already completed all the approach bridges and the roadway is almost ready to pave. Now they've set up some large cranes and are starting the bridge itself.
BTW, the water looks like it's down about 100'.....well it's been that low before.
Next we went over to the Arizona side and went down a trail and ended up on Lake Mead. A few folks were camping and we saw a few boats.
As soon as I get a chance to download some more pics, I'll post some of Zion.
Later....

[harbormaster]

Beautiful photos George. Lets see more!

[Bob]

Damn nice photos. Did you take the Damn tour and see the Damn generators?

[Cuda]

Looking forward to the pictures from Zion. I've been through there before and it's awesome.

[ChromeGorilla]

Who's that sexy man-beast in the green shirt????????:biggrin.:

[McGary911]

Great pics. I was out there a couple of months ago for a bachelor party. We did the dam on our last day out there. We also made sure to hike up to the peak of Red Rock Canyon. That was truly cool. I'll post a pic or 2 when I get home from work.

[gcarter]

Damn nice photos. Did you take the Damn tour and see the Damn generators?
Back in the late '90's, they had an extended tour of the dam. They gave you a hardhat and took you everywhere there was a place to go. I managed to do it a couple of times. Since 9-11 I've heard they've stopped it. Of course terrorism is the reason they're building the new bridge.

[gcarter]

Great pics. I was out there a couple of months ago for a bachelor party. We did the dam on our last day out there. We also made sure to hike up to the peak of Red Rock Canyon. That was truly cool. I'll post a pic or 2 when I get home from work.
This is my favorite shot of Red Rock Canyon. It was near sun set and the color is all washed out, but I still like it.
BTW, this is a favorite spot for climbing.

[gcarter]

There is so much to do within three hours driving time from Vegas. You could easily entertain yourself for a couple of weeks.
We stayed at the Best Western in Springdale (very near the gate) last Friday and Saturday nights for $55.00/night......what a deal, and high speed internet too!
We spent some time cycling DOWN the canyon.....not up. What a great place this is. Almost as dramatic as the Grand Canyon but more intimate. Lots of hiking trails, some climb 5000' and take two to three days to complete. In the Winter, you can take your own vehicle up the canyon, the rest of the time you ride a tram, but it's pretty entertaining.

[gcarter]

Here's a pic of us cycling....pretty easy downhill.
At the top of the trail, the canyon narrows to the point there is no dry land. In Springdale there are outfitters who will set you up with waders and a walking stick. You can then wade up the canyon four or five hours (nine or ten miles until the canyon is so narrow, you can't proceed.
Maybe another trip....

[gcarter]

There is a LOT of red sandstone around Vegas. In fact, it is a commercial product, as many lawns and roadsides are covered with it. It's very attractive. The are two parks near Vegas that feature this material, Red Rock Canyon on the West, and Valley of Fire on the East.
Today we went to the latter and here are some shots we took. There was a lot of indian activity here so look for some petroglyphs.