Hot Dam

Good morning, my friends. It was hot yesterday. We were glad we were out early to see the Glen Canyon Dam. Before we left, I'd checked to read about the tours. They were listed at $5 each, which seemed like a bargain. I'd hoped to buy tickets ahead of time, but there didn't seem to be a way. In any case, we had our breakfast, and then drove the short distance to the visitor center.

Approaching the door, we noticed this memorial fountain.

Here's what it says on the plaque.

To the right of the door, we noticed this display.

It's been possible to see dinosaur tracks in many areas along our way, but these are the first I've seen with my own eyes.

Stepping a little farther to the right, we had a good view of the bridge.

Mind your manners here, my friends. It's a long way down.

To the left, we had a good view of the Glen Canyon Dam. It's 300 feet thick at the bottom, 22 feet thick at the top.

Looking down, we could see the structure where the turbines are housed. If you look to the right of that image, you can see the spillway. Two jets of water were pouring from there with the force of a firehose.

I broke this next sign into pieces to make it easier to read. Glen Canyon Dam is part of the Colorado River Storage Project. There are a series of dams along the Colorado River. We've visited several of them.

Here's some information specific to the Glen Canyon Dam.

The visitor center is named for this man.

For whatever reason, I was touched knowing Norman Rockwell had visited.

So, look again at the image of the entrance at the top of this post...yeah, where it says "Tours of Dam." Also check the website where it discusses rules, cost, and lengths of the tours. Entering the visitor center, we walked to the right following the directions on the sign that said "Information --->". There was no one at the desk, although we waited several minutes. No signs...no information whatsoever. 

So, then we walked to the other side of the building where the gift shop was. We spoke with the rather sullen woman at the cash register, who said abruptly, "There are no tours." I responded saying, "It says there are tours all over the website. And it mentions tours on the sign entering the parking lot." She shrugged. I mentioned there was supposed to be an information desk, but no one was there. "I have no authority," she said.

Okay. Well, that was kind of dispiriting. This morning I note that if I check the national park service website it says:

Okay, well, bummer. We were officially disappointed. Nevertheless, there were some pretty good exhibits inside the visitor center, including this photograph of the turbines. Presumably, these are housed in the structure I pictured above.

It's hard to read, but the captions at the bottom discuss the maintenance of the turbines. It's an ongoing and thorough process.

Back outside, we read these two plaques.

Here's a little more printed information about Powell.

And this plaque. I was touched that Ladybird Johnson did the dedication. I always liked her, and I was especially appreciative of her highway beautification efforts when we visited Texas this past spring.

Here's another look at the dam. I had a hard time not taking pictures of everything I saw.

Looking down again.

Here's another shot of the bridge and the canyon.

We were able to walk out on the bridge where I got this shot of the canyon down river from the dam.

Crossing the road, here's another shot of the dam from the opposite side. I like that you can see the shadow of the bridge.

Okay, so it seemed we'd seen all we were going to be able to see. I picked up a refrigerator magnet in the gift shop (pictured at the bottom), and then we headed back to the RV. 

Oh that? Just a houseboat being towed down the road. Happens every day, right? We'd seen one cross the bridge too.

I can't get over the beauty of the landscape here. The colors and shapes and the blue of the sky and water. It's breathtaking.

We stopped off at the campground store where I was able to pick up a couple more refrigerator magnets and a shot glass. Then we checked out the "Swim Beach." Standing in the parking lot, it looked like this.

I zoomed in on some particularly interesting formations.

It was high noon by then, and the worst time of the day to be in the direct sunshine. We decided to wait until later in the afternoon to enjoy the beach. Heading back to the RV, we had lunch and naps. When I woke up from my nap, I found my napping companion stretched to his full length.

Sadie was stretched out under the table where she was in the breeze of the air-conditioner.

I had a little time to spend on my slow-stitching. I'll have to wait until we get home to finish off the lighter pink sections. Hopefully, I have more of that color at home.

So, it made sense to move my hoop down to encompass more of the kitten. This is where I'll work next.

Around 4:00 p.m., we packed up our stuff and headed to the beach. No worries here, my friends. I'm a lifeguard, and I'll save you. I spent many a summer as a lifeguard. How do you think I got all these skin cancers?

We had to walk down this path and across a soft sand dune to get to the actual beach.

There, we found a mostly shady spot beside some sage brush. 

It was nice to feel the sand on our feet. Mike went in for a swim right away. The water was warm and refreshing. I joined him after taking this picture. Swimming in Lake Powell seems a requirement of any visit here.

Looking to the left of where we sat, it looked like this.

Looking to the right, it looked like this.

Looking straight across...lovely.

Here's my souvenir haul of the day. I broke my cardinal rule and purchased a Colorado River "Goosenecks" magnet. We're doing that this morning, which is why it's against the rules. I don't want to tempt fate by jumping the gun on these things. Nevertheless, it was there, and I bought it.

Okay, and so this morning's goal is to hike the 1.5 mile (round trip) trail out to the Goosenecks, and the main reason I wanted to stop here. Mike is still asleep, but if we're going to get in our hike before it gets too hot, he's going to have to get himself out of bed. Retirement is so much work. We still have one more breakfast of breakfast burritos, and that will hurry things along.

This is our last day in this spot. From here, we'll be making a death march toward home. Our first stop will be Caliente, Nevada, in a place we've visited once before. There is still more to come.